By Mike Bacon, CFRE

You need to raise money for a new building/program expansion/endowment. Why take the time to ask your circle of donors and prospects for their opinions? Why not just go see them and ask for the gift? Do we have time for all that interviewing? Shouldn’t we just start asking?

If you have ever been pressured by a board member or your Executive Director to “just raise the money”, you realize that there are best practices in fundraising for very good reasons. One of those best practices is the idea that capital campaigns are more likely to succeed when a feasibility study (sometimes called a planning study) is conducted in advance.

What is a feasibility/planning study? It is a three to four month process that interviews your closest donors, your most likely prospects and key civic leaders in your community about their feelings and reactions to your planned project. But you say, “Couldn’t we conduct the interviews ourselves?” Of course you could. But, in many cases, those persons being interviewed may not speak as freely to an employee of the nonprofit as they would to a third party. Confidentiality in their responses is very important to getting honest answers.

Basically, a third party consultant will meet in person with approximately 30 to 40 people and ask them detailed questions including:

• Do you think the nonprofit can raise $”x” amount for this project?
• What do you love about this proposed project?
• What concerns do you have about this project?
• Do you see yourself as a leader helping raise the money for this project?
• Whom do you see as a leader to raise the money for this project?
• Who else should be asked to support this project (corporation, foundation or individuals)?

These interviews can also probe further into how donors and prospects feel about your nonprofit in general. We usually ask questions including:

•How would you describe the nonprofit’s mission, in your own words?
•What about the nonprofit’s programs and services matter to you?
•How did you become involved with the nonprofit? Why do you support the nonprofit with your charitable gifts?

Once the interviews are conducted, the consultant should aggregate the responses in the feasibility study report. The written report not only details the responses to the questions asked, but also shares specific recommendations about the scope of the project, the strongest prospects for asks, and the people identified to be the leaders of the campaign. You should expect a gift rating for each person/funding source interviewed.

In the end, a good feasibility study cultivates those prospects who are the most likely sources for funding the project and it educates prospects who may not have a long history with your nonprofit. It should also give you a road map for how to successfully launch the campaign, from the size of the effort, the critical themes for the case for giving and the overall timeline. A feasibility study provides more than feedback about your proposed project, it gives you a very real picture of how you’re perceived among your donors and friends…and that makes good sense to us.

By Joyce Penland, CFRE

A look at charitable giving for 2013 gives all of us involved in the nonprofit sector a reason for optimism. According to the 2014 Giving USA report from the Center for Philanthropy at Indiana University, charitable giving was up 4.4% last year.  The report also states there has been a sustained increase in giving to philanthropies throughout the last four years.  Americans gave $335.17 billion to charity in 2013.  Although that is down from a pre-recession peak of $344.48 million in 2007, if giving continues at the current pace, it could take only one to two more years for total giving to return to the 2007 level.

According to the report, total giving to charitable causes by individuals, foundations, estates, and corporations rose for the fourth consecutive year in 2013.  The largest increase was focused on education with an increase of 8.9%, driven by gifts to higher education as well as to K-12 schools and other educational organizations.  Gifts for the benefit of the public–arts, environment/animal or health organizations—was strong in 2013 ranging from 6.0 to 8.5%.

Two areas that slowed were giving to religion as a result of declining religious affiliation and attendance, as well as giving to international affairs.  It should be noted, however, that religion still receives 31% of all charitable gifts, the largest “slice” of the giving pie.

So what does this mean for us in our own shops?  AFP-San Antonio President Janice Bobo observed, “While we all know that individual giving is the largest sector, I’m not sure we all realize what a huge chunk this is.  Every time you go into a Board meeting, the focus is ‘What foundation or corporation can we approach?’ instead of how we increase our individual donor base.”

Some observations:

• Individuals in the United States are still the most generous segment of the giving, donating $240.6 billion last year, a 4.2 percent increase from 2012.  The report notes that individuals, especially those who are wealthier, are becoming more confident about supporting the causes they care about as their financial situations continue to improve. The Bacon Lee & Associates team continues to remind our clients to focus first on your individual prospects and donors. Bobo agreed, saying, “Individuals give more than any other source and we need to look at new and inventive ways to not only engage our new donors, but continually steward and cultivate the donors we already have.”

• Giving by companies and their foundations declined 1.9% in 2013, due primarily to the slow growth in corporate pre-tax profits, the report shows.  Our counsel to nonprofits seeking corporate support remains unvarying:  Remember to view corporate giving through the lens of the corporation, and consider the corporation’s objectives along with your nonprofit’s goals and aspirations.

• Giving by charitable foundations was up 5.7% to a total $48.98 billion in 2013 and successful development shops should continue to create specific approaches when seeking foundation support.  Smart development officers will work to identify foundations with interests that align with your agency’s programs and services.

Giving USA is the longest-running report about charitable giving in the U.S. The study analyzed U.S. tax data from the Internal Revenue Service, government economic indicators, and other research.

