February’s Job Report – 313,000 Jobs Boost U.S. Economy – RAISE MONEY NOW – Jimmy LaRose

MONEY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MISSION (OR MINISTRY)!

Jimmy LaRose forecasts FINANCIAL BOOM for nonprofits everywhere. Last month I wrote an article titled, What Tax Reform Means for Charity: MORE MONEY, MONEY, MONEY and predicted that the Tax Cut & Jobs Act would grow the economy; reduce taxes; and create hundreds-of-thousands jobs.

Well, I’ve got good news.

The U.S. Department of Labor reported that 313,000 jobs were created in February 2018, blowing economists’ expectations of 205,000 out of the water. They also revised upwards the last three months numbers of job gain to 242,000 for November through January. Furthermore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that for five straight months, unemployment held at a steady rate of 4.1 percent, the lowest level in 17 years. The stock market responded quickly, with Dow futures leaping 200 points early Friday confident that the economy will continue to remain strong.

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

You may also remember that the nonprofit establishment (using their cadre of sector media outlets) ran article after article about how tax reform was going to bring charity to its knees, harm nonprofits everywhere and usher in Armageddon. THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING, THE SKY IS FALLING, they cried! Having personally lived through 30 years of economic upheaval and congressional tax reform (while simultaneously raising millions of dollars) I took a different position.

Chronicle of Philanthropy Dismisses Jimmy LaRose’s Optimism on Tax Reform

Here’s a link to the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act Bill. (By the way, I really did read the whole thing. It was easy…it was written for Congress!)

I’ve got a strong word for nonprofit CEOs. RAISE MONEY NOW! If you can’t grow your organization in this economy then you’re in the wrong business. Never in the course of human history has their been more money available to charities than there is right this second. The river of philanthropy is deep and wide and is overflowing with cash to be invested in your important cause. If your not out there boldly inviting everyone you know to GIVE NOW you probably have a belief system problem. You, like hundreds of thousands of nonprofit leaders, don’t understand that “MONEY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MISSION (OR MINISTRY)!”

Jimmy LaRose says, “Quit Serving Kids, Start Serving Donors”

The old adage, there are things in life that are more important than money, is about as silly as saying there are things in life that are more important than air. Money, like air, in and of itself is not very impressive, nor does it give life meaning. However, life has very little meaning…if you can’t breathe!

MONEY IS OXYGEN. Without it, charities asphyxiate, atrophy and fail.

I’m privileged to work with National Development Institute who hosts Major Gifts Ramp-Up Conferences all over Asia, Europe, Caribbean, and the U.S. At each of these events (regardless of country or culture) we’re confronted with the same short-sighted ideology. It goes something like this. Someone will raise their hand, most likely an executive director, and declare,

“We want more funds, but we don’t have the time, money, or staff to fundraise.”

PLEASE FIRE THIS PERSON…TODAY!

I’m not kidding. Nonprofits are run by weak leaders, who further disqualify themselves by coming to our events and saying, in front of large groups of people…we don’t have the time, money, or staff to fundraise!

It’s one big fat lie. I’ve personally served thousands of organizations around the the world. In all my travels, I’ve never, not one time, met a nonprofit (regardless of size or budget) that didn’t have the time, money, or staff to fundraise. Since I don’t have the authority to fire the wonderful and sincere participants who attend our events, I kindly share with them a line from blues composer Tom Delaney:

“Everybody wants to go to heaven, nobody wants to die.”

I then ask, “What type of program do you run?” In one instance, an executive director replied, “We provide twenty-four hour residential care to children.” I replied, “So you run a children’s home.” He replied, “Yes.”

I replied, “Ok…well, that’s easy…

…STOP TAKING IN KIDS!”

You see, successful charities stop serving people or causes and instead invest their money, time and staff resources in capacity-building. I’m imploring you today to invest in financial infrastructure. Start by considering some easy and simple fifth grade math. Here we go:

“Give yourself five years. In year’s one and two, downsize program staff and spend these available dollars on capacity-building. Year three, begin to receive the financial return on your investment. Year four, use the new monies to hire four times the amount of program staff that you fired. By end of year five, your net increase in children served will exceed all previous records, despite the fact you didn’t serve any kids for two years during that same 48 month period of time. You’ve secured your finances, and will now serve 12,000 children over the next ten years, compared to 3,000 in the previous decade.”

