 Hey there and welcome to the nonprofit show. We are so glad that you're spending your frayay with us. As always, today is the ask and answer. We are so grateful to have Fundraising Academy at National University sponsor every single Friday or as you just heard, frayay as I like to refer to it. So today we have with us, Muhi Quaja, M-P-A-C-F-R-M and trainer at Fundraising Academy. Muhi has also joined us wearing the hat of co-founder of the American Muslim Community Foundation, has really shared some great insight with us about, you know, what what you are doing and the foundation is doing Muhi in that space in regards to DAFs. So the donor advised funds. So really glad to have Muhi with me today. I'm Jarrett Ransom. If we have not exchanged pleasantries yet, nonprofit nerd and CEO of the Raven Group. Again, I really enjoy these Fridays, Muhi. So glad to have you. I know we rotate between the different trainers. So we get a different lens, different perspective, and it's always a lot of fun. Also want to say thank you to our amazing presenting sponsors that allow us to continue this journey. So a shout out of gratitude to our great friends over at Bloomerang, American Nonprofit Academy, nonprofit thought leader, again, Fundraising Academy at National University. Today we have Muhi. Also, thank you to 180 Management Group, your part-time controller, staffing boutique, JMT Consulting, nonprofit nerd and nonprofit tech talk. I like to remind you that their missions are your missions. So they are here to support all 1.8 million nonprofits that are registered in the U.S. to help you do more good in and around and throughout your communities. So check them out and also check out all of our previous episodes, many that Muhi has joined us on. You can download that app. In fact, I of course have my phone right here. You probably do too. Scan that QR code and you can download the app. You can also still find us on streaming broadcast and podcast platforms. You know, it's the weekend and it's a great time to binge watch and binge listen some episodes. So it's going to be fun. Well, hey, Muhi, we are going to rock and roll right into these questions. You know the drill. And for those of you watching and listening, these are questions sent in from you or we have gathered them from community forums because they are relevant. And so the first one comes to us from Sean Henderson, Nevada, which I've been. There's some great hot springs in that area. And so it's a really fun place to go. But I have asked this of some others at Fundraising Academy, but I would like to know your opinion. How valuable is it to earn a CFRE designation? My nonprofit won't pay for this. So it is up to me to fund this investment. Now, Sean, thank you for this. And we know for again, for all of our viewers and listeners, this is a question we get quite a bit. And so I really like hearing it from different trainers and different professionals, Muhi. So what is your lens on this? Yeah, just earlier this week, Fundraising Academy's January monthly free webinar was on 10 tips to pass the CFRE. So I'm a firm believer in it. I'm actually currently studying. Here's my CFRE book. My exam is on the 29th. So in 10 days, I will be taking the exam. Okay. I think it's valuable in terms of resources from the nonprofit. Yes, it's a commitment. I think it's $750. I got a scholarship through my local AFP chapter. So Sean, maybe that's an opportunity that you can see if they can cover half or all of it. And that might help you get there. You know, you can argue that you don't need it. But I think it is a helpful refresher, give you a boost of confidence as a fundraiser. And it will give credibility to you and your organization. And hopefully professionally can help you as well. Yeah. You know, that's really great to hear. And by the way, Muhi, good luck. I'm sure you're going to pass with, you know, flying colors. I know. Fingers crossed. Now you shared with me in the green room chatter, you also have a master's degree and you are moving forward with this designation. Did that play like any thought of, you know, I don't need this because I have a higher ed degree. I have personally heard that from other people in the sector. In fact, that was advice that I'd received myself, is that I have a master's degree. Perhaps I don't need the CFRE designation. But you've decided, yes, this is for you. Yeah. I think as far as certificates go, I'm the type of person, like I feel like I'm a lifelong learner. I'll keep taking them. Through Indiana University, I have the certificate in fundraising management. So there's that through Georgetown University. I also have executive nonprofit certificate. And I'm actually doing another executive certificate in religious fundraising through Indiana University and their Lake Giving Institute. So I'm just that type of person, I guess. I like that. And I'm really interested about this religious certificate. That would be really fascinating to learn more about. So, Shawn, we also have LaShonda that shared her response to this in a previous ask and answer. So you might want to go back and listen to that. I really love to hear, Muhy, the different perspectives. I