 Welcome. Thanks to all of you for joining us for another Ask and Answer episode with Fundraising Academy. We are so glad that you're here for the non-profit show. We have back with us one of our favorites from Fundraising Academy, Jack Alotto, who's CFRE and really touts that banner far and wide, and he helps so many other non-profit professionals achieve that CFRE designation. Jack, we are so thrilled to have you here. I'm thrilled to be here with you to ask the questions and maybe even add to the questions. We'll see how that goes. But again, thank Fundraising Academy for underwriting each and every Friday, or as I like to call it, Friday, because it's a lot of fun answering these questions from you, our viewers, and you keep sending them in and we keep answering them. And we are so grateful in addition to Fundraising Academy to have the ongoing support from our presenting sponsors. Those of you watching, you can see the logos on the screen. Those of you listening, I'm going to give a shout out to Bloomerang, your part-time controller, Fundraising Academy, Nonprofit Nerd, American Nonprofit Academy, Staffing Boutique, Nonprofit Thought Leader, and the Nonprofit Atlas. Julie and I like to say that many of these companies, and it is a fact, have been with us from the very beginning since March of 2020. And Jack, I know you've been on quite a few times. We're coming up on our 600th episode. Can you believe that? I know. It's amazing. So if you missed any of these previous 600, or you want to go back and listen to today's ask and answer, you can find us on Roku, YouTube, Amazon Fire TV, as well as Vimeo. I also like to say, but wait, there's more. Maybe that's like my desire to be in that Shamwile commercial, right? You can listen to any where you stream your podcast. So go ahead and tell that little person in your phone series or whoever she might be to say, hey, queue up the non-profit show and listen to us if you're driving, exercising, whatever you might do. I'm curious, Jack, are you a podcast listener? I am. I listen to a ton of podcasts. Yeah, me too. Me too. I love it. It's how I start my days, and I'm really glad to have the non-profit show on the podcast channel as well. Okay. You are a pro at this, Jack. You are not new to the ask and answer. And again, as we've stated to our viewers as well as our listeners, you know, today is really dedicated to us answering your questions. So I'm going to read them aloud, Jack. I'm going to ask that you answer them. And then if there's anything that I feel that I want to either stir the pot or add to it, I will go ahead and do that in the conversation. So are you ready, my friend? Yes, but before you start, I want to say happy Canada Day to our friends to the north of us. Today they celebrate their independence from Great Britain. And of course, this is our weekend to celebrate our independence from England and Great Britain. So happy Canada Day, happy Independence Day to all our fellow Americans wherever they are. And I know, I know, Jared, that you guys have many listeners up north of the border. We really do. You know, we always say that we're a national webcast, but I've been saying we're really international because we have so many friends across the globe that join us. So thanks for that shout out. I love that. And in fact, you're in New York. That's what you shared with me. I am. Yes. I love it. Well, thank you for that. And let's let's kick off with our question from Jaylin Detroit. And Jaylin writes in and wants to know, it has been a struggle to recruit new board members to our organization. We have been considering the option of taking on board members who do not reside in our community, even though we only serve folks from our city limits. It could even be someone from out of state. Do you think we need to just keep looking? Wow, that's an interesting question. So this person is saying, help, we can't find enough viable board candidates. Should we consider someone outside of state? What say you, my friend? Yes, I say that I say that. First of all, it's an excellent question. I'm glad that you are looking at your board, the composition of your board. And I say, yes, you should look outside your community. I worked for a hospital in Los Angeles and many of our board members were not served by that hospital. But they brought other things to the board that were really important, like, like connections to foundations, connections to corporations, etc. But I want to say this, because we are, and I think you'll share this sentiment with you, you're with me, you're this, this person in Detroit is looking at their board for composition. Now is the time that she or he might be looking at their board, their current practices as they relate to diversity, equity and inclusion. It's so if you're looking at your board for where they are in the community, look at those things. You know, DEI is especially important considering the pandemic where members of marginalized communities were affected by COVID at greater numbers than the white community. And of course the murder of George, George Floyd and other African Americans. The world has changed guys and boards must remember that it is not only important to look outside your community. And it's not just enough to include members of marginalized communities, but give them leadership positions. And I want to just say one final thing around this, the board has to be intentional about putting members on their board from these marginalized communities. And they have to be intentional about assisting staff in stewarding donors and cultivating donors and soliciting donors from these communities. And guys, if you don't know how to do it, here's what I recommend. Assemble a group