My fundraising mojo left me in early September. We had powered through the past 6 months of a global pandemic together, making things happen, supporting staff and raising money for our mission.
And then the leaves started to fall off the trees, and my mojo left me.
Without my mojo, I forgot who I was. I was the person in the office that could always find a way through, no matter how hard the task.
What’s fundraising mojo?
It’s that bounce in your step, that superstar feeling that gets you out of bed and towards your first cup of coffee. It is the feeling of possibility, that idea that today, maybe today, you will meet your next amazing donor.
I did eventually find my mojo. She had been here all along, waiting for me to find a new perspective in a changing world. Here is the reality: we are all struggling to figure out how to keep our mojo. Below are three things you can do today to rekindle that bounce in your step, that mindset of possibility so you can show up as your best self for the important work that you do as a professional fundraiser.
1. Find a thinking partner. Fundraising has always been a lonely profession. The impacts of the pandemic have only reinforced our sense of isolation. When you are working your way to the other side of an obstacle, reach out to someone who has stood in your shoes. Ask for help. Invite them in as a “thinking partner” to help you work through your challenge. This is a win-win. It makes you feel better to connect in a meaningful way with a colleague, and it also helps them to be of service to someone else as a powerful listener.
2. Try something new. The flip side of a pandemic is that we are all in uncharted territory. So why not try something that you have always wanted to do? A CEO colleague of mine recently said to me “I saw the pandemic as a massive opportunity to shake things up where I work. I had known for a long time that things needed to change. I leveraged the pandemic as an opportunity to tackle the sticky structural stuff that was constantly getting in our way.” Try it. Test it. Who knows what might happen?
3. Build a team. We are hard wired as humans to tell our story. We crave the opportunity to be seen, heard and understood in a meaningful way. What better way to do that, than to create a tribe of fundraisers? Start meeting regularly with people who “get you.” Much of the volunteer work I do is motivated by my desire to belong: volunteer boards have a built in bonus of having a predetermined tribe structure that allows me to connect with like-minded people. And if youcannot find your team, build it! Facebook, WhatsApp, text groups, slack, zoom. Get a group together, commit to each other, and start talking. Those small moments can make such a big difference in the flow of a typical workday.
Most importantly, find ways to serve others. Who can you help? Who needs something that you can give easily, and without effort? A hug? Babysitting services? A review of a resume? A warm dinner or a birthday present? I seek out those moments where I focus on others. They help me rekindle my mojo and allow me to get out of my own fundraiser head. I always come back refreshed and reinspired.
Does someone in your circle need to read this today? Forward it along to them with a message that says “I’m thinking of you. Glad you’re in my team.”
Jenny Mitchell is still stuck in her house in Ottawa with two reluctant homeschoolers, a happy dog, a covid kitten and a noisy husband. Her work as a fundraising coach for not-for-profit leaders continues during the pandemic and her company Chavender continues to help people do more good in the world. Email Jenny@Chavender.com to join her #fundraisingmojo community.
Photo by Lina Kivaka from Pexels
