BRIDGE TO EXCELLENCE
NONPROFIT CONFERENCE
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial:
A Case Study of Culture, Strategy,
and Results
presenter
KERRY-ANN T. POWELL, ESQ.
CEO and Founder of The Harvest Group
The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Washington, DC
Photo Credits: Gediyon Kifle
Photo Credits: Gediyon Kifle
FUNDRAISING OVERVIEW
$127 million to build and dedicate
13 years to reach goal
20 fundraising tactics
Direct Mail $1M per Year
$90 Avg. Gift
WHY ARE YOU HERE?
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
FUNDING DIVERSIFICATION
WHAT FUNDING TACTIC ARE YOU
CONSIDERING IMPLEMENTING?
Corporate Giving
Text donations
Foundation Grants
Matching Gifts
Direct Mail
Donor Advised Funds
Online Giving
Planned Giving
Grassroots
Cause-related-marketing
Stocks and Bonds
Affiliate Fundraising
(i.e. Pink Ribbon Yogurt)
Google Grants
Crowdfunding
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising
(i.e. ALS Ice Bucket Challenge)
Yahoo Search
Real Estate Referral
Special Events
Social Innovation Bonds
Many many more…….
THE REASONS WHY GREAT IDEAS FAIL.
- strategy
- quantifiable objective
NO
- metrics
- analysis
-
infrastructure
- customized plan
- Incompatible corporate culture
-
Sticking with old ideas
- Selected a tactic because it is trendy
THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING
WITHOUT STRATEGY
Clients Do
Not Get
Served
Low
Staff
Morale
Programs
Fail
NO
IMPACT
TIME
MONEY
Opportunity
Cost
Lack of
Board
Confidence
High Staff
Turnover
Strategic
Thinking
“The man who is prepared
has his battle half fought”
- Miguel de Cervantes
Spanish Novelist
The Benefits of Strategic Problem Solving
“How Successful People Think” by John Maxwell
Simplifies
the Difficult
Prompts You
and Your Team to
Ask the Right
Questions
!
Prompts
Customization
Prepares You
and Your Team
for Uncertainty
?
Reduces the
Margin of Error
Gives You Influence
with Your Team,
Board, Donors,
and Stakeholders
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
How to ensure that new fundraising tactics WIN
PREPARE THROUGH STRATEGY FORMULATION
UNDERSTAND THE ELEMENTS THROUGH ANALYSIS
DESIGN THE BLUEPRINT
DEVELOP THE INFRASTRUCTURE
IMPLEMENT THE PLAN
EVALUATE THE RESULTS & RINSE AND REPEAT
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Organization
Strategy
Fundraising
Strategy
Funding
Tactic Plan
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Determining whether to consider a
new funding tactic you must
first consider both
Organization’s overall strategy.
AND
Fundraising strategy.
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
Organizational Strategy
Build the memorial that honored the legacy of Dr. King
on the most premium location on the National Mall,
using the best materials, and the best practitioners in
the shortest amount of time by leveraging resources to
achieve fast growth.
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
Fundraising Strategy
Raise $127 million to honor Dr. King’s legacy in
the shortest amount of time by leveraging all
resources at our disposal, using high impact
tactics, and going deep in order to maximize
investment.
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
Funding Tactic Plan
Any New Funding Tactic Must at least:
Honor Dr. King’s legacy
Create High Impact
Have the Ability to go Deep
Have the Ability to be Leveraged
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Funding Tactic Plan
If a tactic has made it through the standards of
your organization’s strategy and your
fundraising strategy it is a possible contender.
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Your Organization
What is the tactic you have implemented, will
be, or are considering implementing?
JUST ONE
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Funding Tactic Plan
Questions
to Ask
What is the tactic?
What are the objectives for the tactics?
What is the target audience?
What are the expected expenditures?
What are the expected financial gains?
What are the quantifiable results?
What are the non-quantifiable results?
Step 1
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Prepare through Strategy Formulation
Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
Tactic: Direct Mail
Objective:
• To raise $300,000 net and to increase
by 5,000, about Dr.
