Formula for Success

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” – Albert Einstein

Einstein would have been an excellent fundraiser.

He nailed it. E=Mc2. Energy equals Mass times Speed of Light squared.

Energy is what campaigns thrive on. And without that critical energy, campaigns will falter and fail.

A campaign can not survive on just momentum. Constant application of a field of intense energy is necessary to sustain the effort. Momentum can be halted by friction, obstacles in the path of the campaign. While a campaign in motion tends to remain in motion, the drag coefficient inherent in these processes, will begin to slow the campaign. Without a constant energy state, external factors, other priorities and plan old human nature intervene to produce the drag which slows momentum, stalls the campaign and allows inertia to set in.

Mass, in this formula, is money. The gifts received, which grow and accumulate, creating more energy. Money is a highly volatile substance, attracting like particles. That is, when coupled with the Speed of Light, squared, which is the pace and intensity of the campaign.

So, when a campaign is faltering, and needs to be re-energized, what must be done?

#1. Increase mass. A single large gift, or several large gifts, bring increased energy to the campaign. After months of solicitations, meetings, discussions, even the most loyal and dedicated volunteers can lose energy. But just one large gift can completely re-energize the committee and the campaign.

Frequently, donors who would otherwise support the campaign will wait on the sidelines until that catalytic gift is introduced, precipitating an increase in mass. Here, the gift is greater than the sum of its parts. A leadership level gift, introduced early in the campaign, sets in motion a chain reaction of events that produce massive amounts of energy, which sustain the campaign and allow the application of even more mass to the process. Even applied later in the campaign, a leadership level gift can create a fusion reaction which restores energy.

#2. Increase the intensity. Squaring the speed of light may be okay to begin the campaign, but when things begin to slow, you have to consider “cubing” the intensity. An exponential increase in the pace and intensity may be necessary to increase the mass (gifts) and thereby increase the energy.

A sprint to the finish is much more productive than coasting. Motion attracts attention. Attention yields interest. Interest produces involvement. Involvement results in support. Support equals gifts (or mass), which, combined with pace (speed of light, squared), produces more energy.

Intensity can be increased through more awareness of the campaign, with current donors engaging prospects in discussion and arranging introductions for solicitations. The higher the number of solicitations, the greater the intensity and the greater the potential for more gifts (mass, again). This increased intensity can yield that single catalytic gift, or a cumulative effect with larger numbers of gifts.

While physics and our dear friend Albert E. provide an interesting analogy for us to use in the discussion of re-energizing a campaign, let us not lose sight of the fact that success does indeed beget success.

No one supports failure. And the threat of failure is seldom as effective a motivational tool as the promise of success. So, for a campaign in need of positive energy, point to the successes achieved along the way.

“Never in the history of this organization has so much money been raised so quickly, and the potential for even greater success is within our reach.”

“We have met with more people, raised more money and more friends than we ever thought possible. People who have never supported us before have joined us, at significant levels of financial support.”

Capitalize on that success, promote that success. You are poised for success, and it’s a matter of reaching for it and grasping it, firmly and with both hands.

Failure is not only not an option, it’s not a possibility.

“If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x, y is play, and z is keeping your mouth shut” – Albert Einstein