Tennis is my favorite sport. I learned to play on clay and on hard courts, but in my heart I wanted to play on grass. And not just any grass. I wanted to play on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

In honor of the upcoming Wimbledon fortnight, I’m going to share five lessons from Wimbledon that we can apply to our work. These lessons originally appeared in one of my most popular newsletters.

Read on to learn more.

1. Stand Out From The Crowd

Grass courts. All white tennis attire. The green backdrops. Turn on a televised tennis match and these images let you know immediately that you are watching The Championships – Wimbledon. From the distinctive crossed rackets of the Wimbledon logo to the familiar Wimbledon colors of green and purple, the Wimbledon brand is well defined.

Like it or not, your organization must develop and present a distinct identity. You must consistently communicate who you are, what you do, who you reach and the difference you make.

2. Have A Game Plan

Successful players know their own strengths and weaknesses and the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. They develop game plans designed to take advantage of their best weapons and to capitalize on opportunities provided by their opponents.

Successful nonprofits
· Know their external environment
· Play to their strengths
· Stay flexible to capitalize on opportunities.

3. You Can’t Play Doubles Alone

Although not as popular as singles, doubles is an integral part of Wimbledon. Doubles teams are partnerships that take advantage of the strengths of each player. It is not uncommon to see competitors in singles form successful doubles teams.

In the nonprofit world, effective collaboration can enhance the ability of each organization to meet community needs and can often result in more effective use of each organization’s resources.

4. Don’t Play A Clay Court Game On Grass

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event played on grass. Grass is a fast, slick surface, the ball bounces in strange ways, and weather is often a major factor. Players must be able to adapt their game to compete effectively. The nonprofit environment is constantly changing. To be effective, you must anticipate and adapt to these changes.

5. Take Advantage Of Rain Delays

Wimbledon is famous for its rain delays. These delays often turn out to be opportunities. Time and again I’ve watched players raise the level of their game or successfully use new tactics after unplanned time in the locker room. All of us get caught up in day-to-day activities and feel we can’t take time out. The reality is that taking time away often leads to new ideas and new strategies for advancing our mission.

About the Author: Judith Rothbaum, (www.judithrothbaum.com) is the publisher of the Learning Exchange News – a guide for the time and resource constrained nonprofit.

I’m a board member of a local nonprofit and we are about to launch our annual campaign. Like other nonprofits in our community, we are facing a very competitive funding environment. There are more agencies seeking more money from more sophisticated donors.

It’s enough to make you run for cover.

The reality is that fundraising is not easy. But it isn’t impossible. There are some mistakes to watch out for.

A common mistake is overestimating what your donors know about you.

A recent ad in “The Chronicle of Philanthropy” made this point very well. There is a picture of a couple with their checkbook. The text on the picture reads:

They don’t know:

* Why to choose your organization over another.
* How you handle your finances.
* If your letter is truthful.

And you want them to donate money?

Raise awareness of your mission. Let people know that you are good stewards of your finances. Let people know your results. Then, ask them for money.

Another common mistake is not investing time and resources in donor research When I was growing up, my father used to say, “Sometimes you have to spend money to make money.” His advice applies to fundraising.

The first place to start is with your donor records. Look for the donors who have given the largest gifts. Then look for the donors who have given the largest number of gifts. Then, look for the donors who have given recently. Make a list of those donors. They are the donors most likely to give again.

Continue to build on that relationship. Learn more about these donors. Gather information to find out what they think of your organization, why they give, what they want from their philanthropy. You can use surveys, interviews, focus groups or inserts in mailings.

There are two benefits to this approach. First, you will understand your current donors better. Second, you will have credible information that can help you find new donors or bring lapsed donors back into the fold.

Often organizations are using the wrong fundraising strategy. Sometimes organizations try to implement ideas that other organizations have used successfully. Before you do, you need to answer some key questions:

* What were the specific conditions that made that idea work for that organization?
* Do those conditions exist for your organization?
* Is this idea something that would appeal to your donors?
* Do we have the capacity to implement that strategy?
* What are the real costs?
* What can we realistically expect to receive?

A better approach is to learn what strategies have been successful for you. Build on those strategies. Build on what you know about your capacity, your fundraising history, and your donors.

Check the results of your latest fundraising campaign. Did all of your board members give? If they did, celebrate that success. If not, this is the group you need to work with first.

Avoid these fundraising mistakes and you will see better results from your fundraising.

About the Author: This article is by Judith Rothbaum at www.BuildingNonprofitSuccess.com – Helping Nonprofits Thrive.