• individual
Individualsdonations
who are passionate
King’s legacy and have resources to donate
Target audience:
$150
• $500,000
Expected Expenditure:
•
$300,000
Expected Financial Gains:
Quantifiable Results:
Non-quantifiable Results:
• Dollars raised, number of donors, average gift.
• Increased awareness and popular support.
Step 2
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Understanding the Elements Through Analysis
Organizational
Company
External
Infrastructure
Culture
Factors
& Bandwidth
•
Trained Staff
•
Existing Donors
•
Technology
•
Industry
•
Expertise
•
Target audience
Board
•
Space
•
Organizational
Identity
•
Equipment
•
Communication
Economic, political,
and environmental
factors
•
Hierarchy
•
Decision making
•
Risk temperature
•
•
Step 2
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Understanding the Elements Through Analysis
Funding Tactic Plan
Questions to Ask in Analysis
• What would have to happen for this
funding tactic to meet our objectives?
• Does our current company culture
support the objectives of the plan?
• In the past has our infrastructure,
company culture, and external factors
been able to support the objectives of
other funding tactics?
• Do the external factors support
the objectives of the plan?
• Does our current infrastructure support
the objectives of the plan?
• Does our current company culture
support the objectives of the plan?
• Is there capacity to close the gap?
• What is the gap between what needs
to happen and where we are?
• Is there a will to close the gap?
• Do the expected financial gains,
quantifiable and non-quantifiable
results justify closing the gap?
Step 2
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Understanding the Elements Through Analysis
Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
Tactic: Direct Mail
• What would have to happen for this
funding tactic to meet our objectives?
• Do the external factors support
the objectives of the plan?
• In the past has our infrastructure,
company culture, and external factors
been able to support the objectives of
other funding tactics?
• What is the gap between what
needs to happen and where we are?
• Does our current infrastructure
support the objectives of the plan?
• Is there capacity to close the gap?
• Does our current company culture
support the objectives of the plan?
• Is there a will to close the gap?
• Do the expected financial gains,
quantifiable and non-quantifiable
results justify closing the gap?
Step 2
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Understanding the Elements Through Analysis
Your Organization
What elements within your company
culture, organizational infrastructure and
bandwidth, and external factors do you
know support the tactic and which ones do
not?
Step 3
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Design the Blueprint
Elements to Effective Design
Designing the Blueprint is a “thinking” game.
Leverage expertise.
TOTAL Collaboration wins the day.
Step 3
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Design the Blueprint
Steps to Effective Design
• Consider the objectives
• Gather expertise
• Generate Ideas
• Identify Criteria and Specify Contraints
• Revisit Elements of the Analysis Stage
PUDDIE2™
• Explore Possible Solutions
• Choose the Best Solution
• Create a prototype
• Test and Evaluate the Design Using Specifications
• Refine the Design
Step 3
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Design the Blueprint
Steps
to Effective Design
Washington, DC Martin
Luther King, Jr. National
Memorial Project Foundation
Tactic: Direct Mail
• Worked with a vendor
• Considered the financial objectives and marketing
objectives
• Generated Ideas as to what type of copy, how often to
send, to what lists, who would sign, how many tests.
• Chose the 3 best copy
• Tested 3 signatures
• Determined certain lists
• Built story boards and colors
• What elements from analysis need to created,
buttressed, or eliminated
• Test
• Determined the ones we would use
• What systems to us for measuring results
• Who is best suited on the team to manage, execute,
and deliver.
Step 3
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Design the Blueprint
Your Organization
What expertise do you need to leverage or
should you have leveraged within or outside
of your organization in order to design the
blueprint of your chosen tactic?
Step 4
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Develop the Infrastructure
Elements to Effective Development
•
Development is the bridge between Design and Implementation.
•
Do not skip this step.
•
Leverage expertise.
•
TOTAL Collaboration wins the day.
•
It is not over until ALL systems are in place.
Step 4
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Develop the Infrastructure
Steps
to Effective Development
•
Build out the tested prototype.
•
Procure the needed technology.
•
Attain necessary expertise.
•
Train staff.
•
Buttress or attain physical space and equipment.
•
Create systems from front end to back end.
•
Develop a protocol for decision making.
•
Develop the system for tracking metrics.
•
Develop plan for launch to the entire organization.
•
Test.
