For Impact Funding Boot Camp Testimonials
He Cut a Check on the Spot and Committed to Helping Monthly
My first day using shoulder to should approach I learned at Impact the man I was speaking with told me I came at the worst possible time. He had lost 200 million over the last three days. He was ready to end the meeting with that sentence when I quote the scripture below.
And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great: (Gen 26:1,12-13)
We ended up talking for three hours; he cut a check on the spot and committed to helping monthly.
The time spent at the Impact bootcamp gave me tremendous confidence. The confidence to look a guy in the eye that just lost 200 million and say it is time to give!
Rocky Malloy, President
http://www.missiongeneration.org
The For Impact Bootcamp is a Must in Today’s Environment
The For Impact Bootcamp is a must in today’s environment. There is no better time to get out there and “Just Ask”. Too many organizations will make the mistake that within this current financial climate they can’t raise money. They couldn’t be more wrong. You can’t afford to fall into the trap of paralysis by analysis. Be proactive.
Go to bootcamp. Get the skills you need. Then go out and raise a lot of money for your mission.
Jeremy V.
“…Worth Its Weight In Gold.”
The very best thing about the For Impact bootcamp is the emphasis on “just ask”. It is a simple message but the most important thing that we do. Being reminded to ignore all of the obstacles and focus on the ask was worth its weight in gold.
I highly recommend this Bootcamp.
Carol Rowland
Putting Off Bootcamp Would Have Been A Disaster!
I almost made the mistake of putting off bootcamp because my social-sector start-up had almost no money at all. Luckily, I attended bootcamp. The results…
My vision grew
My fundraising confidence grew
& my schedule is now filled with visits to qualified prospects.
Putting off bootcamp would have been a disaster. Not only am I a better fundraiser, but I’m running my organization at a completely higher level.
Mike Del Ponte
“We are now asking and getting more zeros…”
Thanks to this training, we are now asking and getting more zeros. We received a $400,000 investment yesterday (yes, yesterday while the Dow dropped 400 points or whatever). This is ten times bigger than any investment we have ever received, and we are just leaving the first 100 days in our 1,000 day funding plan.
This investment is directly related to Nick’s training. Simply put: we moved from the ask based upon a substantial need to an ask based upon our vision and strategic direction. Consequently, targeting and tracking the qualified prospect around this “big number” became incredibly easy.
Peter Schrappen
They Provided a Motivational Turning Point For Me
Far too many of us in the development profession talk about and pay lip service to the ideas and principles of good fundraising…a.k.a. sales. The Suddes Bootcamp will really focus you and your entire organization on several simple steps/processes that so many of us intuitively think we know, but unfortunately don’t implement. The simplistic approach offered by Tom and Nick is so fundamental it is frightening and yet their “in your face” reality check really provided a motivational turning point for me.
I think we all tend to put forward excuses and noise as to why we can’t raise more resources. I think there is a certain amount fear that the Suddes camp helps break-down and overcome. It really is all about “visits”…but why don’t more of us do this? Attending the Suddes camp will help you move through these fears and obstacles and learn how and why each of us has the ability to make a huge impact on organization’s mission, particularly during this incredibly uncertain economic environment. Now is not the time to implement a “bunker” mentality with donors, but rather provides yet another opportunity to meet with those investors who mean the most to us.
Patrick Grace
The Best Training I Have Ever Attended
Suddes Training is the best trainings that I have ever attended in the field, or frankly in any field. Doing sales in the non-profit community means that I am asking people who ask for money all day, to give a little bit up and believe in my mission and outreach… believe in my product. Its a constant uphill climb, sound familiar to you?
The training did a great job of blatantly throwing ideas into the pile and saying… this is reality deal with it. You ARE asking for money, you ARE selling your mission, and it really IS that easy. It took our every day thoughts and turned the around so we could view them differently, and develop a stronger/more educated stance on the topic. We were forced to work together, think outside the box, and leave behind the “assumptions” of the non-profit community.
One of my favorite lessons was how to GUIDE a conversation to the goal you had pre-determined, and how to tailor your details and ask towards the view that your donor has. Nick and Tom TEACH each one of the campers how to SHOW their donors the IMPACT they are making.
