Raise Millions with This One Skill

It is gonna make you uncomfortable But hey, this is Nonprofit Courage Lab. We're all about developing personal courage. So courage comes when we are uncomfortable growth doing. Is calling out, the best of us within and taking calculated risks that are going to help grow our mission, grow impact. That's what we're all about. So the number one thing that's gonna help you raise millions is negotiation. I've started doing this and the first time that I ever consider. That I should negotiate.

I went to this event, this was when I was first starting out in fundraising and it, it had to have been over 10 years ago. And a f p in Los Angeles was association for Fundraising Professionals is the acronym there. They hosted, I think this like local chapter event. I can't remember. What it was called, but it was basically like a panel conversation with people who've closed seven and eight figure gifts and a behind the scenes on how they did that.

And I was like, oh, I'm gonna go to that That was amazing. And I, I was there. and there were probably like, I don't know, a hundred, 150 people there in person. And then this panel, and it was in this ballroom in a hotel in downtown la And I get there and I was, I think I was late.

Um, so I write when they got to like the juicy part of telling the behind the scenes stories and there was this woman who, I'm not gonna say her name, but she is, In the C-suite at one of the largest hospitals in Southern California, and she was talking about how she closed this seven figure gift from a really wealthy person, and she is telling the story behind the scenes of the exact conversation that they had, and she had the ball.

I mean, she had the gut to negotiate with this person and she told us the dialogue. It was basically like she's sitting across from the sky and she's like, you know, we are expanding the hospital. Something about building a new wing to serve like low income families and homeless individuals and really. healthcare and poverty and I is awesome What their, their initiative that they're doing and they're raising, you know, millions and millions of dollars. And of course as a hospital it's huge.

They have a massive budget. They raise a shit ton of money. We all know this, but nevertheless, right? It's so cool to understand the behind the scenes of how millions get raised. And I was in the room and I heard her tell the story and I was just, I was captivated, I was arrested. She was like, so Bob, you know, his name's not Bob. So Bob, we're doing this initiative, you know, and we are really looking for you to invest with us. And you know, our goal is 20 million and, um, we really need you.

to be a part of this. And he said, you know, well I, I think, I think we can do, you know, may maybe 800,000, you know, that's, that seems like reasonable or something like that. And she said, Bob, we are looking for you to lead the. and 800,000 is not gonna do it. And she waited, there was a pause and then he was like, oh, you want us to give 1.5? And she was like, that would be a great starting point. just listening to her like, tell this dialogue.

I was like, dang, this is amazing and then, he said, well, you know what, I think we might be able to do 1.5. We just need to have a conversation with this person, and then she said, fast forward. I had one more meeting with another decision maker and that guy Bob, and then they ended up giving us 2 million and I was like, shit. She took a guy from 800,000 to 2 million in two conversations because she had the guts to negotiate. Her mission is not any more worthy than yours.

You have to believe that, first of all, and I know that this woman believe. She believed that what she was doing was worth $2 million from one person. Do you believe that? Do you have that mindset? Because damn, maybe you need to get that mindset. I was so impressed. I was like, I wanna be like her. And then another thing that you need, if you're gonna negoti. is, you gotta have guts. She had serious guts to look somebody. This is face-to-face.

This was an in-person meeting that she was describing, and you have to have a plan because you gotta think, okay, well if they come out and they say that we can do a million, but you're still trying to get to two, you still have to negotiate. You can't settle for the million, you're leaving another million on the. If you don't negotiate, it's like two or three more minutes of conversation that leads to another million dollars. Do you hear what I'm saying?

Now, maybe you're not on that scale, but if somebody comes to you and says, you know what, I'm willing to give 15,000 this year. That was my plan. That's what I'm willing to do. And you know that you had a plan to ask them for 50. you know what you should do? You should still ask them for 50 K, even though they said they were gonna do 15. It's called negotiation.

You've gotta be willing to talk to your donors as equals if you believe that a power dynamic at play where you are lesser and they are greater, and the world will tell you. The world will tell you and reconfirm that people with money are more important than people who don't have money. And we know that's not true. Intrinsically, our human value we're equal. And so you need to get some courage and some guts and some self-respect. You know what I am gonna negotiate with?

it's gonna change everything. I've done this myself. I've turned five figures into six figures by negotiating, by saying, Hey, actually I think you can do this. Let me know if I'm wrong. You've gotta be able to ask for more anytime. That someone has the ability to give more. It is your job to ask them for more. That is your job. So that's my encouragement to you today. It is such a powerful skill and it's what I teach my million dollar V I P clients.

I help them to raise a million dollars in six months. We talk about negotiation. We talk about how to have really bold and clear conversations with donors and talk to them as partners as equals so that you can raise millions and this becomes normal for you. Closing six and seven figure gifts becomes another Tuesday. Do you want that? Because I do. I want that for you. That's exactly what I teach people how to do.

So if you're interested in that, hit me up, reach out to me on LinkedIn, message me. I'm on there all the time. Julie Orone. get on my mailing list, nonprofit courage lab.com. You can join my mailing list and you can email me. I love emailing with you guys and learn how to negotiate. Go for it, and if you want help, let me know. I'm down to help.

but this is a skill that is going to serve you well in a recession because if you press in just a little more with people in just a couple minutes of maybe discomfort, a couple minutes of tension can lead to someone doubling their gift because you are not willing to let them settle for a less generous version of the. you are a leader in their life. You have influence with your donors, and you are helping them to create an impact that they can't have or create anywhere else.

So stop accepting what people are just bringing to you and learn the skill and the art of negotiation, and you're gonna raise a shit ton more money in way less. if you just get the guts to do it. I understand that this takes guts. That's why I created a program called Courage Lab That's why this podcast is called Courage Lab because it takes courage. I know that it does. You're gonna need that. So courage is an inside job. You have total control over your personal level of courage.

You can decide to strengthen that muscle and get around other people. Who are courageous and who are practicing courage, or you can just continue to go it on your own. But I believe that you value community. So I'm gonna challenge you. Get around others. Join Courage Lab if that's your next step. And negotiate. Don't settle for the scraps. Learn how to have bold, clear. Business conversations about money with people who have it, and you are going to gain so much trust and respect from them.

You will build lifelong partnerships because you can be trusted to grow your organization and you're going to show them that you are a leader who can be taken seriously, who is serious about raising more. And impacting lives. It's a really powerful tool that you can absolutely do. So give it a shot, and until next time, happy negotiating.