Directing a Fundraising Capital Campaign: Ways to Lead the Staff and Volunteers
It seems as though “leadership” is one of the first topics to come up whenever a discussion turns to fundraising. Who is going to lead the campaign, who is going to lead the givers, who is going to lead the meetings, who is going to lead the volunteers, and who is going to lead, lead, lead? Leadership in each of these aspects more than likely means something different because a fundraising capital campaign has many facets. For this article, let’s take a look at how a campaign director can orchestrate and lead the people involved in making a capital campaign a success.
Many articles have been written about the tools a leader has at his or her disposal to motivate and inspire people to do things. They describe in corporate terms how to use praise, payments, promotions and punishment. However, in a fundraising environment, leaders typically do not have a lot of opportunity to promote, and they certainly cannot pay or punish the volunteers they want to help them. Campaign directors lead by doing the following:
- Praising
- Appreciating
- Constructively Guiding
- Giving Recognition
Praise Those You Want to Help You
Leaders have various ways of getting their followers to perform. Probably the most important tool for leaders to use in this regard is praise. Praise is positive, praise is sought after, and praise is easy to dispense when circumstances warrant it. The trick to using praise often when leading is to praise early in your relationships with those following you. And when you have your followers “on track” doing the tasks you want them to do the way you want them to do it, then keep praising them so they stay on track. Once they get off track you will have trouble using praise as a leadership tool.
Appreciate the Work Done by Those Who Help You
Leaders can lead in many different ways. Another leadership tool leaders use is appreciation. It goes a long way toward getting people to take direction and be helpful. “A single raisin, eaten with sincere appreciation, brings more joy and happiness than a whole box of raisins swallowed unconsciously.” [Charles MacInernay]. A leader who communicates sincere appreciation of others’ efforts and work is being sensitive, aware, grateful, sympathetic, and thankful. These are things that can motivate and inspire others to help.
Helpful Advice, Constructive Guidance
Another way leaders get their followers to perform is by using constructive criticism sparingly, and when necessary. While praise is often the superior tool to use when leading, there are times when a follower needs some criticism so he or she can get back on track toward the common good and be deserving of more praise. There is a fine line between criticizing just to be criticizing and criticizing in a constructive way so improvement is possible. The general rule is that constructive criticism is necessary criticism—stated in a congenial manner—that gives guidance to help resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the leader. When you couple the constructive criticism with praise, you are doing a good job of leading.
Give Out Recognition as Much as Possible
In addition to praise, appreciation, and constructive criticism, leaders in a volunteer setting can also inspire those under them to perform by offering them recognition, such as awards, promotions in responsibility, and naming opportunities. For example, in a capital campaign setting, the volunteer who provides the most donor prospect names might be given an award honoring that achievement. Maybe someone starts out as a low-ranking campaign executive committee member, and after doing some things well is elevated to a higher rank within the committee. And of course, people are often motivated to help when their name will be placed in the spotlight. Naming opportunities are another tool that leaders can use to get people to help them complete tasks.
The four tools described above that leaders use to lead others in a successful fundraising capital campaign are clearly the primary methods. Keep in mind that if you praise, appreciate, constructively criticize, and provide recognition, those whom you want to perform for you will more than likely do so. And getting what you want in a positive way will make you a more effective and influential leader.