Campaigns | forimpact.org

May 5, 2009 | Tom Suddes

I first assembled these thoughts as an intro to the For Impact Campaign Manifesto. Re-listed here and in a PDF for download, these QUANTUM LEAP ideas are powerful. I hope they ~~push~~ eliminate the bountries of traditional campaign thinking.

Special Note: Nick is leading a teleseminar today (Tues) on the Quantum Leap Campaign Thinking at 1:00 ET.

THREE GREAT BOOKS ON QUANTUM LEAPS…TO HELP YOU LEAP

Quantum Leap Thinking by James J. Mapes.

You 2: A High Velocity Formula for Multiplying Your Personal Effectiveness in QUANTUM LEAPS by Price Pritchett.

Taking the QUANTUM LEAP: The New Physics for Nonscientists
by Fred Wolf.

QUANTUM PHYSICS is described as the

“most powerful science ever conceived by human beings.”

A QUANTUM LEAP is the

“explosive jump that a particle of matter undergoes in moving from one place to another.”

QUANTUM LEAPS are about

‘exponential jumps’ in your impact and your income.
(NOT about kaizen, tweaking, OR 3% to 5% growth tied to the adjusted cost of living or tuition increases!)

QUANTUM LEAPS are like taking any BIG Jump.

You don’t focus on the ‘middle’ of the jump…
but where you want to land!!!

QUANTUM LEAPS are NOT about ‘trying harder!’

Trying harder produces only INCREMENTAL GAINS not QUANTUM LEAPS.
(Physicists studying Quantum Mechanics note that particles make these ‘jumps’ without apparent effort and without covering all the bases between the starting and ending point!)

QUANTUM LEAPS never happen by doing the same thing you’re doing now.

Price Pritchett says, “Be ruthless about trying something different. Conventional growth comes because we think along conventional lines.”

QUANTUM LEAP means violating the BOUNDARY of the ‘PROBLEM.’

This means giving yourself permission to dream and to risk.

QUANTUM LEAPS come when you seek the elegant solutions.

Look for an approach characterized by SIMPLICITY, PRECISION and NEATNESS.
(NOT as COMPLEX or TIME-CONSUMING as your PRESENT STRUGGLE).

QUANTUM LEAPS allow you to do MORE with LESS!

Less resources. Less people. Less money.

The paradox: This creates MORE resources, MORE people and MORE money.

QUANTUM LEAPS are NOT about the ‘how to’.

Skip the ‘detail’. The answers will come to you. When they do, you’ll probably find them to be simple, streamlined solutions.

QUANTUM LEAPS are tied to BHAGs.

Price Pritchett reinforces Jim Collin’s thoughts on Big Hairy Audacious Goals. They’re not Big Hairy Audacious Goals if you’re GUARANTEED that you can reach them! Pritchett says that if you have the ANSWERS and STRUCTURES and CERTAINTY UP FRONT… It’s NOT a QUANTUM LEAP!

A QUANTUM LEAP by definition, means

moving into unchartered territory with NO GUIDE to follow.
You personally draw the map as you go. (In this case, however, I’d like to offer a GUIDE. You can still draw.)

QUANTUM LEAPS require you to take the OFFENSIVE.

You can’t achieve exponential gains from a defensive posture, a passive stance.

QUANTUM LEAPS require FAILURE.

FAILURE is a sign of PROGRESS! It means you’ve left the safety of the status quo. Failure is a resource. It helps you find the edge of your capacities. (If you send a rocket toward the moon, 90% of the time it’s OFF COURSE; it ‘fails’ its way to the moon by continually making mistakes and correcting them. Therefore, fail fast.)

QUANTUM LEAPS regard ‘ZERO DEFECTS‘ as a HOSTILE CONCEPT.

‘GETTING READY’ (research, fancy brochures, etc.) is a stalling tactic, an act of anxiety.

Finally,
You don’t ‘prepare’ for a QUANTUM LEAP…
You MAKE IT, and then you frame out
the DETAILS and STRATEGY on the way!

“FAIL. FAIL AGAIN. FAIL BETTER.” —Samuel Beckett
“FAIL. FAIL FAST. FAIL FASTER.” —Tom Suddes
“SUCCESS is going from FAILURE to FAILURE with no loss of ENTHUSIASM.” —Winston Churchill
“We need to FAIL in order to SUCCEED. Our only decision is HOW TO FAIL.
By not going far enough… or going too far. I prefer the latter.” - Harriet Rubin

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No More Feasibility Studies

April 17, 2009 | Nick Fellers

This nugget is an excerpt from from Tom’s Campaign Book.

No More Feasibility Studies

Having watched hundreds (maybe even thousands) of ‘nonprofits’ do feasibility studies… I still don’t get it!

INTERNAL staff gets together. Agree they need more money. INTERNAL group decides to do a campaign to raise more money. INTERNAL leaders enlist EXTERNAL consultants to do a feasibility study… for justification, CYA and backup.

Think about this ‘feasibility’ scenario:

No Sharing of the Vision
No Engagement
No Dialogue
No Involvement
No Presentation of an Opportunity

From the ‘consultant’ to the ‘prospect’:

If ‘XYZ NONPROFIT ORG’ were to do a HYPOTHETICAL Campaign with a HYPOTHETICAL goal… how much HYPOTHETICAL money would you HYPOTHETICALLY give to this HYPOTHETICAL Campaign?