would also like to say, Shawn, it might just be the timing, right? If today or this year is not the timing, don't forget about it, you know, like revisit it, see if next year is the time, maybe your nonprofit will pay for it next year. Maybe you can negotiate and advocate for that in the budget, but don't stop, I think, you know, really with that education. And Muhy provided that great possible solution is to ask your AFP chapter to see if there's any sponsorships available. So we're cheering for you, Shawn. And if you need any help in training and preparing, reach out to Jack Alotto because he's got a fantastic study group. Yeah. All right. Let's move over to Colorado where I guarantee you it is much colder than where you and I sit right now, Muhy. So, Elizabeth from Denver, Colorado, I have been asked to take on donors who are not living in my community. It will require some travel. I am wondering if you could give me any tips on how to make travel and donor meetings work. I don't know about you, Muhy, but this is an exciting question. So take it away. Yeah. You know, I previously worked at American Red Cross. We had a very big region. I had donors anywhere from San Jose to Marin, and we were in the northern California coastal region. Primarily they were in Silicon Valley through San Jose area but scattered in between. And on days that I knew I was in a certain area, I would definitely try to solidify one meeting and then snowball it from there and say, hey, I'm going to be in your neck of the woods. But at American Muslim Community Foundation, I manage a portfolio across the entire country. So it's really based on some personal travel and I'll mix in some work and then let people know that I'm in their community. I would love to grab coffee. And other times it's just virtual. And that's how I've maintained a lot of the relationships. So I think it depends on what type of organization you have. Is it you're actually flying out to different cities and managing a week of travel and donor visits and trying to line up some lunches. So I think there's a few different ways in which you can go about it. But overall just try to snowball effect it and get that one that gets you in the community and then you can more easily get the next one. 100%. I love that. I love the snowball effect. And Elizabeth, I would add to, you know, I love to stack these meetings. So I'll say I'm going to be, you know, at this coffee shop or at this, you know, restaurant. I do have a meeting earlier in the morning. Would love to meet you in a similar area. There have been days and I'm sure you've had these two, Muhe, where you stay at the same table for hours. You know, and that to me is fun. During the meetings are in between the gaps of the meetings. I should say you can, you know, log your notes into the donor database. You can still do some follow-ups. You can do some handwritten notes while you're there. I also want to bring in the personal aspect of this. I love that stacking, right? And so that I'm not traveling every single week of the month is to really figure out, okay, where can I be strategic in going to maximize that amount of time? And so perhaps it's four days of a week instead of flying in for 48 hours and back out. But like how can you really maximize that opportunity? And then I'm curious, Elizabeth, not to step on toes, but there might be other donors, supporters from your team, like in their portfolio, perhaps, that you could also do a touch base with and make this a team effort, a team sport, right? And just, hey, I'm in the community. Would love to give you an update. Maybe you have, you know, a printed impact report. Maybe you have a gift. Maybe you, maybe you have a photo or something that's tied to that mission. But I'm excited to hear more, Elizabeth. And I hope that these answers are helping you. Definitely the snowball in the stacked approach. That's, that's our go-to. Yeah. Any, any other tips for Elizabeth that you can think of, Moohi, that maybe we didn't mention? I like the idea of working with a teammate and seeing if they have people in their portfolio that you can meet. That's very unique and sometimes different perspectives. So even within Red Cross, we had separate teams for corporate, for foundations, for other purposes. And some of the strategies were different. But overall, it's, you know, touching base with the donor to really steward the relationship and get that face-to-face time. Yeah, absolutely. And it builds in, as you know, it really builds in that relationship across multiple channels and people. So Elizabeth, have fun. I would love to know where you're going first. So all right. And safe travels. Okay, Cheryl, here in my community, Phoenix, Arizona, we are rewriting our bylaws and want to add an age limit where once a board member reaches that age, they must resign. I see that Apple just did this and their limit is 75 years old. Can you advise us on this? I think I'm just going to let you answer this solely Moohi because I'm really curious. Well, there's a lot of heat here. You know, I think you can think about some other places where you would want to insert some age limits, like presidential campaigns, but