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Welcome to the Fit Fundraising Podcast, where we bring you game-changing fundraising topics, direct from our meetings with major donors and non-profits nationwide. While most consultants are busy giving advice, Fit Fundraising stays on the front lines with non-profits and major donors. This podcast is a glimpse into our world of work with non-profits as we get on the field with them and successfully model fundraising. Get ready to get fit with the hottest show in fund development, Fit Fundraising.
Roy Jones: Hi, this is Roy Jones and you have tuned into the Fit Fundraising podcast, thank you so much for joining us today, and I’ve got a special guest back for us today. You’ve heard her before. She talked about capital campaigns, really taught us some inside scoop before, today we’re going to take the conversation much broader than that.
Dr. Candace Gregory from the open door mission in Omaha, president CEO, 28 years, $34 million budget, 120 employees, 10, 000 volunteers, case management, individual program, plan developer, 40 plus programs, dozens of awards, numerous capital campaigns. And one more thing, she’s married to this great guy, Steve.
Dr.Candace Gregory: He is a great guy.
Roy Jones: She has four adult children and one grandchild now. Wow!
Dr.Candace Gregory: So excited! I’m gonna be a Gigi!
Roy Jones: You’re catching up.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I am.
Roy Jones: And the thing I like most about her, she’s a proud wrestling mom.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I am.
Roy Jones: And I am so excited. Candice, thanks for joining us today.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Roy, I am so excited to be here and we have a lot in common. And I’ve loved working with you as a colleague and as a peer. And it’s interesting, I think back to when we first met, I had no children married and now I have three married, two grandchildren on the way and my son in law is.
Roy Jones: Catching up. Oh my goodness. I got to get my boys working.
Dr.Candace Gregory: You better because my son in law is a wrestling coach.
Roy Jones: Oh wow. You’re going to build a wrestling team.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Oh boy.
Roy Jones: Of course, women’s wrestling is in the Olympics.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I’m pretty excited about that. My only wish Roy is that those opportunities would have been for my daughter. She would have been the best.
Roy Jones: I think you’re right.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Yeah. It wouldn’t have been trapped.
Roy Jones: Of course. I wouldn’t want to take you on when I was doing collegiate wrestling. Let’s talk about other stuff. What do you say? Let’s talk about your ministry. I know there’s some big things on the horizon. You said something to me a few months ago, Roy, one more time, we’re going to do something really big.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I am.
Roy Jones: Tell us about that.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Roy, I’m a Jesus lover, and I am obedient to where he’s called me and I am blossoming there. I am so excited about what God is doing through me and our team. We have been able to create a very safe, therapeutic campus for 917 men, women, and children experiencing homelessness.
Roy Jones: Wait a minute. You gotta say that again. How many?
Dr.Candace Gregory: 917
Roy Jones: 917
Dr.Candace Gregory: we serve about 4, 700 meals to the hungry every day, and we offer 40 programs for free. To those in our community and we have been so blessed we built this wonderful safe therapeutic environment and we have enough space to build more and so we’re turning ground on a new hospitality center. We’re turning ground on another permanent supportive housing complex that will have about a hundred and twenty,
Roy Jones: Wow, so that’s going to take you way over a thousand.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I never thought about that. It’s true. And another 41 and two, three bedroom apartment complex for permanent supportive housing for families.
Roy Jones: Wow now that really helps them transitioning, getting on their own feet.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I am all about that continuum of care, where when you come through our door, we’re going to meet you where you’re at, we’re going to provide emergency shelter and stability. And alongside you as a case manager, that’s going to walk with you as you reach your goals and reach empowerment.
Roy Jones: Wow. That’s what it’s about, isn’t it?
Dr.Candace Gregory: It is.
Roy Jones: All right, I got to ask the magic question. How much is this new project going to cost?
Dr.Candace Gregory: Oh, Roy, it’s painful.
Roy Jones: And I know it’s a moving target every day.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Every day it is because of building costs, construction costs. My first building was supposed to be 5. 9 million. I’m still waiting on a switch. It’s now 9. 6.
Roy Jones: My goodness.
Dr.Candace Gregory: My second building, phase one, 28 million. Phase two, another 14. Phase three, the same building that just 15 years ago was under seven million is going to be triple that. I don’t even now think about the numbers, Roy. I just go out there and tell my story.
Roy Jones: Now, come on. I know Candace Gregory better than that. What’s the total number all in?