I’ll end with the wisdom of Solomon who said, “Food is for laughter, Wine is for merriment and MONEY IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING!“ – Ecclesiastes 10:19

GO RAISE MONEY NOW. You can do it. You really can!

Your Friend In Service, Jimmy LaRose

Co-Founder, National Association of Nonprofit Organizations & Executives

Jimmy LaRose’s passion for “people who give” has inspired philanthropists around the world to change the way they invest in nonprofits. His belief that donors are uniquely positioned to give charities what they truly need – leadership rather than money – is the basis for his work with individuals, governments, corporations and foundations, in the U.S., Europe, Asia & Middle East. Jimmy, in his role as author, speaker, corporate CEO & nonprofit CEO champions all of civil society’s vital causes by facilitating acts of benevolence that bring healing to humanity and advance our common good. Now, in his twenty-seventh year of service, his message that “money is more important than mission” and “donors are more important than people or causes” has resonated with policy institute scholars, social activists, doctoral students, business leaders who rely on him and his team of veterans to meaningfully grow their charitable enterprise. He’s the author of RE-IMAGINING PHILANTHROPY: Charities Need Your Mind More Than Your Money™ written to philanthropists who give nonprofits what they really need…business models that grow capacity and achieve financial sustainability.

Jimmy LaRose is the author of RE-IMAGINING PHILANTHROPY: Charities Need Your Mind More Than Your Money™ written to philanthropists who give nonprofits what they really need…enterprise models that grow capacity and achieve financial sustainability. https://JimmyLaRose.com

He’s the architect of the Major Gifts Ramp-Up™ Donor Cultivation Model & Online Cloud used by charities around the world to meet the needs of their primary customers…the advocates, donors and volunteers who financially underwrite their mission. https://MajorGiftsRampUp.com

He’s the founder of National Development Institute™, a 501(c)3 public benefit charity established in 1990 that insures funders, granting organizations and corporations safeguard their mission by building financial capacity. https://NonprofitConferences.org

Jimmy LaRose is the co-founder of National Association of Nonprofit Organizations & Executives™ (NANOE) our Nation’s only unifying legislative body comprised of Governors nominated from all 50 States who oversee the codification of guidelines that govern sound charitable practice. https://NANOE.org

He’s the designer of the CNE, CDE & CNC™ Credentialing Program providing practitioners the training and certification they require to lead nonprofits to greater success. https://NANOE.org

He’s the inventor of DonorScope™ an online prospect research platform used by charities to identify donors who give big gifts to great dreams that are backed by sound plans. https://DonorScope.com

Jimmy LaRose is the publisher of Inside Charity™ America’s Trusted Nonprofit News Source an online news magazine that curates news from respected nonprofit media outlets so sector leaders have a one-stop nonprofit news source. https://InsideCharity.org

He’s the founder of 501c3.Buzz™ an online forum moderated by a nationwide network of academicians, practitioners & consultants that highlights charitable leaders who have dedicated their lives to advance the common good. https://501c3.Buzz

Finally, Jimmy is the CEO of both Development Systems International™ and PAX Global™ firms that specialize in implementing the Major Gifts Ramp-Up Model for nonprofits, ministries and churches who raise major gifts. https://Development.net & https://PAXglobal.com

Jimmy LaRose has served as a specialist with the U.S. State Department’s Speakers Bureau traveling the world working with embassies, foreign governments, and leaders to promote philanthropy and civil society in developing countries. He was the founding President of the Western Maryland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and is a graduate of AFP’s Faculty Training Academy (FTA). He is a graduate of Indiana University’s Executive Leadership Program, Indianapolis, IN, the National Planned Giving Institute, Memphis, TN, Tennessee Temple University, Chattanooga, TN and Word of Life Bible Institute, Schroon Lake, NY. Rev. LaRose was ordained as minister of the gospel by the Ecumenical Church of Christ in further support of his service to the hurting and hopeless around the world. He and his beautiful wife Kristi are citizens of the Palmetto State where they make their home in Lexington, South Carolina.