One alternative to consider is true LEADERSHIP CONSENSUS BUILDING

Get your top stakeholders INVOLVED in the building of the PLAN… for both IMPACT and INCOME!!!

This OWNERSHIP will translate into a huge return on the time, energy and resources you INVEST in the process.

I’ve chosen these three words carefully, and used this process effectively for the last 25 years.

LEADERSHIP. It is what it is. It is what is says. Engage your best LEADERS in the process of message clarification, prioritization and the funding plan.
CONSENSUS. CONSENSUS is about the RIGHT DECISION… Not (necessarily) about ‘unanimous’ agreement on a politically correct, watered down, something-for-everyone mission statement/plan. CONSENSUS (on Vision/Priorities/Goals) creates commitment… generates momentum… and forces engagement (vs. passive participation).

Nota Bene: “PASSION IS CONTAGIOUS!” (Nick Fellers)
BUILDING. This is the kicker. This is the ‘action word’ that makes this idea worth millions! You must provide a framework to let your stakeholders help build.

*This approach also serves as the most powerful form of PREDISPOSITION.

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Campaign Seminar 4: A New Funding Model and Plan

August 15, 2008 | Tom Suddes

In this seminar we break down how to leverage a holistic funding model (annual fund [old word], operations, endowment and special [campaign] projects). It offers examples and ‘how-to’ to help you maximize each relationship - maximizing all funding streams… leveraging the role of the board… and building your campaign plan.

MP3 File | Download Call Notes

Some of the feedback: how listeners described this session:

“This seminar presented a model for linking campaigns, planned giving and annual giving.”
“This seminar affirms that we’re on the right track. That alone is valuable, need and appreciated. Thanks!”
“I’ve been following all the Campaign Week seminars - this one gave more specifics to help us with the ‘holistic ask’!”
“Transformational… ”
“This is such a rich perspective on how to handle the board, the campaign committee and all the problems that can emerge with them. It is the contrary of :” go out and ask money to your friends” !!”

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Campaign Week: Top 10 Campaign Questions

August 13, 2008 | Nick Fellers

In this seminar we will work through the top 10 campaign challenges faced by every organization…

“How do we simplify our case for support?”
“How do we find and train our sales team?”
“How do we move from planning to dollars in the bank?”
“How do we identify and prioritize prospects?”
“How do we get visits?”
“How do we overcome call reluctance?”
“How do we close?”
“How do we measure and manage our campaign?”
“How do we actively engage our board and volunteer leaders?”
“How do we use our president/ED and senior staff?”

MP3 File | Download Call Notes

Some of the feedback: how listeners described this session:

“Top 10 campaign changes are really summed up in one word…FOCUS!! Focus on prospects, focus on priorities, focus on the campaign. Don’t become distracted!”
“Super focused experienced. Very clear message and strategies!”
“Had our entire board on. Very fired up and gives us much to move forward with… THANKS.”

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Campaign Week: Pre-Campaign Innovations and Considerations

August 13, 2008 | Tom Suddes

Seminar 2 from campaign week. Tom discusses some of the biggest innovations and considerations to look at BEFORE you start a campaign. This is intended to help you save time, dollars and energy.

MP3 File| Download Call Notes

Some of the feedback: how listeners described this session:

“This was an opportunity to apply a fresh perspective to a tired concept. Talking about what is really important to our school - what we actually do here and why it matters - is less daunting and more fun that writing case statements and devising strategic plans.”
“The entire session was fantastic. We’ve been stuck and we’re ready to bust out with these ideas!”
“This offers a new, refreshing and practical view of campaigns that abandons sacred cows and baggage. What’s more… we’ve been doing some of these ideas and they work!”

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33 Campaign Lessons

August 1, 2008 | Tom Suddes

August 11th to 15th is For Impact’s CAMPAIGN WEEK
(our version of ‘Shark Week’ on the Discovery Channel).

To kick it off and get you in the right frame of mind, I’ve summarized
33 LESSONS I have learned in helping manage over 300 ‘Campaigns’
and raising over $1B.

Some are self-explanatory. Others are ‘Suddes Shorthand’. (You can download
the entire CAMPAIGN MANIFESTO, TAKE A QUANTUM LEAP for free between now and Aug 15.)

Every org we talk with is IN a Campaign, just coming OUT of a Campaign,
or PLANNING a Campaign.

I hope one of these lessons is the breakthrough for a QUANTUM LEAP ?

1. Attitude is everything!
2. “Make no mistake. We’re in a campaign.”
3. “Leaders Lead.”
4. Everything’s a project.
5. “On Board.”
6. Step Up.
7. Focus. Focus. Focus.
8. Do. Delegate. Dump.
9. No Excuses. No Timeouts. No Substitutions.
10. Get more aggressive.
11. Let go of your baggage.
12. “Engage. Then plan.”
13. Fail. Fail Fast. Better.
14. Prototype everything.
15. Speed doesn’t kill.
16. Act or ask.
17. W.I.T. (Whatever It Takes)
18. Oscillation.
19. Power Of One.
20. No “I” in “team” is a crock.
21. Who, not How.
22. Hire Mavericks.
23. It’s all about sales.
24. Sales requires people. process. performance.
25. Sales demands measurement.
26. Do your push-ups.
27. Write it down. It will happen.
28. Vision rooms rule!!!
29. Simplify your message.
30. Create memorable experiences.
31. Share the story. Present the opportunity.
32. Follow-up. Perseverance. 57 times.
33. JUST ASK!