What We Can Learn From Toilet Tanks and Flytraps
Do you remember the TV show How Stuff Works?
It was my guilty pleasure, taking me down one rabbit hole after another, leading me to discover how electric motors, toilets, or even Venus flytraps worked.
There’s something in us that craves understanding. We don’t just want to consume. We want to understand how things work.
Why is this so mesmerizing? You’ve probably heard the saying, “people don’t need to know how the sausage is made; they just want it to taste good.” Yet that doesn’t quite satisfy our deeper curiosity. At our core, we’re wired to learn - we’re beings of wonder and understanding. We’re drawn to those who help us make sense of things: teachers, coaches, mentors. We remember them. Sometimes, we even see them as heroes.
While reading the excellent book They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan, my How-Stuff-Works-Spidey-Senses started tingling. Marcus wasn’t writing about fundraising - he was writing about content marketing - but the insight he shared was universal:
People don’t want to be sold. They want to be taught.
And I thought: Yes. That’s good wisdom for fundraisers.
We’re not here to twist arms or hustle people into giving. We’re here to illuminate. To spark curiosity. To say, ‘Let me show you how this works - and why it matters.’
I love that so much! In the words of Donnie Brasco: fuhgeddaboudit.
Your mission becomes not just urgent - but exhilarating.
Not just important - but deeply human.
Not just necessary - but transformational.
I love my fellow fundraisers, executive directors, and board members who are reading this guide. You are some of the most generous people I know. And, sadly, it’s common for you to feel burned out, overwhelmed, and under-resourced - especially when it comes to building communication and visibility strategies.
I’ve been there. But here’s what I’ve learned by following some simple and practical advice from folks like Marcus Sheridan and Justin Welsh.
In 2023, I started showing up daily on LinkedIn. Since then, I’ve published over 1,500 posts focusing on major gift fundraising.
Fewer than 5% of them have a call to action (to buy my online course or retain coaching).
My driving purpose is to demystify major gift fundraising. To help people see the fun and sacredness in this work. Some of the posts are funny. Some are super practical. Some are deeply sacred. Some are sarcastic. My hope is that they hit home with my primary audience: major gift fundraisers.
I’m not expecting that every reader will convert into a paying customer. I show up daily to build trust. To clear away confusion. To teach and encourage.
How I Got Started
One of my first moves? I made a giant list of questions.
Every doubt, every stuck moment, every “but what about…” I could remember from my own experiences and things many of you have shared with me.
This list became the launching pad for everything I’ve written.
It’s a powerful framework. The question is, can we apply it in the nonprofit sector? I absolutely believe we can. I’m genuinely excited about the parallels. So much so that Marcus Sheridan and I have agreed to co-author a version of They Ask, You Answer specifically for nonprofits. Stay tuned - more on that project soon.
I am quick to acknowledge some key differences. In fundraising, we invite people into sacred, relational decisions. Their giving is driven by story, conviction, calling, and impact - not necessarily a list of features.
I believe that we can write with clarity instead of spin. We can share what’s true, not just what’s trending. We can treat questions with a prayerful and magnanimous posture.
Over the next five weeks, I’ll delve deeper into this strategy - exploring how nonprofits can cultivate an online presence that’s clear, sacred, and truly results-driven*.
A Few Other Notes
- No one else will do this for you. Not your Marketing department. Not your Communications colleague. Not even your mom (although, in my case, my mom has been an essential part of encouraging, helping, editing, pushing back, etc. Love you mom and Happy Mother’s Day!!)
- Most likely, people are reading your posts who will never comment or hit the like button. Yet they’re often the ones who matter most.
I was on a call with two friends recently when I noted that it sounded like there was a problem of donor fatigue. One of them said, “Whoa! Wait a minute… we’re not supposed to use that as an excuse!” I was caught red-handed. Guess it’s time to start following my own advice😅.
You don’t need to be an influencer.
You do need to show up - because your mission deserves to be understood and remembered.
You’re not only asking for money...
You’re teaching people how your cause works,
And inviting them to join in.
That, my friends… is sacred.
As always, I would love your comments, questions, pushbacks, and insights on these ideas. Let me know what you think!
* Key results to look for are newsletter subscriptions, new connections, new followers, post impressions (how many people are reading), reposts, engagements (thumbs up, etc), and comments.
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If you haven't taken advantage of some of the resources I've created to help major gift fundraisers, take a look now! Initial calls with me are free and "no strings attached". Sometimes folks feel like they need to wait and not 'bother' me until they have a pressing issue. No need for that...just make the call. 🕺
Here's where you can access a lot of content for free:
* Follow me on LinkedIn - You'll get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific.
* Breakthru Newsletter - As you've seen here, these are longer weekly posts (audio and written) sent directly to your email.
* Breakthru Blog - the newsletter from the previous week gets posted here each week for everyone (so email subscribers get it a week early).
* Breakthru Podcast - Interviews with high net worth givers about how we as fundraisers can get better at inviting them to the party. And audio readings of Breakthru Blog posts.
Before getting to the PAID stuff: My opinion is that no small ministry with a tight budget should be spending more than $3-5k (total) for major gift coaching/consulting. Most of you will be good-to-go spending far less than that. This was a major issue for me when I was a frontline fundraiser - major gift consultants were an expensive 'black-box-of-confusion' for me. That stops now.
Here's the PAID stuff:
* Online Catalyst Course - This is a full brain dump of my 28+ years of experience - good, bad, ugly. It's built around the fundamentals, the sacredness, and the fun, of major gift fundraising. It's infused with Henri Nouwen reflections. Many people can take this course and they will be 'cooking-with-gas' and not need any additional coaching from me on the core systems. I'm grateful that this course has gotten *great* reviews.
* Live coaching with me - I refer to this as "brain rental". The ROI on live coaching, as you might imagine, is extraordinary.
Finally, be sure to connect with my colleague Ivana Salloum. She's super awesome and can help with scheduling and access to resources, etc.
I look forward to hearing about your good work!
Blessings,