I won't say more than that. I think that if somebody has something they're willing to offer and they are committed and sound of mind and health is in a concern, I don't think there necessarily needs to be an age limit, to be frank. If there is other issues at play like founder syndrome or ineffective board members, there are other more convenient ways that you can boot them off the board without setting this age limit. So I would really like to know what's inspiring this and there may be other avenues in which you can go about dealing with it. Yeah, I think that's a solid answer. As you said, this is a really heated question. I am not familiar, Cheryl, with the limit that Apple just put on. So this is new to me. I clearly have some reading and research to do. Ageism shows up for me and that's not a card that I really want to play in or with. So for me, as Muhi just shared, there's a lot of wisdom that goes into a lot of individuals' lived experiences, other board members, other boards that they've sat on. So these board members bring a lot of insight. Perhaps there's an emeritus position that you would like to move this board member or in other board members of other ages also on. I think there's so many opportunities to continue to engage this individual. And again, as Muhi said, as long as there's nothing that's gone awry, that's gone sideways, that we need for a protection standpoint to move this person off of our board, but there's other ways to maintain that relationship and engagement. So I'm not sure why there would be an age limit to say, okay, once you hit this age, it's time to, I'm sure you've heard this, but plaque and whack, which is you give them a wonderful plaque to say thank you for their service and then you escort them out essentially. So it's a very terse comment that I've heard in the sectors, the plaque and whack. It's also the blessing release. So it's kind of whichever one you want to choose. But this is a really tricky question. And I don't know that I have the answer. I think this is a great question within the board to have more dialogue around, you know, what does this look like for our makeup of the board? Is this something we consider? But I don't know. There's a lot in this question that I don't know the answer to. I've heard term limits, right? Like, you know, two terms and you have to take a year off and you can come back after that or whatever the case may be, age limit, definitely interesting. Yeah. And I have heard the opposite movie, right? Like you have to be of a certain age to join the board that some, you know, some bylaws will say you have to be 18. Some will say, you know, in the 20s, I can't quote specifically what that looks like. But I was working with an organization that in fact their mission was around providing scholarships to young students to pursue education. And I thought how nice would it be to have some of those students on the board, but there was something, some limiting factor within the bylaws of a certain age. And so the majority of these students were, you know, high school graduates and then moving into college. So we did have some alumni from the program once they graduated from college. But I've heard it the opposite way, Cheryl. So it's really fascinating. And I with that, as I just say it out loud, you know, as you discuss this with your board, I would discuss the younger age, right, along with the older age, right? Those two side by side, I think is a really good parallel conversation. Alright, well, we're moving to a name withheld and a city withheld. So this could be you no matter where you are. But here's a question. I suspect that I am going to be terminated because our nonprofit did not hit their fundraising goals. Honestly, I feel it is because the nonprofit is so poorly run. How do I manage the situation and maintain my ethics, my dignity, as well as my sanity? Oh, I think we need a deep breath on this one, Muhe. These two are just packing some punches. I know I've worked with organizations before where we haven't hit our goals. Have you, Muhe, and how have you navigated that? Yeah. You know, it's definitely challenging because you want to maintain and support the programs. You know, a lot of nonprofits run into a deficit. Places of worship, other institutions may not meet their goals. But I think at the end of the day, if you feel like you did your best job and worked within your ethical boundaries and put your best foot forward, you can hold your head high and maybe look for another job elsewhere. If you feel that fear of being let go or terminated seems like a stressful situation. So I don't know how that will play out, but try to read the writing on the walls and figure your next move, if that's the case. And there's always ways in which you will still be valued at another place. And hopefully there won't be other issues there. But I think, yes, I have been at other nonprofits where we hadn't hit goal. I've been at nonprofits where we exceeded goal and people were still let go. It's not a rhyme or reason to it. So yeah. Yeah. Great responses. And to the person that submitted this question, first of all, I feel you. I feel for you as well. It's