Once you leave Suddes — the education and confidence is really amazing! You will realize it days later as you are spitting out the words/lessons you learned to others every day.
Cate S.
Put it on the credit card, sell your computer, do whatever you need to get there…
If you want to put your worries behind you, get to the camp. I would guarantee you that you’ll make up the spare change it costs to attend as soon as you get in front of some qualified prospects. However, that means you actually have to understand what a qualified prospect is and how to actually sell your organization’s vision to them. I’m involved in getting an office started up for the FOR IMPACT organization I work for and this training completely changed our approach. If you can’t take what you learn at this camp and raise thousands of dollars to make up the cost of attending…I honestly think it’s time for you to consider finding a new career.
I was new to the sales world (yes I said sales, not fundraising) and it’s made a world of difference for me. Our local board chair (retired with decades of executive experience in companies throughout North America) attended as well and he has already recommended the training to some of our colleagues!
Put it on the credit card, sell your computer, do whatever you need to get there…I assure you it will be worth it.
Jack K.
Transformed Our Organization
I am the only fundraiser in my organization and also implement all the programs, a virtual one man show. The For Impact Bootcamp showed me how to make the most of my time. After the June Bootcamp I visited my largest potential donor and got a commitment for a lead donation on a $5 Million dollar project. A week later I followed up with a $10,000 commitment (via phone call) from a company that previously had never donated and a $25,000 donation for a company that had a giving average of $1,000/year. I have transformed an organization that functioned on a $200,000 budget into one that will realized over a million dollars before the end of my fiscal year in June 2009 and we will have a huge impact because of it! Now more than ever a trip to the training camp is worthwhile. Next week I hit the road again with a goal of $400,000 before the first of November and I’m sure I’ll get it! It isn’t about making an extra $10,000 at your Gala event. It is about making an extra $100,000 from those that you can engage with your impact! I love it and my Board loves it. Now more than ever For Impact organizations need this training. Or stay in your office and worry about the economy, that just means more money for those of us that aren’t afraid to go get it.
Rusty Stachlewitz
The Lawn Institute – Attended June 2008
Raised $800,000 in Three Months
I know all about tight budgets. I would say this needs to be a top priority. I have attended several trainings. This was the only one that made a difference to my bottom line. This training made all others seem like a waste of time and money. It is essential. We used to raise about $200,000 per year and we’ve already raise $800K in three months coming out of the training.
Jennifer W.
Campana Academy – Attended April 08
$750K And Bigger Things To Come
Your training has had a great return-on-investment. We made a big leap in our fundraising after being with you. I can say we’ve raised at least $750,000 as a direct result of what you’ve taught us. I’m sending our entire team to your training camps this year… looking forward to many more successes
Scott Morgan, Founder
Education Pioneers
$100,000 Commitment Out Of Training Camp
Nick and Tom, some good news to report since last month’s training camp. Bishop Hendricken High School received its largest Annual Fund gift – $100,000 matching gift from a distinguished alum. I give you both a great deal of credit for giving me the tools to make this happen.
Denny DeJesus – Development Office
Bishop Hendricken High School. Warwick, RI
“Thankful we took time-out to attend”
“Great fundraising for us used to be increments of $5000 and $10000 [operating budget $500K annually]. It’s been a hand-to-mouth operation. In fact, we had wanted to come to the training camp for some time but we’ve always been ‘too busy’
The training camp helped us to think bigger and it provided a practical road map for immediate success. After leaving Ohio [six weeks ago] we started on the action plan that you helped us develop around our funding plan, priorities and prospects. We’re having great success… we’ve already raised $250,000 and we have much more on the table. In fact, we’ve even made our first $1M ask!
As an organization, we’ve always struggled to capture the impact of what we do. You solved that. In a moment, everything became very clear. Also, insofar as we developed a way to clearly communicate our impact it helped us to become more confident in what we do. We’re now also much more comfortable asking for large amounts of money.
Another benefit has been our renewed ability to connect with and engage board members. They’re very excited about the ‘business thinking’ that is evident in this approach. It helps to answer questions they’ve been having.”
Pablo Maldonado, Vice President of Development
Life Perspectives.