Dr.Candace Gregory: It’s going to be a little over 60 million.
Roy Jones: 60 million.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I know.
Roy Jones: It’s going to happen.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I know. In Jesus name, we are claiming it.
Roy Jones: Amen that’s exciting. What a vision. Speaking of vision. Talk about the leadership in our sector and again, I’m not specifically talking about rescue missions, but nonprofits as a whole. What do you think are the three to five key traits that you think nonprofit leaders need today?
Dr.Candace Gregory: I do believe number one is building and retaining relationships not only with your board and your staff, but the community and your donors and volunteers, you have to be a good relational person to be a good leader.
Roy Jones: Tell me what that means. You’re engaging with people, but you just mentioned five different categories.
Dr.Candace Gregory: It is.
Roy Jones: And they’re all different kinds of people.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I know. And I think, Roy it’s important that you have a strategy for each one. And I’m not talking about just paper. I’m talking about real, genuine, sincere relationships. And you can’t do it yourself.
Roy Jones: Right.
Dr.Candace Gregory: You really have to bring others alongside.
Roy Jones: So it’s more of a cultural thing, you modeling it for others.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Absolutely, because it starts at the top, it goes all the way down. And then we’re treating those that we’re serving our guests, our tenants, our students, our consumers with respect and dignity.
Roy Jones: I love it. Tell me if you could pick the top, and if somebody, again I’ve tried to get you to put numbers on it, but it’s easy to say, in the 28 years you’ve been there. We’re talking hundreds of millions, plural now, and talk to me about the traits of a great fundraiser, because you are one. It takes one to know one.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I appreciate that. I think that I’ve been willing to learn, and I’ve been able to sharpen maybe some God given skills and talents that I had and just built on them. But I do believe that passion is a big thing, and you have to have that and you can’t teach it.
Roy Jones: Right?
Dr.Candace Gregory: I don’t know how to teach that, I can teach a lot of other things but I can’t teach that so I do look for that in someone that I’m gonna hire on my major gift team. I look for someone who’s people oriented because it’s not just about the numbers and matrix.
Roy Jones: Right.
Dr.Candace Gregory: It’s about someone who can generally connect and has discernment to know what’s Roy’s interests so that I can fulfill him In his giving. Because if I just feed him with all kinds of information about women and children, but his passion and interests are veterans, I didn’t do a very good job. And I think the other one is being persistent. No, today doesn’t mean no tomorrow.
Roy Jones: You gotta expect no’s correct.
Dr.Candace Gregory: My husband reminds me every day, it’s their money. They get to decide.
Roy Jones: They get to decide.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I know it. And, but at the end of the day, I still have to remember that if I’m obedient to God and I’m doing what He’s called me to do to tell the story and make the ask, the rest is up to Him.
Roy Jones: One of the things I’ve seen about you, and again, you’re a gifted speaker, you’re eloquent, but I’ve watched you engage and you listen.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I have to work at that.
Roy Jones: Okay, tell me about that.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I’m not a natural born listener. But I know that everything I’ve read and everything that I’ve heard. I have to be a better listener. So I really have to practice that when I’m telling the story that I stop, I take a breath that I count, I know this is crazy, but I count to three.
Roy Jones: So it’s a mentally you pause.
Dr.Candace Gregory: I am now it just comes naturally, thinking back to the old days, I know it’s crazy.
Roy Jones: Yeah we won’t say old days.
Dr.Candace Gregory: But when you think back. It’s like, how did you get there? It’s some of those little things that you just start practicing.
Roy Jones: You gotta work on.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Yeah. It doesn’t yes, public speaking comes easy. Yes, making the ask comes easy especially if you’re passionate about it. But it’s things that you practice, Roy. Wouldn’t you agree that those are things that you have to practice?
Roy Jones: You gotta be able to flip the switch.
Dr.Candace Gregory: COVID was brutal. There wasn’t much practicing going on for three years.
Roy Jones: So all different. I’m glad we’re back in the field again. So,
Dr.Candace Gregory: Yes.
Roy Jones: Take a minute and again, 28 years. What are some of the trends that you’re seeing moving forward. And if you could think about the next 28 years, what’s it going to be like as we move forward? What do you see in development specifically?
Dr.Candace Gregory: I know that the most valuable marketing investment is analytics. That’s not going to change.
