Jonathan Poisner Strategic Consulting

I heard this from Nick Fellers of For Impact.  I’m paraphrasing, not quoting.

If a lion hunts a mice, it can catch it.  But it probably burns more calories catching it than the mice will provide.

If a lion hunts an antelope and catches it, it can feed the lion for days.

In the fundraising context, this means don’t go chasing lots of smaller donations if your goal is to transform your organization.  Yes, a larger organization with lots of staff can and should build a broader base.  But especially if you’re a small organization in the first few years, you should be almost exclusively hunting antelopes, not mice.

I couldn’t agree more.

But I’d add one thing.  There are also some magic mice out there.  Magic mice are actually antelope hunters themselves, and if you can catch the mice, the mice will hunt antelopes for you.

Don’t focus just on those who can write you the big check.  Focus also on those people who have access to those who can write you the big check and go sell them on your organization and turn them into champions for you.  But be clear: if the strategy is to hunt magic mice and you think you have one, don’t stop at just getting a donation, or else the strategy isn’t being followed.

The number one way to transform your organization financially is to engage people one on one and to invite them to champion your organization.

Something happens in a one-on-one conversation that doesn’t happen at events and certainly not via mail or phone.

What happens isn’t just that you as an individual form a personal relationship with the giver, although that certainly helps.

It’s that the giver is asked to take personal responsibility and not collective responsibility.

It’s not about how all these people in the room can help.  It’s about how you can help.

I recall studies done in the 1970s and 1980s that focused on personal versus collective responsibility in a different context.  The scientists had people fake epileptic seizures in public places to see who would help. The interesting thing is you were more likely to get help if you had the seizure when one person was there to observe than you were if several people observed.

This is contrary to what most people would predict.  But it rings true upon further reflection.  When something happens and other people are around, you tend to look around to see how they’re responding.  If everyone else is just looking around, you may think: I guess it’s not my problem.  But if there’s nobody to look at, you know it’s about you, and you alone.

*When you’re asked to give and the ask is clearly about you, that’s when people tend to step up and make larger donations.

(Incidentally, the scientists advise that to avoid this trap if you’re having some health crisis in public and there’s several people there, single out one in any way you can to ask them as an individual for help).

So stop putting your time into the next great event and banking on social media revolutionizing your organization.  If you want to grow, and grow quickly — get out and meet with more people and invite them to take responsibility.