On May 15, a total of 16 fantastic fundraisers gathered at Seth’s Coffee in Little Chute, Not By Bread Alone in Green Bay and Jenn’s Java in Manitowoc for a Coffee Chat themed “What Keeps You Up at Night?”
Over hot chocolate and cappuccinos, they spoke of what they worry about in the wee hours: capital campaigns; too-small shops with too much to do; the importance of role clarity for staff and board; the pros and cons of buying mailing lists; identifying (and meeting!) goals for all we do; the love/hate relationship with events; and carving out time for major gift work. Tools, philosophies and laughs were shared.
Little Chute participants closed out their hour-long conversation by completing this sentence: “I will sleep better tonight because …” Here are their answers:
--I have a community to lean on.
--I realize my problems are not personal. They’re very common.
--I’ve been reminded to remember the mission.I’ve been inspired to share the story.
--This morning has reinforced the notion to talk with donors about the legacy they want to leave.
--AFP NEWI is growing and providing great resources.
--I know the pool of available money is less limited than we might think.
--The fundraising process is about showing joy.
Green Bay host Cara Gosse of Family Services of Northeast Wisconsin summed it up this way: “We all left energized and not feeling alone in our challenges. We can’t wait for the next coffee chat!”