There’s a new book out called, Unicorns Unite: How Nonprofits and Foundations Can Build Epic Partnerships. It’s by Jessamyn Shams-Lau, Jane Leu, and Vu Le.
I’ve swapped out one word in the subtitle of the book (“foundations” for “donors”) for the title of this post and identified my “lessons learned” from this insightful and fun book herein.
A Fundraising Book that’s FUN to Read
Yes, this book is FUN to read! It’s like a graphic novel for fundraisers and foundation staff. There are pictures on every page, thought bubbles, drawings, exercises, activities, and more. You’ve got to check it out!
And it’s also stressful. That’s because it points out and brings to light so many of the challenges we face as fundraisers. Thankfully, it goes on to solutions and next steps, too.
That being said, the book is also a bit snarky at times — especially if you’re a foundation funder. So, you’ll want to have an open mind and heart. It seems to me the snark is coming from a place of exhaustion and frustration at trying to solve the world’s most challenging problems, so I’m cutting the authors some slack.
6 Lessons Learned from Unicorns Unite
Here are the lessons I’m lifting (sometimes directly) from the book, so you can apply them to your donors (foundation and otherwise):
- Talking about money can be hard. You can do it!
- Don’t be nonprofit-centric. Don’t be egocentric. Be donor-centric.
- There’s a lack of trust between donors and nonprofits. Trust is an essential in raising money.
- There is more that unites us than divides us. Start with the end in mind.
- This is going to take work. It’s not easy.
- Ask for what you need.
All lessons apply equally to foundation and individual funders. So, don’t be discouraged. Any frustration you’re feeling and experiencing is not uncommon. And, we’re going to work together to make a change. However, the change needs to start with you.
Personal Favorites from Unicorns Unite
Favorite term in the book:
Overheadhole. Here’s what the authors say about it:
The nonprofit that pretends that every dollar goes to program and not one penny goes to overhead… It also gives the false impression that people and their salaries, facilities, electricity, and technology are not important inputs to results.
Favorite exercise in the book:
My favorite exercise is the Baker’s Dilemma. It explains perfectly why unrestricted funding is so critical for nonprofit success and provides a great way of explaining it to your donor. If you want to see it, check out the video above.
Bottom Line
The book is about mutual respect. As nonprofit professionals, we are often FRUSTRATED by foundation funders and donors, but we need to remain respectful and do our best to work together.
Our goals and those of the donor are exactly the same — to achieve the missions of our organizations. Maybe when we see one another as partners, we’ll be able to achieve those goals much faster.
I found this book, because I am a huge fan of Vu Le’s epic nonprofit blog. Check it out!
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