By Jennifer Furla
Executive Vice President

You wonder why it is that some organizations have all the great volunteers and donor lists that are the envy of your community. You wonder how you can be them and if you’ll ever get there.

Sure, a strong development operation can stem from an organization’s image, perception and history. It’s no secret that organizations like the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, hospitals and universities, and the United Way tend to attract the top volunteers and donors.

But there are also thousands of newer and less-known organizations that can – and do – attract these same top volunteers and donors to their cause. How does a start-up organization with a compelling mission go from good to great in a relatively short time?

Consider the ‘Flywheel Effect:’

Revolution Means Turning the Wheel

“Picture a huge, heavy flywheel --- a massive metal disk mounted horizontally on an axle, about 3 feet in diameter, 2 feet thick, and weighing about 5,000 pounds. Now imagine that your task is to get the flywheel rotating on the axle as fast and long as possible.

“Pushing with great effort, you get the flywheel to inch forward, moving almost imperceptibly at first. You keep pushing and, after two or three hours of persistent effort, you get the flywheel to complete one entire turn.

“You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster, and with continued great effort, you move it around a second rotation. You keep pushing in a constant direction. Three turns … four … five … six … the flywheel builds up speed … seven … eight ... you keep pushing … nine … ten … it builds momentum … eleven … twelve … moving faster with each turn ... twenty ... thirty ... fifty ... a hundred.

“Then, at some point – breakthrough! The momentum of the thing kicks in in your favor. …”

-- From “The Flywheel and the Doom Loop”
Jim Collins’ Good to Great

As the flywheel moves round, your effort takes no more than on the first push, but you keep gaining momentum. Eventually, the power of the forward motion keeps the flywheel moving faster and faster with less and less effort.

This concept, outlined in Jim Collins’ bestselling business manual, Good to Great, can easily be applied too your development operations.

You begin facing the giant, seemingly immovable flywheel. You plan how to move it. You push and fail. It doesn’t budge. You try another tact. You push from another direction. You put your shoulder to the wheel and push and push and slowly it gives an inch. Over time and with greater effort you eventually move it off center and it begins to move. With more time and effort, the flywheel begins to move with less and less effort on your part.

Are you facing a giant, 5,000-pound flywheel?

As you begin a new calendar year, consider: How can I most effectively and efficiently apply the effort that will be required to move our development efforts off center?

That may be launching that major gifts effort you’ve been discussing for some time now. It may be getting into place formal recognition, stewardship and “move management”” activities. It might be renewing your commitment to make personal calls and visits to your top donors and prospects. It might be breathing new life into a volunteer succession and recruitment plan that builds the kind of “resource board’”you need to jumpstart your annual giving.

Find your focus. Apply the effort. And watch as the flywheel effect can help create the momentum you desire to move your fundraising from good to great!