San Diego, CA
“You have helped us think BIGGER…”
“You have helped us become much more focused in engaging major investors and have empowered us to think (and ask) much BIGGER than we were before – going from ‘getting by’ to forging ahead. For example, a grant investor from whom we requested $20,000 in operating support denied our request. After attending a two-day training, we arranged a site visit for the trustee and presented a compelling opportunity for the foundation to invest in us. We received $65,000 from them following the meeting. We NEVER would have asked this BIG had it not been for ForImpact.”
David Gay, Executive Director
Lower Lights Ministries. Columbus, OH
“This made our vision a reality…”
“We had not yet opened, and we were bumbling, fumbling, and stumbling through the best practices and methods of nonprofit ‘experts.’ Tom’s sage advice was amazing – simplifying the goals, the message, and the short AND long-term funding plans. Without a doubt, the minute we met up with ForImpact was the minute our vision became a reality
The philosophy is amazingly simple – you share your story with someone who already appreciates your impact, then you match your funding opportunities with their interests… our funding has gone through the roof.”
David Rivera, Founder
Nativity Prep School. San Diego, CA
“We simplified everything and saved a lot of time…”
“We saved years of planning … The board has been revived from the dead … Our materials are simpler … We are much more bold about being serious agents of change …”
Sister Rita Larivee, Publisher
National Catholic Reporter – Kansas City, KS
“ForImpact gave us a road map…”
“After the first day, I thought, ‘I need to be here.’ It was life changing for me. I had volunteered to be the co-chair of our $6 million capital campaign while working in the for-profit world. I left the training thinking, ‘There’s no way we can’t do this if we do what we learned here.’ What struck me was the emphasis not on the fundraising, but on our IMPACT on the community. That really drove everything for me. I learned that if you can communicate effectively the impact you have on your little piece of the world, the job of raising funds isn’t very difficult; things just fall into place.”
Cathie John, Board Member
Lane Affiliated Companies; Pepsicola Franchise Bottleer, VP of Finance, Pepsi Cola Bottling
Care and Share Food Banks. Colorado Springs, CO
“A great return on investment…”
“ForImpact radically changed the way we promote our food bank, which directly affects our fundraising. Our entire staff and board are now on target by promoting what we do in exactly the same way. We received our largest gift ever ($800,000), which had a lot to do with our new ForImpact business model. The best part of the ForImpact message is that it’s so simple it’s almost embarrassing to have to pay for it–but it has paid us back 1000 times over.”
Gary McDonald, Executive Director
Care and Share Food Bank. Colorado Springs, CO
“Eureka! We solved our message…”
“Before the training, we were really struggling with our message. We have so many facets making it difficult to tell the story. Nick personalized our message and trained us how to communicate our vision. He was marvelous and helpful. For us, it was ‘Eureka!’”
Annette Lomont
Abbey of New Clairvaux. Vina, CA
“ForImpact cuts through the noise…”
“ForImpact helped keep us moving forward with training and coaching on major asks and early development of our new President’s Circle Program. During that time we were able to secure a seven and an eight figure gift – the largest in the Center’s history from an individual. Also, our President’s Circle Program has now met and exceeded its charter year goal of 150 members in only seven months!
In a nutshell, the ForImpact team’s message and style are motivational. They cut through the noise and help us focus on our core message. They encourage action, and action gets results. We endorse ForImpact’s services for any For Impact organization!
Nancy Greenwood Veers, Sr. Director, Principal and Major Gifts
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Seattle, WA
“A whole new level of fundraising…”
“On my first major gift ask, I was sweating, my heart was beating, and… I GOT IT! ForImpact changed my vocabulary, which gave me confidence. Success breeds more success! I was looking at my organization more as a business than a ‘charity,’ and seeing ‘donations’ as investments. I could say to my potential investors: ‘This is a wise investment–you really should be doing this.’
The ForImpact training led us to a whole new level of fundraising capabilities. We are making new relationships now that are helping us in a very big way and we believe our most ambitious goals will soon become manifest. I will always be grateful for the guidance provided by ForImpact. It was a small price to pay for an enormous value.”