a tricky situation. One of the things I do when I work with my executive coaching, regardless of the time. So I really prefer you do this every day is you have a success journal and you write down your wins, no matter how small, right? Like you were collecting these wins. And so I work with it with professionals and coach them to really create that celebration list. Here's what we've done together, right? And so when you have these moments and maybe you didn't meet that fundraising revenue goal, what other goals did you achieve, right? How many new donors did you bring in? What was that donor retention? How many touch points, right? Like Elizabeth is going to Denver or from Denver and she's going to meet with some donors. Like what are some of these efforts and initiatives that you did have success on? And I find it very helpful for me, Muhy, I don't know about you. When I capture it in the moment and like throughout time and I don't sit down the end of November or the beginning of January and say, let me think about my wins over the last 12 months. Like I need to do it in the moment because I also forget what I had for breakfast this morning. I just need to capture it. So name withheld, city withheld. That might be an exercise whether you choose to stay at this organization or choose to transition to another position with another organization. I still think they're celebrations and anytime I work with a client individually or with a board and do strategic planning, I always start off with the wins. What can we celebrate? What went right? What went well? And then also you can go back to your goals to say, okay, what did it go well when it comes to the revenue? And what would I recommend as solutions for improvement for next year? So I don't think it's a complete wash. For me, there's always a learning opportunity in all of these situations and scenarios. But I also know the feeling of being uncomfortable and having that kind of like, you know, great cloud is today the day. So I hope that provides some insight. Anything else, Muhy, because I, you know, these were some big questions. These were some whoppers. Yeah, I mean, you know, it's also a question of like how far off the goal. And the writer also mentioned they think that the nonprofit is poorly run. So, you know, these are other things that can come into the factor and just kind of answer why is that the case? And what can you do? How much of it is your responsibility? How much of it is other people on the team? What can be done to make it a stronger nonprofit? And is it worth your time to do that? Absolutely. Great point. And you know, and to add to that, there's a lot of factors that go into fundraising and overall sales revenue, you know, when it comes to an economy. And so there's been questions about our economy. Is it steady? Is it going to hold? Is it tanking? So there's a lot of factors that go into this, but great insight, Muhy, and thank you. Well, I cannot believe it, but this time goes by so very quickly. I really love, of course, our fryer. Ask an answer in these questions that come in. So if any of you watching and listening, you have a question, anything keeping you up at night, go ahead and send that into us. But I want to say thank you to my friend, Muhy, who joined me today on a fryer before. Tell us again, there's a big football game, right? Oh, yeah. So the Detroit Lions are making history here the first time in 32 years that they've won a playoff game. So now they're in the second round of the playoffs playing Tampa Bay where I'm living now. So it's extra special for this one. I'm obviously still rooting for the Detroit Lions. I just moved to Tampa like a month ago, so I can't switch that quickly. So it'll be really exciting to see where the Detroit Lions go. Well, I can't wait to hear. I'll be following. So thank you to Muhy, Kwaja, MPA, CFRM trainer at Fundraising Academy. And if you joined us in the Green Room Chatter, you heard that the Cultivate Conference is coming up in May. We hope that you will join us. I will be there too for the Cultivate Conference in San Diego. Muhy also serves as the co-founder of the American Muslim Community Foundation doing some amazing work in that space. So thank you for all that you do for our communities. And please check out Fundraising Academy's website. They have a fantastic educational portal, fundraising-academy.org is that website. So check them out. Hey, also check out these other companies. They're fantastic. So I want to say thank you to all of them because these sponsors truly do keep us on this journey, as I said early on. So thank you to our friends over at Bloomerang American Nonprofit Academy, Nonprofit Thought Leader, Fundraising Academy at National University, 180 Management Group, Your Part-Time Controller, Staffing Boutique, JMT Consulting, Nonprofit Nerd, and Nonprofit Tech Talk. We are coming up. March, Muhy, is going to be our 1,000, that's 1,000 episode. I know, March 5th. So thank you to all of our sponsors and also to all of you that tune in and watch and listen. We are so grateful. And as we end every show, we end with these words and these words are to please stay well so you can do well.