Hey there,

I want to start this month’s issue with a story in 3 pictures:

It’s amazing that nobody noticed what was wrong with these signs. I really hope someone at Walmart cared enough to speak up and point out the error.

In that spirit, Lisa Williams is a guest contributor this month, and she cares enough to speak up and tell the truth about our fundraising culture. 

It’s worth it, so read on.

by Dave Kirby dave@vidarecreative.com

Much has been made lately of the leaps forward in AI platforms. ChatGPT has particularly gotten much attention for its ability to write complete articles based on a simple prompt. Some of us have wondered if our days are numbered as copywriters.

So I thought I’d ask ChatGPT to tell me why that’s not true. I asked it to write an article listing three reasons I should not use ChatGPT to write an article. And it actually made some good points:

While ChatGPT can provide assistance with various writing tasks, including fundraising content, there are several reasons why you might want to consider alternative approaches for creating your fundraising content:

Remember, while ChatGPT can provide assistance and generate ideas, the final fundraising content should ideally be a collaborative effort involving individuals with firsthand knowledge and a personal connection to your cause.

ChatGPT is an amazing tool. In fact, the title of this article was written by AI. I told it the subject of the article, and it churned out 20 possible headlines.

But the AI itself is telling you that you are not replaceable. Nothing can replace your unique voice and perspective. Only YOU can tell a story with heart and passion. Only YOU can appeal to the emotions. 

Maybe it will get there one day. Maybe one day AI will write with more passion and creativity than even the best humans. But (to quote Lord of the Rings) “it is not this day.”

So don’t be afraid of robots. There is always room for passionate, creative people who take their craft seriously. 

…until we all lose our jobs and become their servants. 

On July 19th of this year, actor Benedict Cumberbatch will be celebrating his 46th birthday. 

If you’re not busy throwing a celebration at your house or watching a Dr. Who marathon, we’d like to invite you to Fundraising 23, July 19-20 in Nashville, TN.

And while Mr. Cumberbatch will not be attending, we do have some superstars in the world of fundraising, like Jon Hull, Chuck Finney, Todd Isberner, Lisa Williams, John Brock, Bill Reeves, Paul Anthony, and our Vidare Creative partners Paul Goldsmith, Bill Scott, and Dave Kirby.

Plus, musical artists like Josh Baldwin and David Leonard, a New Artist Showcase from FairTrade Services, awesome food (no rubber chicken), and plenty of time for networking with other fundraising professionals. 

The deadline to register is July 7th, so please don’t wait. It’ll be two days that will change your ministry and your fundraising success!

By Lisa Williams  lisa@godsradiogirl.com

Lisa Williams is the Network Talent Coach for Northwestern Media and will be speaking at Vidare’s Fundraising 23 conference in July.

In Mark Miller’s new book “Culture Rules,” Mark shares that he asked leaders of organizations with great cultures how often they talk about culture.  The answer he got from great leaders: they talk about culture every day, in every meeting.  Since reading that, I have started intentionally talking about culture every day, in every meeting, hoping to understand and invest consistently in the unseen force that affects everything.  In my work, I focus on radio station culture and show culture.  

For this article, let’s ponder fundraising culture.

If you think fundraising on your station is a transaction between you and your listeners, I’m not hot on your culture.  But if you think fundraising on your station is about a relationship with the listener, I’m in.

If you don’t sincerely appreciate the sacrifice, time, and thought that went into a gift, I don’t want to be a part of your culture.  But when gifts come in, if your heart feels achy with gratitude because God is providing what’s needed to sustain and grow His ministry that you are stewarding for a short slice of time, then you are helping healthy culture exist.

If you don’t tell the truth when you fundraise, please stop.  But if you tell the truth and use fundraising techniques to create excitement, tension, urgency, and celebration because good is happening, then your culture sounds like a culture where I would like to be.

If you shame a listener for not calling, you must be a person who carries a lot of internal shame, and you might want to do some soul work around that.  Shame culture is rough.  But if you delight in telling the story and you celebrate every gift, knowing God is doing the heavy lifting, then I, in turn, delight in you and celebrate the culture you’re creating.

If you hate fundraising and you spread your hate of fundraising verbally to your team, you are seeding a culture of hate and small thinking.  But if you take the time to think about the impact one dollar has on feeding His people and shining the light of Christ in the darkness, you are a cultivator of spiritual maturity.

If you think you are better than or smarter than others on your team when it comes to fundraising, you are full of yourself.  But if you enter every interaction trying to learn something from the people around you, determined to support them, then you are about team and humility, and who wouldn’t want to work with you?

All the smart things in this last paragraph came from listening to Mark Miller last year at CMB’s Momentum:  Culture is 100% of the game.  It's simple but not simplistic.  You must know who you are and what you believe.  No organization drifts to greatness.  In his book Culture Rules, Mark has tools to help you state your culture in 3 words.  What if you found 3 words for your station’s fundraising culture?  What if you talked about your culture every day, in every meeting?

Thanks for reading this Whiteboard Wednesday. We’d love to see a reply with your thoughts or comments.

At Vidare Creative, we look at fundraising like this baby looks at ice cream.

So please let us know how we can put our decades of expertise to work, helping your organization raise more money and become more effective.