When Covid-19 locked us all down, I spent way too much time looking at cute dog videos. Yes, I already had an amazing 8-year-old rescue dog…Baji. But the lure of a young playful pup seemed hopeful in a time when much was not. The rescue where we had adopted Baji (shout out to A Second Chance) had posted a photo of a dog they were thinking about bringing from a kill shelter in Alabama. He was seven months old and clearly mostly, if not all, Labrador. Like in the book Marley and Me, we had had a Labrador when our kids were very young. She was perfect. OK, for truth in blogging…She was perfect once she was two years old. So, I asked my husband if we could foster this pup named Pepper. He said no, but I wore him down.
Picking Up Our New Team Member
When we went to pick up Pepper, he jumped right in the car. He smelled like he had been sleeping in a dumpster with some week-old milk and a dead skunk. But, it was clear from the start he was a very enthusiastic addition to our family.
So, before we go any further… Pepper (who we renamed Whiskey) is like a new hire. You sold the folks around you on why this was an excellent choice to add to your family (team), and the enthusiasm for their new home (job) is evident.
Whiskey was a wild teenage dog who jumped on Baji, ate pillows, grabbed a steak off the counter, broke through a screen, and more. My husband definitely regretted his decision.
But… I was so in love with this pup, and I could see from day one that he had potential. So, we hired a trainer (actually a series of them) to teach this guy some skills and manners.
How to sit, stay, not eat the mailman, and more. Today, at 14 months, he is a star.
How Training Your Fundraisers Compares
So how does this story about whisky compare to your fundraisers? You need to give the humans you hire the same chance. Train your new fundraisers… see their potential from day one and let them live up to it.
Team Kat & Mouse are a different kind of Nonprofit consultant, and we were built on the theory of training people from day one on how to be great at their job.
They will know how to get new donors, how to tell a compelling fundraising story, how to create a roadmap to hit their goals, how to leave effective voicemails, what to say on a first-time call, how to ask for money based on donors vision for their donation and so much more. They then have a coach to help integrate this new learning.
Our fundraiser training services were designed to make your team more confident, better teammates, and they will help fund your mission for years to come.
For more information
Visit TeamKatandMouse.com
Please email me at Sharon@TeamKatandMouse.com
Or visit my Facebook page for maybe a million photos of Baji, Whiskey, and their cousin Lucy.
