The nonprofit sector is filled with C-suite leaders who would say that they are “accidental” fundraisers.
Most organizational leaders don’t get into the nonprofit sector because they want to ask for money.
In fact, that’s probably not on the top 10 list of things they want to do every day!
It’s an essential component of every healthy organization.
This is why I sat down recently with Drew Friedrich, Chief Operating Officer at Operation Blessing.
Drew has a fascinating career that didn’t begin with a deeply held belief that he wanted to be a fundraiser.
Baseball coach?
Yes!
Fundraiser?
Not so much…
However, when Drew realized that he was being called into ministry, he went.
And his nonprofit career was first focused on programs and operations.
In our conversation, we talk a lot about making that transition from Operations to Fundraising, and what leaders need to be aware of to successfully navigate that transition.
One of the most important aspects of leading people and organizations is understanding what the team needs and expects from you.
I love Drew’s perspective on this.
What he shares with us in this clip and in our entire conversation is that the most effective leaders, regardless of where they sit in an organization, lead with vision and empathy.
Those are two leadership superpowers, and I’m so glad to hear Drew call these characteristics out for us!
As a committed follower of Jesus, Drew shares that he wasn’t sure that he was “right” for the role he’s in now. He hadn’t been in a successful fundraising role before. He didn’t have experience leading at this level.
But he knew what he needed to do.
He needed to answer God’s call on this life.
And that call was to step out in faith into the role he’s in now, and to lead this organization as they serve people and communities in crisis around the world.
Anyone who has worked in disaster or crisis response organizations understands that the success of your response often comes down to the speed at which you’re able to execute.
Drew breaks this down for us even further, talking about the role that trust plays in an organization’s ability to respond quickly to a crisis.
Whether you’re a disaster response organization, a homeless shelter, a university, or a foster care facility, today’s economic and philanthropic landscapes are deeply challenging.
One of the ways that organizations can thrive and grow in times like this is to create a diversified financial strategy to support their work.
Drew and I talk about the importance of diversification of revenue, why many organizations find that a difficult challenge, and how you can think differently about this for your own organization.
Some of the other key takeaways you’ll get from this episode include:
- Strategic planning is critical for aligning team efforts and achieving organizational goals.
- Fundraising and operations must work hand in hand to ensure program success.
- Diversifying revenue streams is essential for sustainability in nonprofit organizations.
- Trust within the organization accelerates decision-making, especially in disaster response.
- Effective storytelling is key to engaging donors and communicating impact.
- Leadership requires understanding the unique needs of team members.
- Drew’s experiences in baseball taught him valuable lessons about team dynamics and leadership.
- A strong sense of calling motivates Drew and his team to make a difference.
- Creating a unique experience for donors and volunteers enhances engagement and support.