 So today's episode is all about non-profit fundraising coaching and we have Jessica Campbell with us here, Jessica is without in the Boons and she is amazing and I can't wait to learn more from you today, Jessica. Before we do that, we'd like to start each and every episode by saying thank you, thank you, thank you to each and every one of our presenting sponsors, you can see their logos on the screen and you can also find them online. So if you haven't done that yet, please do find them. These companies exist to help you do more good. So they literally are here for your cause, for your mission driven goals, please do check them out and say, hey, heard you on the nonprofit show. They are literally here to lean in and pour into you and all of the good that you do in the community. So thank you to our sponsors and thank you to Julia Patrick, CEO of the American nonprofit Academy. You allow me to show up and be my quirky nonprofit self. I'm Jarrett Ransom, also known as the nonprofit nerd CEO of the Raven Group. And with all of that said, it brings us back to Jessica Campbell. And again, thank you so much, Jessica. Welcome. What a joy to be here. Thank you so much to both of you. We've got a J party happening today. I love that. In fact, my whole family were all J. So I don't know, you know, if the two of you did the same, but that was that was a big thing growing up as well. Yeah, we all have the exact same initials except for the middle initial. And my initial, my middle initial is C. And whenever I would have things monogrammed because I was, I'm 20 years younger than Jarrett. And so I grew up in the age of the 80s where everything was monogram and people would always be like, that's not monogrammed. You got that a JC Penney. And I'd always be like, don't I'm so funny. Oh my gosh. I spent all my babysitting money on, you know, expensive monogramming to no avail. Oh gosh. I needed a coach then you needed a coach then and I'm gonna say I may not have grown up in the same time but I grew up in the southeast where monogramming is still prevalent. And I'm like, I think monogramming exists because maybe like, I don't know, I should say this on air but I'm like, do they forget their name? Is that why it's like everywhere? No, it's custom. It's personal. It's totally custom. It's totally personal. And I want to know how maybe coaching process might get into custom and personal and how the process works. Thank you. Talk to us about you. Who the heck are you? What the heck do you offer and why is this called out in the Boons? Great question and I get it a lot. So I'm just Campbell the founder of out in the Boons I'm a small shop that helps mostly small and mid-sized nonprofits raise more money online and in person. I've been a nonprofit fundraiser for it'll be 18 years come this spring. And I started consulting about five years ago. And after a couple years, I was meeting with this executive director who had been the executive director leader of his organization for about 15 years. And he was asking me fundraising one on one questions. Well, how do I follow up Jess and how do I treat it like friends, Jess and how much time in between do I wait to then make the ask again. And I just thought to myself, holy moly no one is teaching this stuff to anyone this guy has been off on his own out in the Boons off on an island for the last 15 years. And I think maybe because I got super lucky and my first few jobs to have the most amazing mentors who really taught me side by side by example, I just got lucky. But as I have now worked with over thousands of different nonprofit leaders and fundraisers I know that that's just not the case. I really struggle and so I don't want nonprofit fundraisers to feel like they are out in the Boons and alone and on their own. I want them to feel supported and educated and informed and up to date and inspired so that they can go out and raise the most amount of money to power the causes that they love. You know, hearing you describe this, I'm totally with you. I get that journey. And one of my things that I think of when I hear you talk about this is that this gentleman had to really open up and feel vulnerable because I would imagine a lot of people have these same questions, but they're afraid to bring them up, because they don't look like they don't know what they're doing. So it makes it even worse because they're not getting that direct information or support whatever you want to call it to move forward. So let's call it paying for the fast pass the the nonprofit sector in so many ways has a real scarcity mindset and let's be honest, no one gets into nonprofit fundraising, you know, because they want to ask people for money I have yet to meet someone that grew up saying I want to be a nonprofit fundraiser someday right. They do it because it's coming. Maybe next maybe next. I think it's, you know, people want to find the cure for cancer they want to rescue all of the street dogs they want to empower the next generation through financial wealth building and to do that you need money. And unfortunately so many nonprofit leaders either feel like I said the scarcity mindset where they feel like they don't have the permission to invest to level up and I say you can either pay the fast pass and hire someone like me that has three, six, 12 times more experience than you, or you can Google yourself to death, and both can get you the results that you're looking for. One is just going to be exponentially faster, and likely more successful. Interesting. I, that is. Go ahead. Well, now, as you say, so I have come in in contact with someone that literally said just that just, you know, and she said, I am Googling and YouTubeing my way through my day. Right, and so that it is so true. Well, we do have a live question and I'm going to toss this out here because I think it's you know it's applicable, but someone wrote in and said that they provide coaching I'm assuming I provide this, and I'm assuming this is coaching for free and very often but how do you monetize this. Yeah, it's, um, you need to start putting a price tag on