Step 4
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Develop the Infrastructure
• Chose Raiser’s Edge as our software
• Trained all fundraising staff on RE in various levels.
Washington, DC Martin
Luther King, Jr. National
Memorial Project Foundation
• Trained finance and accounting staff.
• Selected one staff person on development team to own direct mail.
• Developed a weekly reporting system.
• Determined acknowledgement protocol and created system.
• Collaborated with public relations and marketing.
• Created systems of various payment forms.
• Secured fulfillment company.
• Developed system for unusual situations.
Step 4
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Develop the Infrastructure
Your Organization
What systems do you need to develop or
buttress in order to support your chosen
tactic?
or
What systems should you have developed
or buttressed in order to support the tactic?
Step 5
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Implement the Plan
“ 95% of employees do not understand
how their day-to-day activities contribute
to the strategy set by leadership.”
- Harvard Business Journal
THE REASONS WHY
GREAT PLANS FAIL.
Step 5
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Implement the Plan
Steps to Successful Plan Implementation
Leadership must
The team must
• Cast the vision and inspire.
• Articulate the objectives and
priorities.
• Execute the design plan
and not implement on the
fly.
• Reiterate timelines. Focus
on the first 90 days.
• Use checks and balances
to determine progress.
• Introduce the team and
person who owns the tactic.
• Track performance and
results against objectives.
• Be visible throughout.
• Course correct.
Design is cognitive. Implementation is kinetic.
Step 5
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Implement the Plan
Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
Tactic: Direct Mail
What we did right:
•
Reiterate timelines for pilot
and full implementation.
•
Execute the design plan
and not implement on the fly.
•
Use checks and balances to
determine progress.
•
Track performance and
results against objectives.
•
Course correct.
Where we went wrong:
•
Initially only development
team and senior finance
and accounting team
knew.
•
Initially we did not
communicate the
objectives and priorities.
•
Initially did not introduce
the team and person who
owns the tactic.
Step 5
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Implement the Plan
Your Organization
What barriers to effective implementation of
the funding tactic plan do you foresee or
existed?
Step 6
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Evaluate the Results & Rinse and Repeat the Plan
Elements to Effective Evaluation
•
Consistent evaluation is a must
even within the implementation stage.
•
When implementing a new tactic decide
on a non-negotiable evaluation date.
•
Evaluate results based on objectives
determined in strategy formulation.
•
Just because a funding tactic plan did not hit the
objectives does not mean it failed.
•
TOTAL Collaboration wins the day.
•
Adjust and Repeat.
Step 6
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Evaluate the Results & Rinse and Repeat the Plan
Questions to Ask during Evaluation
•
Are goals and objectives being achieved? Why? Why not?
•
Will the goals be achieved according to timelines specified in the plan?
•
What components of the plan are working and which ones are not?
•
What can we learn from the results?
•
If the goals aren't being achieved which stage of PUDDIE2™
needs to be addressed?
•
Are the goals and objectives still realistic?
•
Are we executing and implementing the plan fully?
•
How can we adjust and repeat?
•
Is this a tactic that we want to continue using. - CAUTION!
Step 6
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Evaluate the Results & Rinse and Repeat the Plan
Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
Tactic: Direct Mail
• During the pilot leadership and team reviewed results weekly. 90 days in full evaluation.
My team member who owned the tactic would review with the vendor weekly. He would
bring to my attention any unusual movement.
I would review every other week is nothing unusual.
I would brief my CEO and CFO monthly if nothing was unusual immediately if unusual
results.
My CEO would brief the board quarterly and board chair more regularly if necessary.
Consistent review, adjustment, and implementation.
Repeated it again and again for 6 years.
Step 6
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Evaluate the Results & Rinse and Repeat the Plan
Washington, DC Martin Luther King Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
Tactic: Direct Mail
Funding Tactic Results
6 Years
Multiple solicitations
$1 million per year net average
$90 average gift
Approximately 70,000 Founding Sponsors
Step 6
THE PUDDIE2™ METHOD
Evaluate the Results & Rinse and Repeat the Plan
Your Organization
What barriers to effective implementation of
the funding tactic plan do you foresee or
existed?
“ A good plan violently executed now
is better than a perfect plan executed
next week.”
- George S. Patton
Questions and Answers