Hack Your Brain for Fundraising Success with Cindy Wagman
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“Just because we've been told one story about philanthropy, or about ourselves as fundraisers, it doesn't have to be true. We can change the narrative.”
We become what we believe in. In this special episode, Cindy Wagman, the Founder and CEO of The Good Partnership and host of our podcast talks about why it is so important to tackle our mindset when fundraising, and how to do that without compromising our values and authenticity.
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Myths that Cindy wants us to leave behind
Fundraising is hard and icky. The more that we tell our brain that fundraising is hard, the more that our brain will reinforce this notion and make it feel icky. It's a negatively reinforcing loop.
You have to become someone else to fundraise successfully. Having a growth mindset for fundraising does not mean you need to be inauthentic or sell out your values and mission. Pretending to be someone else when fundraising is exhausting, and no one can sustain that in the long term.
Cindy’s tips on hacking your brain for fundraising success
Align your mindset first, then build habits and tactics. No matter how many tactics you learn for fundraising, if you’re putting on the brake (ie, negative mindset), you’re not going to get the results you want. Align your mindset first then lean into the tools and tactics.
Give your brain space to change. The more you force yourself to change, the harder it is to change. That’s natural survival mechanisms. So when trying to create new pathways of thinking for your brain, be patient with yourself and set aside self judgements.
Stay true to your values. One of the biggest turning points for many students at Flipside Fundraising is gaining the understanding that their values and mission are what inspire funders and donors to support them. So stay true to your values as you align your mindset for fundraising success.
