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Development Doldrums:
Getting Through the Gray Months Ahead...

Recently, a British psychologist dubbed January 24 "the worst day of the year." I remember reading about it on that same day; having just landed on a much-delayed flight where I was met with a rented compact car that I was to then maneuver through a near blizzard for the next hour. Needless to say, the timing of reading this article was uncanny. Anyhow, the psychologist in question had introduced a formula that would calculate which day in any calendar year was to be deemed the "worst" day. The formula is as follows:

[W + (D-d)] x TQ
M x NA

To put some meaning to the variables, I'll explain. Based upon this formula, you can determine the worst day of the year by subtracting your monthly debt owed (d) from your monthly salary (D), adding that amount to the weather (W), multiplying that sum by the time since Christmas (T) and time since your failed New Year's resolution attempt (Q), and then dividing it by the total of low motivation levels (M) times a need to take action (NA). Whew! How an actual date was the realized from those variables is beyond me.

What this was meant to do was to give travel agents and planners a method to analyze when people book vacations and holiday trends. As the article further states, "It seems that people are most likely to buy a ticket to paradise when it feels like they are in hell." With the number of clients my group had getting ready to embark on major solicitations and kickoff events; I started to wonder if this feeling of "hell" could affect our efforts. Could we make our fundraising objectives the hypothetical "ticket to paradise"? The answer: Of course we can, as long as we get creative.

At first glance, variables D and d (salary and debt), don't appear to be in our favor. How many times will a campaign volunteer be denied a gift because credit card bills come rolling in or previous pledges are in place? This is the time to reinforce "timing." The donor always gets to make the rules, and if the donor needs some time to begin a pledge or make a gift, it does not mean they don't want to help your organization sooner rather than later. Remind your volunteers of flexibility in payment and start dates. Some donors like the idea of stair-stepping their pledges. This allows them to make smaller gifts in the first year or two, with larger gifts in later years.

Variable M (low motivation levels) can possible hurt a campaign more than anything. How can one advocate for the organization when they are personally only operating at 70% for the day? It's time here to think outside the box, set new goals, and offer incentives. "People feel bleak when they have nothing planned, but once they book a vacation they have a goal, they work toward having time off and a relaxing period," according to PR spokesperson Alex Kennedy. Perhaps a reward of an extended weekend, or the incentive of a free night out, could be exactly what the doctor orders for your staff or volunteers that are dragging their feet on tasks and assignments.

And unless you live in warmer climates, chances are that variable W (weather) is a hurdle to overcome in boosting spirits. So how can we turn our capital efforts into a tropical vacation? Events! Chances are that people are less likely to leave the comforts of their own home unless it's really worth the trip. Therefore, we must make sure we're not just providing an hour of entertainment and still counting on the masses to attend. Piggyback a campaign event with a regularly scheduled event that is already well attended. Host a campaign beach-party right before the school basketball game that is already poised to draw large numbers. Counteract the ill effects of bad weather by making it worth people's while to venture out into the elements.

As always, there is never a "best" time to raise money. So long as you have real needs and a well-defined action plan, people will rally around you. However, consider the above as you strategize your campaign tactics and solicitations. Just as different donors require different approaches, so does the climate in which you operate.

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