POST SUMMARY
- We in the world of fundraising for impact-driven organizations, we are *actually* living in strange times
- Many organizations are contemplating their next chapter of fundraising operations
- Contributed Line can help you raise money in the short-term, plan for the long-term, and design the job descriptions and scopes of work for future Chief Development Officers, “Development Directors,” Executive Directors, etc.
Target Audience of this Message: Executive Directors and Board Members of Impact-Driven Organizations in the Omaha, Nebraska; Surrounding Communities, and Beyond
1 November 2023
Dear Executive Directors,
In the world of nonprofit fundraising, we are definitely living in strange times. It seems like people have always said “we are definitely living in strange times,” but in our context I think it’s really true.
Funding is abundant, good fundraising positions are vacant, demand for nonprofit services are higher than ever… and everyone is worried about the economy!
How are YOU doing? (And by YOU, I mean the Executive Directors leading the organizations that the world so desperately needs.) I really want to know and I want to hear from you.
A recent search in the “Position Openings” section of the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands website showed no fewer than 28 fundraising-related positions open! That seems like a lot for our region, right?
Everyone seems to be contemplating the next chapter of their organization’s fundraising operations. And yet… are you giving proper consideration to the philosophical frameworks and presuppositions that undergird your fundraising goals, plans, mechanisms, and ambitions?
My name is Kevin Mahler and I am the owner & president of Contributed Line Fundraising Consultancy in Omaha. I have been in business consistently since 2018 and have served many satisfied clients. I work with a national network of nonprofit fundraising consultants through Responsive Fundraising, but every scope of work is customized to the scope and needs of each client.
I help with grant applications, proposal creation, donor communications, web content creation… But most of all, I help you create a fundraising strategy.
My working definition of strategy is “a written series of tactics designed to be executed sequentially in order to achieve a goal.” And I can help you with this.
Part of creating a strategy involves examining: What does your organization need now? What is your organization currently doing to raise money and how it is working? What isn’t working? … among other questions.
Some other questions I am pondering recently:
- What should organizations consider before planning another gala or golf outing?
- What are the risks of receiving more than 85% of your organization’s annual funding through competitive grants?
- How can organizations adapt to the growing wealth gap and the continuing trend of the same amount of money being given to charities every year from an ever-shrinking number of sources?
As you navigate these uncertain times, I am reaching out to offer my services.
I am currently in a place where I can help clients immediately. I am often quite busy with multiple clients, but currently (in late 2023) I have room in my schedule to take on up to four more clients for 2024. So that is why I am reaching out to you today.
There are a lot of one-person independent fundraising consultants in our area, but few have been as business as long as Contributed Line and few have as diverse experience as Contributed Line.
If you are serious about taking your fundraising to the next level; with a new level of seriousness, sophistication, and intentionality; and you are ready to get started, please reach out to me today through phone, email, Linkedin, or calendly.
In a world where I can do many things, I do this work (fundraising consulting) because I love it. I love working with impact-driven organizations and I love helping co-create the frameworks, meetings, spaces, and conditions for generosity and deep philanthropic partnerships. In other words, I love helping raise money.
I hope this letter made you think, made you dream about new possibilities, and made you consider taking this moment of “strange times” to imagine a more thoughtful way forward with a bigger impact on your bottom line and your organization’s future. Thank you for taking the time to read.
Gratefully,
Kevin Mahler
Owner & President
Contributed Line, LLC
402.216.8766
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinfmahler/
P.S. If you are one of the organizations seeking to hire a Director of Development or even a new Executive Director, I believe now is the perfect time to engage a fundraising consultant who can help design the role and imagine the goals in a way that optimizes finding the right fit, establishing the right metrics, and retaining the successful candidate. In fact, check out Contributed Line’s new offering for 2024, Interim Services!
Contributed Line 