Patty Williams, Executive Director
Living Skills Center. California
“Best training I have ever attended…”
“I’ve had two sales jobs before my current role in development. I’ve been to months of ’sales training’ previously. Your two-day training is the best sales training I have ever attended.”
Marissa Brooke Sanchez, Senior Relationship Officer
St. Pius X High School. Albuquerque, NM
“A quantum leap…”
“Thank you so much for a great time at this past October’s training camp. We are now a SOLD OUT, DIE HARD, NO HOLDING BACK – For Impact ministry. Since the training camp we have truly made a Quantum Leap. Our Impact is clear, our message is powerful, and our people are on the move.
In the past four weeks we have heard people say, ‘That’s exciting! Count me in. I’d love to get involved.’ In this short amount of time, we have had investments given and pledged over $24,000. We’ve even had people who we’ve visited say, ‘This is great. I’ve got a friend that I want to share this with, is that okay?’ We are absolutely thrilled about the transformation that ForImpact has had on the ministry. We are most excited to see the impact of Arrowhead continue to multiply.”
Ben Myers, Camp Manager
Arrowhead Ministries, New York
“A career highlight…”
“ForImpact was the impetus for our Major Gifts Program. It was the catalyst that broadened our organization from a transactional, event oriented company to a relationship management based company. One of my career highlights was traveling the state with Tom, watching him train our volunteers and staff on messaging our vision. The Vision Card he created for us is simply brilliant!”
Jeff Davis, COO
American Cancer Society, Ohio Division
“Our board is energized…”
“As a result the training in July, we have received $262,000. We are delighted with the results and the Board continues to be quite energized with the process. We are grateful for your training and for getting us focused on a positive path. We have additional requests ($45,000) outstanding. We also have a great ‘talking point card’ that we can use with investors. It is beautiful and inspirational. THANK YOU for teaching us how to make all of this happen.”
Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director
Network. Washington DC
“It works for the little folks…”
“Please tell others about our success. We’re not a huge university or national organization. We’re a volunteer-driven animal sanctuary in Florida. After your training, we presented one of our top prospects with an opportunity for $120,000 and he said, ‘Yes.’ I believe in ForImpact and your sales process, and I will be sharing your information with other animal-related organizations.”
Judith Yevick, Board Member
Animal Refuge Center. Ft. Myers, FL
“Tangible results and a focused board…”
“The training had tangible results. Right away we generated $90,000. [The training] has helped us redefine the board as being beyond board members–they’re organizational champions and now they have a really simple message around which to focus.”
Kelly Cody-Grimm, Development Director
Global Health Action. Atlanta, Georgia
“Outcome: Dramatic and different…”
“You’ve brought tremendous clarity to Battelle for Kids. As true entrepreneurs, you helped us to go a different direction. We decided to change the entire fundraising model and become a business ‘For Impact.’ That was the best decision we ever made. You helped us become something much more dramatic and different.”
Jim Mahoney, Executive Director
Battelle for Kids,. Columbus, OH
“Completely practical…”
“I attended the Fundraising School. That was boring and academic. This was totally different. It was charged with energy and completely practical.”
Sherry Smith, Major Gifts Officer
St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation
“Revolutionary and Right on the Money…”
“The ForImpact training was instrumental in initiating the change mentality. Without change, we become stagnant. Even though we’re 125 years old, we still need to think in terms of GROWTH and CHANGE and how well we SHARE OUR STORY.
To sum up the training, I would say, ‘It ROCKS! It’s revolutionary! It’s right on the money!’It’s been very exciting to see that we can do something NEW and get NEW results.”
Sarah Cherne, Executive Director
American Red Cross, Great Bay Region (NH)
“ForImpact has been transformational…”
“ForImpact brings you back to common sense principals and then gives you actual tactical skills to lay it out in an effective way. They move beyond the process of ‘what to’ to ‘how to.’ That is the significant differentiator with this organization.
We needed to truly transform [what we were doing] to get investors on board. Within days of the training we had generated $80,000!”We are now on a path to a significantly different place than we have been. We are no longer focusing on the ‘next 50 hours’; we are providing the financial support to ‘dream the 50 year dream’.
Dave Meurer, Board Member
St. Pius High School. Albuquerque, NM
