TC: YOUR BEST CONNECTIONS

This week I am heavily involved in the kick-off of a fund raising campaign for one of my clients. Our goal is to raise 200 million dollars to build a Museum of Natural History. We have formed a board of directors and are building a 20 person advisory board. This is a 501(C)3, nonprofit organization.

Since this is a new venture, we cannot go out and ask for the million plus donor. First we have to hire staff and lay the foundation for the capital fund raising effort. We determined we needed around $500,000.00 to properly start this project.

This may sound like a lot of money but we broke it down into smaller segments and assigned each of our board members and advisory members to tell our story to their best connections and ask for their financial support in any amount. We gave a timeline of 3 months to accomplish our goal. I am confident that we will reach our goal because everyone involved is working with their best connections, people who are willing to help when asked.
Your challenge this week is to identify your five best connections. These are people that you feel will support you in a time of need.

No, I don’t want you to ask them for money, but I do want you to make time to personally visit with each of these people, ask them how their business or family is doing and then share your story.
The challenge does not stop there; add one “best connection” to your list every month. This list is more than just someone who knows who you are and what you do. These are true friends who will support you through thick and thin.

This process is one of “putting money in the bank” for a future need.

In the example I cited above, I asked all my board members to reach out to their “best connections” and to share our story and their excitement and dedication to establishing a Natural History Museum in Arizona.