More than 3,000 fundraisers and nonprofit executives from around the world convened in Vancouver, British Columbia this past weekend for the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) 49th International Conference on Fundraising. Nine members from the AFP – Aloha Chapter also attended the conference, including several for the first time. Some hoped to learn from the diverse sessions, which numbered more than 95 and covered topics such as “The Joy, Impact and Power of Your Story” or “Ten Rules for Giving a Great Pitch: Lessons from a Stand-Up Comedian.” Others looked forward to networking and gaining insights about trends emerging and developing beyond our islands. Sanae Tokuhara, Hawaii’s only Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE), and Jill Dotts, a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and an Aloha Chapter transplant now working in Dallas, were among the conference presenters.

AFP Chair Andrea McManus and AFP President Andrew Watts opened the conference with an optimistic view of the fundraising landscape in 2012. Both are new to their roles in AFP though they have been part of the organization for years. They spent the better part of 2011 meeting with various fundraisers around the world, listening and learning from the front lines. They have implemented innovative changes within the organization, successfully turning the corner on membership attrition and attracting over 8,000 new members worldwide. They believe the worst of the economic downturn is behind us and better days are ahead — but the better days will come through hard work and working differently.

In that spirit, Scott Harrison of charity: water delivered a plenary talk that bucked many traditional nonprofit and fundraising models. With no background in serving a nonprofit mission, let alone raising money, he started a small nonprofit back in 2005 to provide wells of drinkable water to third-world countries where over one billion people are dying from water poisoning. Unique to his business model is giving 100 percent of the funds to the mission. He does this through two separate accounting systems: one for privately raised funds for his operations and another for publicly raised funds for his mission. 

Harrison’s personality is a force to be reckoned with. As a former nightclub promoter in New York City, he knows how to sell an idea. But it’s more than that: he lives his passion for the mission. Fundraising isn’t a transaction with a donor. You have to relate your passion to them. As Yvonne Morris, director of institutional advancement for Maryknoll School in Honolulu, explains, “Sophisticated donors know you need funds to run your organization. By funding the people behind the change, they effect the greatest change by becoming part of the story.”

Eric Saperston, who had to talk his way into getting interviews with corporate presidents, a U.S. president and rock stars for his film, The Journey, said, “You don’t just talk about the passion of what you are doing. You have to be the passion!” Saperston’s film is an inspiring story about finding your way and yourself, but the way he made his film is also an inspiration for fundraisers on how to find new people to talk to about your mission. By the way, he is currently working on Maui for his next film adventure.

Another thought-provoking speaker was Brian Reich, founder and managing director of little m media, an information strategy firm. In his presentation “Shift & Reset,” Reich challenged us to do everything differently. He said, “Nothing we are doing is working anymore.”

He told everyone to stop creating new (nonprofit) organizations, stop asking for money, stop overusing social media, and stop looking at best practices (it’s been done before). Instead, he asked for brand ambassadors to step up for the cause. He pointed out the importance of having “social media stars” (i.e. social media brand ambassadors) instead of social media systems, and he urged the audience to ask for engagement and then trust others to share your story and your needs (79 percent of donors give because a friend or family member asked).

While it sounds exciting to be innovative in our organizations, we all know how difficult it is to change the status quo. I asked Reich if change comes from the top down or bottom up. He said, “I think the innovation will come from the crowd—so yes, bottom up. But for innovation to really flourish it needs some focus and discipline, which would likely come from the top. So it’s a mix. Leadership has to be open and willing to accept new ideas or whatever is generated will die a quick death. Mix up a welcoming leadership with smart people at the bottom and you’ll see a lot happen.”

Other ideas for change focused on giving. Daryl Edwards, associate development officer for Island School on Kauai, said about corporate giving, “Corporate sponsorship is not a gift; it is a business transaction. You need to demonstrate how the sponsorship is going to provide value to the sponsor.” That perspective works for large fundraising organizations that reach many constituents, but what about smaller nonprofits? Many organizations cannot leverage high-profile board members and do not have an extensive email list of donors or a robust social media network to get out news about the sponsorship. These smaller nonprofits that are trying to build their brands by aligning themselves with larger corporate brands find themselves in a predicament.

However, beyond exchanging funds for exposure, many companies are also looking to engage employees as part of their sponsorship. “They want their employees to understand what the nonprofit’s mission is and to care about that mission,” said Tori Abe, development director for Hospice Hawaii. “And by doing so, they have added an important component to their corporate culture — to be part of something bigger than themselves and give back in different ways to the very community they live in. We symbiotically enhance each other’s brands and our constituency through this collaborative partnership.”

And speaking of engagement, let’s go back to Scott Harrison and his business model for charity: water. For his publicly raised funds, he has a unique system that allows small donors to track where their money is spent, how many wells are dug and how many villagers are served—complete with stories, photos and Google maps! This has engaged his donors to give continually and regularly. How much has he raised from these small donors? $65 million to date! We know that 72 percent of donors are moved by how a gift can make a difference and 71 percent give to an organization that is efficient. Harrison’s engagement and transparency convincingly demonstrate impact and efficiency at the same time!

Harrison’s bold, audacious goals have set him apart from the tens of thousands of other nonprofit organizations with a similar mission. Can this kind of success be achieved in Hawaii? We have one of the most generous populations in the country. Perhaps the next Hawaii nonprofit to implement a business model with bold, audacious goals will set the stage for the next organizational superstar in the Aloha State.

About the author: Alan Tang is the president of the Aloha Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). The chapter has been recognized as a Ten Star Chapter (for excellence in chapter management), and has received a Diversity award (for integrating diversity into every aspect of chapter programs and operations) and recognition for giving the most to the AFP Foundation for a chapter of its size. CFRE and ACFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive and Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive) are registered trademarks of the fundraising institute. The AFP 2012: 49th International Conference on Fundraising was Alan’s ninth international AFP conference.