Roy Jones: It’s about the data, right?
Dr.Candace Gregory: Numbers don’t lie. And if you, as a leader or a major gift officer or a director of development or whatever that role is, don’t recognize that you’re going to lose your shirt.
Roy Jones: Yep.
Dr.Candace Gregory: And I think that’s one of the biggest things that is going to change is that I think numbers are going to become more available.
Roy Jones: Yes.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Because technology is improving, Roy.
Roy Jones: Yes, the data is going to become more and more relevant.
Dr.Candace Gregory: And so you have to move with that. You have to learn all of this technology to move with that, to be able, All of those acronyms where we used to do frequency.
Roy Jones: Oh, yes. Recency, frequency, dollar amount, RFM.
Dr.Candace Gregory: That’s gone. And now we really need to talk to people and watch their behavior and see what they respond to.
Roy Jones: And now it’s about donor journeys and finding out where people are at.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Absolutely. Digital marketing. If we do not stay on top of digital marketing, we will be left behind. We have to stay with that and we have to continue investing in it.
Roy Jones: Yes.
Dr.Candace Gregory: And tracking it. And this is scary, but AI, the technology understands humans and their performance. That’s not all bad, so we have to use that to our advantage.
Roy Jones: Right.
Dr.Candace Gregory: So that we can see the insights of our donors behavior.
Roy Jones: Aren’t there certain things that the machine can’t do?
Dr.Candace Gregory: Okay. Can not do face to face development. You can use all of the AI and analytics and all those metrics to know who to call and make the relationship with and no machine can do that for you. It’s going to have to be you, and your major gift offers.
Roy Jones: That’s right. Speaking of which, if you could give one piece of advice we’ll close with this question but one piece of advice to somebody new moving into development. What would it be?
Dr.Candace Gregory: Don’t spend time on the wrong things.
Roy Jones: Okay.
Dr.Candace Gregory: That would be the one thing.
Roy Jones: Tell me more. What’s wrong things?
Dr.Candace Gregory: I think that we get so focused as a leader. I’m talking from a leader’s perspective, not the major gift officer, that it’s their job to raise the money. And I think we as leaders have to remember, no, it’s our job.
Roy Jones: It’s a team.
Dr.Candace Gregory: And we cannot expect them to do more than what we’re willing to do ourselves. And it may mean that you can’t make the ask and that’s okay, but you can sit with the person who can, and you could be praying for that person, why they’re doing that. And that’s a team.
Roy Jones: So everybody’s in philanthropy. It’s not just a one person job.
Dr.Candace Gregory: It’s everyone, and so I think as a leader, we really need to embrace that to move to that next level. I also think that we have to recognize that there is some compassion fatigue in our donors. In our donor base. And we have to respect that. And that may look different in the upcoming years, especially with the economic, financial challenges that we’re having in this next 18 months.
Roy Jones: With inflation and everything else.
Dr.Candace Gregory: Yes. And so I think that’s going to look different, Roy. And I think that recognizing those things speaks mountains to our team.
Roy Jones: Right. Candace, thank you so much for joining us today, this was just amazing.
Dr.Candace Gregory: It was so fast. Every time.
Roy Jones: It goes fast, doesn’t it?
Dr.Candace Gregory: Yeah.
Roy Jones: I just want to thank everybody for joining us today, we so appreciate you. And remember, if you’re out there and you’re a nonprofit and you need help, you call us here at Fit Fundraising.
Over the last year, we helped 41 nonprofits with free fundraising counsel. Did you hear me? Free. That’s our marketing plan. Now, I do have to admit, eight of those nonprofits hired us. So again, if you need help, you call us, we’re here for you, we’ve got a team that can help you and that’s with any level of development.
If you just need some advice, call us, we’re here for you. Thanks again for tuning in. We’ll see you next time.
Listen, everyone. Thank you once again for joining the Fit Fundraising Podcast. And if you don’t know this, last year we helped 41 nonprofits with free fundraising counsel. I do have to tell you, eight of those people ended up hiring us and putting us on retainer. But if you want some pre help. Please call us. We’re here for you. Last year, we donated over 250 free hours to rescue missions around the country and fundraising council. We donated more than $41,000 cash to ministries around the country. So please call us, we want to help you. Thank you so much for joining the Fit Fundraising podcast.
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Topic: Think About Thinking
Leadership Workshop with Scott | Greensboro, NC
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