it I mean, um, I see all the time coaches consultants, especially for the nonprofit people saying I'll do a 20 minute discovery call or this that another and you can do that and if you're good and you can share results. And mostly you can show the transformation of what working with you will look like so you go from step one to step 10 after working with someone like me for example. And again, you can say results give testimonials, you know, for example someone that works with me generally 10 times their investment within 90 days. And I have that because I've done that right. So it's kind of like when you hear that you think, Oh, I can take a chance and not pay someone like Jess and just go for it and maybe lose money, or I can make a small upfront investment and go for it. I think even a lot of nonprofit coaches consultants we come from the nonprofit world. And so we to have a very strong scarcity mindset, unlike our for profit sisters and brothers or entrepreneurs. We ourselves are scared to ask sometimes and that's a lot of mindset work that's a lot of money mindset work I believe in getting coaching myself. I have coaches I have mentors I pay the fast pass all the time. And, and you just have to put a price tag and just, there's a there's a place for free. And there's a place to get paid, and you have to make that choice. I appreciate our viewer that asked that question because it kind of moves me on to our next question and that is, how do you know when you need a coach. It's not just for somebody that's like right out of school starting off or changing jobs I mean, this could be somebody that is what we would call a seasoned professional right. I think you know you're ready for a coach when you're ready for the next level. So if that could be in your earliest stage career but again you want to fast pass it to the director of development level or you want to fast pass it to an executive So I especially think that nonprofit founders need to have a coach because again, you are just guessing if you don't pay someone or invest in someone to mentor you and show you the way because I see so many nonprofits, literally like eating into their savings to fund their organizations and it does not have to be like that I mean there are success stories, near and far like news story which is a nonprofit I very much admire. In five years they have dozens of staff, they're on track to raise $20 million this year, and you know what they surround themselves by the best and the brightest, and they have paid their fast pass towards success and because of that they are literally building hundreds of thousands of homes for people across the world and so if that's the impact you want to make it's up to you how fast or how slow you want to go. And I think when you're ready to level up when you don't know the answers when you're spending more than five minutes on Google, when you're all over Facebook group chats trying to get your answer solved. It's time for a coach so that you can save your time and jump forward. I love this and I just want you to like preach because it is so important. And I feel like, you know, to have a coach, a career coach a professional coach a personal coach. I think needs to be more normalized because we talk often about having a financial coach. You know, a workout coach, a nutritional coach like a parenting coach, learn a language like a guide when you travel like this is normal stuff. This is normal stuff. Now what about just what do you say to people when they're like, I don't know I feel like if I hire a coach or if I ask my employer to help pay for the coach or even pay fully for the coach. I don't see me as not up for the task or prepared for my for my position. How do you handle that roadblock. I think that you need to go in with clear goals and objectives. So if you are at an organization and let's say you've been tasked with funding your next year's budget which is increasing between 10 to 20%. Which requires you to find 10 to 20 new major gift donors, but you've never asked anyone for more than $1,000 in one sitting. There is a process to find the right donor to cultivate that donor. There's a specific formula for asking that donor and following up. Yeah, you can try it out. I have blog posts after blog posts telling you disaster fire flame stories of how I messed up. But I also have success stories of people literally offering me money before I have to ask them because I do all of that part so well, because I watched my leaders above me. So if you need to come to your boss and say I really want to invest in this course or I really want to hire this coach, you should have a why is it because you need to go fast, you need to save time. Is it because your boss doesn't have the capacity to fully mentor you in the space. Is it because all of you on your team. No one has the expertise maybe you're the expert and grants or graphic designer or marketing and communication but no one on your team has the experience raising $567 million or figure gifts. You need to fill those gaps and again, you can Google your way to that answer, or you can just have someone side by side help you out. So interesting and I appreciate that, you know, Jared asked that question because I think that is something that we, we really struggle with to be vulnerable and to say yeah we don't know but I think there's that bigger issue. You know what you don't know, and I think that's even more frightening so I'm curious to ask you about the measurements because you brought that up right as we started this conversation. What does that look like. Did it tell everyone in fundraising, you need a goalpost, you need to know line in the sand, what worked when you cross that line. And if you didn't make that and then you reevaluate right so going back to the example let's say you want to, you know, write your major gift grant with a funder that you don't know right. So maybe some of your measurements are identified 10 new funders, maybe it's apply to five of those maybe it's get secured grants from three of those. And evaluate after working with a coach or