of people, African Americans, Latinos, LGBTQ plus Native Americans, whatever it is and ask them how they want to be included on your board in the cultivation process, in the solicitation process and in the stewarding process. So as you look for outside of your community and ask that question, if you're asking questions about your board makeup, now's the time to also ask those questions around diversity, equity and inclusion. Yeah, I agree. And I think, as you said, you knew that I would my question though is, are we doing due diligence to those marginalized communities within our community if we're seeking that elsewhere right and so is it our due diligence. I would like to go back to really steward and train and and give that invitation to the seat and the voice and the conversation to our local community first, even if maybe they're not experienced board members so I'm curious with that. Yes, absolutely. And, you know, definitely within the community. If you like I worked in healthcare, if we were a hospital, primarily serving Latinos, let's say, or African Americans, then we have a responsibility to give them a seat at the board table to listen to them for them to instruct us and inform us on how we can reach out to those communities. That's really important. It's very important and I appreciate you bringing that lens. I like to call it Jedi right so just diversity inclusion. I was on a presentation last night a leadership conversation with my local young nonprofit professional network chapter, and talking all about leadership and of course Jedi came up a big time in conversation so thank you for for driving that home. Well if Julia was here she would be super excited because this one is a name withheld and Jack if you've been on with Julia you know that she loves name withheld. So from Palo Alto, we have someone asked us a question specifically for you Jack. How long did it take for you to become confident as a professional fundraiser. I am new and while I'm excited about the work, my confidence is not super strong. That is a fantastic question. And I think the best way that I have built up my confidence and I still build up my confidence. Let's be honest. Sometimes I'm not confident. I mean, I've sat through million dollar ask and I was nervous and not too confident that we were going to get the gift. But here is the way to build that confidence. Keep learning. Be constantly seeking how to do the professional skills whether it's cultivation or solicitation or stewardship or prospect research or any of the various things. Keep learning. One of the places where you keep learning is right here at the nonprofit show. It's right here. It's any free webinars. It's the learning portal that we have at the fundraising Academy. Keep learning and the more you learn and whether it's CFRE or AFP or whatever it is, the more confident you will feel. You know, I still get nervous. So I'm glad that you owned up to that Jack because you know we're not immune to this right and we're constantly learning. I remember name withheld the very first time I had to make a major gift ask. I was terrified of not being prepared. But what I've learned in the cause selling education and I remember having this conversation with Tony Bell. It was really about finding your style of presentation. You're really knowing like where do you feel the most confidence and run with that style of presentation. You've likely done your homework you're likely prepared and have your folder of resources. You're arsenal of tools if you will, and just realize that by the time you're making that ask, you've done the work to prepare for that conversation. And you're really providing an invitation to this person to play a bigger role in solving, you know, the challenge that lies within your community. When I get the most nervous Jack, I will say not necessarily asking for money, but public speaking from a stage with a large audience, and I think that as much as I love doing it, I also appreciate and respect those nerves because it makes me want to do a fantastic job. And I do my best to embrace that nervousness and harness it in a way to come out about you with a passion. And so I say name withheld, you know, really, you got this, you have this. And I'm curious, Jack. I'm maybe one of the odd ones. I love role play. I love when we have the opportunity to ask for a million dollars and we're doing it with a colleague or a peer, you know, and I'm curious, do you utilize that role play scenario. Yes. And in fact, when we did those big ask, whether it was for a capital campaign or just a major gift ask, we always did a dress rehearsal a day before each of the people on the solicitation team knew what role they were going to play in the solicitation. I'll give you an example. $10 million ask one time. It was myself, the CEO of the hospital and the board chair. Each of us knew what our role was. I wasn't going to talk about a capital campaign around the hospital in terms of care. But as the CEO, our board chair was going to talk about giving from board members, lead gifts, et cetera, in the capital campaign, and Jack was simply going to talk about our strategies to achieve the capital campaign goal. So we rehearsed that the day before, and it was really smooth, nice, and it went really well. That's fantastic. You know, and I also know about Jack, he's very personable. So if you want to connect with Jack personally, feel free to reach out to him. He's always, he's always great to be of service. I'm on LinkedIn. Well, this one comes from Judith, and I apologize, Judith, that I can't see where you're joining us from. But the question here that we have, it starts off with a statement, we are trying some new things in our