Life is not perfect (where have you heard that before?) Would you like another insightful saying? How about: “Mensch tracht, uhn Gott lacht.” The loose translation is “A person thinks, and God laughs.” We know that people make plans and then life happens. I am going through some personal angst right now because a general contractor reneged on his contract. Things couldn’t go more wrong. It has been a painful experience, but I will get through it.
But, what happens when you plan a fundraiser for hundreds of people and things go wrong? What do you do? My best advice is: think fast on your feet. There usually isn’t a set script to follow. One must improvise and invent. A mentor of mine once declared, “When you put your inventor’s cap on, you are only limited by your creativity.” This means that you have unlimited potential to solve problems. So, put on your inventor’s cap when things go wrong.
I have been fortunate during my professional career to have few things go wrong. But, it has happened and, fortunately, I was able to think quickly on my feet as were some of the colleagues that worked alongside me.We came up with good solutions to what could have been serious problems. Let me give you an example.
Anyone who knows me well, realizes that I am not a fan of fundraising journals. Fortunately, more and more nonprofits are “seeing the light” and have begun to phase out these “door stoppers” for more creative options such as scrolls of honor, flash drives with donor commemorations and sometimes just rolling audio-visual credits on a large screen at a major event.
However, when journals were still in vogue, I created one that was an executive desk planner. It was calendared by week and folks could mark in their daily appointments. Today this approach is totally obsolete since we carry calendars in our mobile devices. At that time, devices such as palm pilots were among the prehistoric creatures starting an electronic trend.
As a cost saving measure, a colleague convinced me to use a new printer who could shave off substantial dollars from the cost of printing the journal, which can be an expensive endeavor. The journal was to be distributed at our annual dinner which that year took place in Manhattan at The Plaza Hotel then owned by Donald and Ivana Trump. We expected 600 or more distinguished guests in the main ballroom and the room was beautifully appointed and ready.
I remained at The Plaza all day and as we got closer to the 6 p.m. start of the gala, I kept looking at my watch yet no journals had arrived. 3 p.m.no journals; 4 p.m. no journals; 4:30 p.m. no journals. My heart is pumping faster and the printer is not returning my urgent calls. It’s 5 p.m. and no journals! Finally, at 5:20 p.m. boxes showed up at the ballroom door. I begin to feel much better.
Then I opened the boxes and to my mortification found that many journal pages were smeared inside because the ink hadn’t yet dried. On top of that, we inserted all pages into an elegant loose leaf binder so that the binder remained but the pages could be replaced every year. Many journals had their pages inserted upside down. Good grief! What to do?
We quickly assembled our staff and volunteers and did a quick assessment. Half of the journals were dry but had to have their pages turned right side up. We set up an assembly line and by 6 p.m. distributed the journals we could use. No guests complained and a sufficient number were spread around the room. Disaster averted.
In Part II of this series, I will describe some ingenious solutions to other things that went wrong. If it happens to you, just don’t panic, keep a calm demeanor and remember to put on your inventor’s cap. To paraphrase from the poem by Robert Burns, just know that “The best laid plans of mice and men so often go astray.”
By Norman B. Gildin
Norman B. Gildin has fundraised for nonprofits for more than three decades and has raised upwards of $93 million in the process. He lived in Teaneck for 34 years and now resides in Boynton Beach, Florida, and currently is the presidentt of his own company Strategic Fundraising Group. He can be reached at [email protected].