consultant. If you did those things based on what you wrote down is your success because success is different for everyone. Success could be visibility, success could be a feeling of confidence you know success could be money in the bank. And you need to decide that for you, not necessarily anyone else telling you what that means. I think that's interesting. I need to. So we talk often and just you might actually know a newer number but I keep saying 1.8 million there are 1.8 million nonprofits in the US right and so we have so many amazing I like to refer to them as rockstar leaders rockstar talent in our sector and around the world, doing so much good. So how do we find a coach that I'm going to use the word resonates with us right that like, there, I can imagine there's personalities there's you know different skill set so. So what do you share when it comes to like finding that right coach to help you reach those metrics and success. I'm going to try and remember all of the ones I'm thinking in my head, but number one as women, we thrive and I'm sure there's some men that tune into your show as well but for the women, we thrive on peer to peer feedback so men, for example, they want to know all of the data the success the list of things that make this coach super successful right us women, we get we want referrals and testimonials and things like that so if you are looking for someone to do this with you. Go to someone who has maybe been coached before, ask around, ask your peers. For example, I have something called the Rolodex which is my personal kind of black book of experts that I recommend on a daily basis. If you're looking for someone to help you with strategy or to raise a major gift or a grant, etc. There are people out there. I think the other thing you need to think about is who's three to five steps ahead of you right. I would not recommend hiring a coach that is like at your level or even just a little bit above. You need someone that can have a big picture and who has done what you are looking for help doing a bazillion times right. You don't want to hire someone that's maybe just brand new at writing grants but now is advising them or has gotten one six figure grant gift or something or major gift you want someone who's like a little bit more seasoned and there's different coaches at different levels you don't have to be a super experienced coach to be of three to five levels ahead. Something that's really important to me is I am committed to investing at least 50% of my personal development budget into people who identify as non white. So that could be a value of yours as well it doesn't have to be 50%, but if that's the case, you might need to ask people who identify differently than someone like me for recommendations in their network. There are also amazing like we're going to, you know, I host a summit as well I have a network of over 100 nonprofit coaches and experts. They're all over the place hashtags on Instagram I mean I could go on and on but I do think that testing out someone's vibe is important to so check them out on Instagram or if they're on LinkedIn and see what kind of information they're putting out there. Some people who coach have a very kind of like, like a health coach style, go get them like you know they're really almost like cheerleading cheerleader. Other people are really educational other people like lead with a lot of empathy. And so I think you need to know what works for you personally for me. I'm at a place where I don't need like a lot more community because I have such a community that I've built. I need accountability so I need someone that's going to be like, just did you do that thing. Are you, did you follow through where other people really want like, you know, a family wrapped around them that can help them and there's one on one coaches there's group program coaches there's courses. There's something for everyone out there. So that's very interesting so I coach and I also work with coaches right so like I get coaching myself and that's what you said is really like I'm looking for that fast pass and I think that there are so many different ways to really find that fulfillment and what you're are. So when you mentioned community I was like, Oh yeah, I have that group here and I'm thinking of one particular coaching program on and part of, and then when it comes to like that very direct accountability. You know, I have that coach for that as well and so I guess what I'm saying is sometimes it's okay to have more than one. I, if I'm to count right now I have four different people that I'm working within various capacities, someone on one, some in a group, some in like a course kind of hybrid situation so yeah I mean. Again, I am trying to pay my fast pass, I want to be in a very different place professionally in the next, even 18 months and so yeah, I have for right now. And I love that fast pass analogy that's perfect. Yeah, I think that's something that everybody can wrap their heads around and if we ever needed a time to be even discussing this investment it's now with all of the changes that have gone on that are continuing to go forward. For many reasons, not just the pandemic but you know, many, many reasons. And so I think it's a great discussion to have before we let you go and our time is really drawing to a close. You have a really interesting program that you are putting on. And if you could share that with us. I think a lot of our viewers would be interested. Yes. So I am the host of what's called the raise more together summit. It's happening August 25 through 27 the lovely Jared will be joining us as a presenter. This is the third version, and I've welcomed over 1800 folks in the past I think we have nearly 500 folks signed up this round with a few more weeks to go it's totally free and why I built this was, I was searching for an educational business that was cool and diverse, and that focused on the how and not the why everyone knows why you need to raise money, but the step by step how to guide of doing that is where people get stuck. So we have over 25 presenters, we