development office. As the development director, I would like to have the opportunity to address the board at each meeting for a quick update. Do you think this is a risky proposition? I think it's a great idea. Yes, you should be at every board meeting talking about your challenges, your successes, and other funding opportunities. Report to the board. That's really important. Let me tell you a story from my real life career experience. I interviewed for a job. It was very early in my career. It was a major gifts officer at a university. I got the job and about a week before my boss said to me, well, I'm not going to be able to come that first day because I'm going to be at a board meeting. And I remember saying to him, well, wouldn't you want me at the board meeting? And he said, no, only I attend the board meeting. And I immediately told him I could not work there. And the reason I couldn't work there is how could a major gifts officer not attend the board meetings or an individual giving officer? Here's the thing. The board's role in fundraising is inescapable. That's why the director of development has to be there. Fundraising. And I've heard you say this, Jared. Fundraising is a team sport. It's not just the director of development's job or the major gift officers. And thirdly, the board, as we say over and over and over again in our fundraising academy, the board must be a source of prospective donors. They have to be a referral source. So I say, yes, you should be at the board meeting. Yes, you should talk to them about your successes, any challenges you see going forward and any funding opportunities. Get their advice. When you get their advice, they become owners of your program, your fundraising program. And then when you do have those challenges and maybe you don't meet a goal, they're going to be on your side because you included them in that process by reporting out to them what you were doing. Reach my friend. I'm just going to sit back and let you go. I love that. I ditto ditto ditto each and every statement that you shared. And I commend you, Jack, for standing up for your beliefs and the role of the fundraising team to be a part of the board meetings. And, you know, I have walked out of so many board meetings, maybe that I haven't spoken during right like I'm there listening and capturing some information that I'm walking out with so many great opportunities to search for funding. Right. And I'm listening with that fundraising ear to hear what is happening, what's being said, where are we going as an organization and how might I be able to support that growth when it comes to fundraising. So absolutely everything you said with an exclamation point at the end. Great. We're on the same page. We're on the same page. I love it. Well, Josephina and Tulsa, I believe this is our last question of the day, but it doesn't mean that it's the least important. We are finally getting our winter gala. Do you say gala or gala? I say gala. I do too. You say gala, I say gala. You say tomato, I say tomato, whatever, sorry. There you go. We're getting our winter gala plan started up. We lost two years in real life due to the pandemic. We have some team members who think we should still do a hybrid event. And others who think it will take away from the whole thing. Some think we will even sell fewer tickets. Help with a big flag. You know, all the way from Tulsa, I see that flag. What are you seeing in this room? So I don't know whether they should do in Tulsa a virtual event or a hybrid event. I don't have the answer there, but I will tell them where they could get the answer. They could get that answer by asking their donors. And when you ask them and you get their advice, it's it does two important things in my mind. It's a great marketing tool. And they buy into whatever it is you decide. So ask your donors, ask attenders from two years ago. Should we do a virtual event? Should we do a hybrid event? Get their opinion. But here's the thing that I read about virtual events. Virtual events need the same careful planning as in-person events. That's number one. Number two, a virtual event in your organization means that you have a very strong social media presence. If you don't, it's risky to do a virtual event because virtual events are all virtual social media type things. You also need engaged followers, people who follow you on social media. And success should be a contense that you need to condense the event, a virtual event, and it has to be engaging. So those are some of the things that are really important. There's other things I'm sure you could find out there on the internet. But remember, the most important thing is ask your attenders from the last time you did it. Ask your donors. What should we do? What do you think? I think one of the greatest tools that we have in our toolbox with any question that we have, pretty much any question is to ask. Ask your donors. Ask your prospects. Ask your board members. Ask a whole bunch of people because when you ask and you ask and open in the question, as we say in the fundraising academy, you're going to get some really great buy into what you're doing. Yeah. Yeah. You know, I have to admit, Jack, probably over the last two years, I never, ever thought that I would be part of an event that wasn't hybrid. And I say that because of course, during the pandemic's plural, you know, we really are looking at how we can reach our audience. We've talked about how, you know, our net has been casted, you know, far and wide because many individuals have moved to be closer to family or just said, to heck with this, I'm going to a place that's, you know, cheaper and I can still work remote. It's really like our location or geography of our constituent base has changed. And so for that reason or reasons, I thought, never, ever, ever will this hybrid goes away, go away. But I have to admit, I've been in a conversation recently that's changed my mind. And I'm going to tell you about that because it's from a public relations agency, and they asked the question that said, Who is your audience so back to your event, you know, get to know your, your stakeholders, ask them that is a big key piece, ask them what they want. But if you don't have a huge following that might join you in this hybrid streaming space. There's so many other ways to record your event and share it in a recorded space post event. Right. And really understanding, ask your audience know your audience. Maybe you don't consider this hybrid option and that it could be best to do only a live version for those people that are comfortable and able and willing to attend the event, but record the event. So recording can then be used in multiple ways, right, you can repurpose and repackage the recording in so many ways, and you could put it on your streaming channels or your recording channels right, much like many of the places where the nonprofit show was a nice club. And then you can share that with the audience that might be far and wide and still have a way for them to enjoy the event event and have a way to contribute to the event post event. So I've gone back on this because I thought I would always always always be an advocate for because of COVID and because of these other pandemics hybrid will not go away, but I've changed my mind on that. Yeah, you know, I, I'm in love with an organization in Northern California. It's called the Women's Cancer Resource Center. And what they do is they help women who are suffering with cancer with doctors appointments and driving them there and helping them get prescriptions. They do a Swimathon every year. And during COVID and it's a big fundraiser for them during COVID they could not do it live. So they did a virtual Swimathon. You know, they got people in this city, New York City, to do that virtual event. That's cool. And I thought that was beautiful, that now they became not a little organization working in Northern California, but they became a national organization. So if you could do that with some of your events, now we're talking about Galas with this question, but some of your fundraising events, whether it's a walkathon, or a Swimathon, or a danceathon, or a talkathon, which I would do very well in, you could do it anywhere. And you could get people who know about your mission, who are 3,000 miles away, worried about what's happening with your organization, and they will support it. Yeah, I agree. I love that virtual. I love that component. I'm working with an organization and similar to a Swimathon, they're doing bingo for boobies and they're doing it because they are, you know, supporting women with breast cancer. So it's all tied to their mission. And it's just fantastic during COVID they did do that virtual and they had digital bingo cards. So there's a lot of ways to, you know, kind of identify this, but I still have to, you know, we have to ring it up to ask your constituents. That's right. People always need to be a part of the program. They want to be a part of that winning team. And by asking them, they now have, you know, a share in the stakeholder and they're able to provide their input, their suggestions to you. And it opens up dialogue. Right. And ask marginalized, this is like the ask. I know it's ask and answer, but we're putting it back on the people watching ask marginalized communities how to communicate with them. Ask your donors whether it should be virtual or hybrid or live. You know, ask and you're going to get the things that you need. They're going to tell you, they're not going to shy away from me. They'll tell you. Isn't there something that says ask and you shall receive? I think so. It might be in the Bible. That's right. I've heard. Well, Jack, you are fantastic. I'm going to give you another plug because if anyone wants to ask Jack, please reach out to him. You can find him on LinkedIn. He's very active and he's always congratulating the individuals that achieve and earn their CFRE designation. For those of you that are scratching your head going, what the heck do those, you know, letters mean it's certified fundraising executive and Jack is such a huge champion for this designation. Jack, you also serve as a trainer at Fundraising Academy and again, huge shout out and thank you. Round of applause, all the good stuff to our partners Fundraising Academy with their cost selling education model. We are so extremely grateful to have and continue to grow our partnership with Fundraising Academy and have you on. So thank you for that. It's fantastic. Well, hey, in addition to Fundraising Academy, I want to also give a kudos and shout out the rest of our presenting sponsors without them. We could not have these questions on a dedicated platform each and every Friday. So thank you very much. In addition to Fundraising Academy, we have Blue Marine, your nonprofit, sorry, your part time controller, American Nonprofit Academy, your nonprofit nerd, staffing boutique, which by the way, Jack is in New York where you are now. And of course, the nonprofit thought leaders. So thank you so very much to each and everyone. Yes. Thank you, Jack. Lady Liberty there. Thank you all so much for joining us here today. We are so grateful to have you here. Well, hey, we are off on Monday, we are celebrating Fourth of July as a holiday. We ask that each of you please stay well, so you can do well. Enjoy your long weekend and we'll see you back here on Tuesday. Thanks my friends.