have nine live panel discussions, we have a pitch clinic, we've got hot seat coaching. And when you get in the group, it's just I get messages every single day, it's just a different vibe. It's just, it's, it's not your regular no offense to anyone on here but your regular like AFP kind of conference. We have prizes we're giving over $2,000 the way and cash prizes this round. And it's three days where you can come and learn from some of the best and the brightest coaches and consultants in our field. So come along. I'm so excited so the summit is, you said August 2526 27 it's free. So it doesn't hurt you to sign up you absolutely should. I think my presentation is on the 27 that I'm also doing a live conversation with you at eight. So that would be eight Pacific time 8am in the morning but Julia knows I'm an early riser I mean I don't. I am my own rooster like it just happened. I know, I know. And then you mentioned the Rolodex which I'm going to do a shameless plug because I'm listed in the Rolodex as well. And in fact, some of our previous guests Julia are also part of this and thinking in particular Sabrina Walker. Maybe if I'm, I'm sorry Sabrina if I'm mixing that up. We have Julie or Donas as she's on there as well so there's a couple of really like, there's several really amazing individuals. And so it doesn't matter where you are in the nation but the Rolodex is there to be of service to you as is this summit so Yes. And how do we learn like, what's the domain that we can get to for the summit information. Yeah, so it's just my website out in the boons dot me backslash virtual slash summit. And it's all there, you can see who's presenting everyone's right there and the more the merrier, it's going to be a really good time. Line up you've got like a VIP package so there's tons of downloads tons of resources. So many I mean like you said, this is really another way to fast pass and fast track your success, your goals not only for you personally but for your organization at large because it's just said we all know why we all need more money. Every mission is critical to financial success. And so, you know, this summit will really be talking about how, and giving you some very, very tangible tools and resources and action steps to get there. And how do we learn about it. Well, here's Jessica's information out in the boons dot me and navigate yourself to her website and you'll be able to see what's going on what's coming forward and and even more discussions about the concept of coaching. Why it's a great investment. Jared, it's even a good investment if your organization doesn't think it's a good investment so don't put up that roadblock. If you're like well but my organization doesn't support that. It's not really a good enough reason to discount it. I work with a lot of individuals that pay for it themselves, right so be on to the organization. You know foot in the bill if you will and that to me tells me this this person is critically engaged and severely invested and that I love I love that and I'm sure just you see you see that as well. But I'd love to see more nonprofits paying for it themselves in their employees so if you're a leader on this call. Have a PD budget for sure. Yeah, and we talked about that about you know like well how do we get this and how much should we you know allocate towards a professional development, you know line item. So I love that you said that and reiterated because it is so important, especially during this great resignation time that we need into our rock star talent, and we help to provide into engage for their success which which in turn is the success of your organization and your community. Because what's more expensive than investing in your employees is turnover. So, it's a really easy another fast pass that people can pay. Absolutely. I love it and I think it's really a mind shift in how we have been looking at our challenges and operating our nonprofits, how we're looking at cultivating that next gen leadership. Those are things that are really important to discuss and I'm going to go ahead and myself and look at your summit I think that sounds great and I think that more of us need to be looking at that and let's face it. We're moving into q for so fast that it's just just like a head spinner, and then we're on to, you know, this next year, and four months away 2022 is four months away. It's like, it's stunning. I mean, I know it intellectually, but when I hear it, it's still so like who. But anyway, hey, if we haven't met I'm Julia Patrick CEO of the American nonprofit Academy been joined today by the amazing nonprofit nerd herself Jared ransom CEO of the Raven group. And we want to make sure that we express our gratitude to all of our presenting sponsors who are here with us, day in and day out where the nation's only national daily show of this kind, and we are marching up on our 350th episode. Oh, tomorrow. Oh, tomorrow. Oh, well join us. Yeah. Are you on the show tomorrow. I think so, I'll have to check my calendar. Oh, so just your 349 what a great. Is that called a prequel. Yeah, yeah, she's answering us in. That's right. That's right. Thank you so much. Those were having me. Well, it's been a lot of fun and we really always love having leadership minds on the nonprofit show. It really helps us to get an idea of what's working what can work better. And how we're navigating this forward because so much change brings so much excitement and challenge and so we need our, our leaders and our thought leaders with us so that we can achieve and we really, really do. And Jared and I I think have been so adamant about that from day one from day literally day one to day 350 that we get thought leaders on who can help us on this journey because we all need to help. Simple as that. Hey, Jared, this has been great. I can't wait to see how you do at the summit. I'm going to sign up and I'm going to be in that audience listening and learning. And as we end today, I want to remind everyone to stay well, so you can do well. We'll see you back here tomorrow everyone. Bye. Bye. Thanks, just