By Mike Bacon, CFRE

Isn’t it ironic that we all tend to learn more from our mistakes than from our successes?  Last month we took a look at five common fundraising mistakes and today we’ll examine five more that plague our profession.  We all can benefit from reviewing these common mistakes are and thinking ahead about how we can avoid making them in our own offices.

1.  Not asking for a specific amount of money – Prospects really do need a frame of reference when they are considering a gift.  Whether you are contacting them by mail, phone or in person, asking for a specific amount gives the other person the chance to consider and respond.  If I ask you to support our cause without a requested amount, you are considering the choice of yes or no.  If I ask you to support us with a gift of $250, you are now determining whether that amount is right or not.  I’ve moved you one step closer to making a gift because I suggested an amount.

2.  Not thanking for past support before asking again – If you’ve ever made a gift to a nonprofit and then discover in the thank you letter/receipt a return envelope encouraging another gift, how does that make you feel?  Does it feel like you haven’t been properly thanked?  There’s a saying in the fundraising profession:  The best cultivation for the next gift is how we treat you after your last gift. Did we send you a receipt in a timely manner (48 hours)?  Have we told you what we will do with your gift?  Is there a sincere gesture of appreciation on the part of the nonprofit?

3.  Not using phone calls & personal visits to thank donors – In her book Donor Centered Fundraising, Penelope Burk shared the horrifying statistics that 94% of donors say that the charities they support hardly ever call them up without asking for another gift.  Even worse, 98% of charities never or hardly ever pay their donors a visit without asking them for money.  We are treating our donors like ATM machines and only visiting them when we want the next gift!  Narrow down your list of top donors to your nonprofit.  Ask your Board members to join you on thank you visits that do not involve asking for another gift.  Or bring a list of recent donors to a board meeting and ask everyone to spend ten minutes making thank you calls.  Trust me, your donors will be surprised and impressed.

4.  Not realizing that special events are the most difficult way to raise money – This is a difficult reality to grasp.  Every nonprofit does special events and many suffer from special events overload.  Special event fundraising is the least efficient way to raise money.  You can take a committee of 10 people, working for 10 months and raise $25,000 before expenses. Or you can take two donors out to lunch and raise $25,000.  There are great reasons to do events, including engaging volunteers, showcasing your mission, and introducing people to your important work.  If you’re doing events because you need to raise money, consider investing that same amount of time and energy into deepening relationships with your prospects and asking for specific gifts.

5. Not adhering to a code of ethics when you raise money – The field of fundraising is a noble and inspiring profession.  But like any line of work, there are people who will take advantage of individuals and situations.  That is why the Association of Fundraising Professionals (www.afpnet.org ) has carefully crafted a Donor Bill of Rights that helps fundraisers stay clear of ethical dilemmas.  Many of us have been in challenging situations where the right choice is not always clear.  Asking advice from experienced colleagues is a great way to learn.  You must own your personal integrity throughout your career.

By Mike Bacon, CFRE

The summer months give us an opportunity to review our organization’s fundraising strategies and to consider ways to improve them.  As we’re measuring the successes of the last year against our goals for the future, it’s always helpful to look at what pitfalls are common to nonprofits across the spectrum.  Frequently we learn best by examining other nonprofits’ “mistakes” and working for ways that we can avoid common fundraising pitfalls.

1. Not having a plan for fundraising  – Sometimes our plan is to do just what we did last year and hope for the best.  Yet to move our program forward, we need to set specific and measurable goals and track our progress throughout the year.  Establish a baseline (last year’s numbers) and then create incremental goals.  Those could be based on participation rates, an increased number of gifts or a higher average gift.

2.  Not obtaining training for the person who raises money – Professional development is essential.  How we effectively raise money today is very different than what worked even 10 years ago.  Yes, at the core of our work, it is still about relationships.  But the methods of fundraising, from social media and crowdsourcing to “ask” events and donor stewardship continue to evolve.  You can get plenty of on the job training, but nothing beats hearing your professional colleagues explain how they achieved success.  Find a good conference on a topic that will improve your fundraising skills.

3.  Not asking your Board to help raise money – We can’t do this alone.  And staff does not pull rabbits out of hats when it’s time to fund a project or even meet the annual budget gap.  Central to your Board’s fiduciary role is ensuring adequate resources.  Don’t forget the Board will need staff support (and persistent encouragement) to fulfill its fundraising role.  Development staff should ask for specific help at every Board meeting.  Let your Development Committee of the Board drive the fundraising requests to the rest of the Board.

4.  Not knowing your donor well enough to ask for the right thing/project – It’s all about a relationship.  Too often, we introduce ourselves and ask for a gift immediately.  Instead of the “shake and grab” approach, we should be identifying those prospects with capacity, growing a relationship over time and learning enough about their priorities to find a match with our nonprofit’s needs.  That takes time and several face-to-face meetings.  Donors may need to make several smaller investments in our work before they are ready to contribute a significant gift.

5.  Not adequately explaining how the donor’s money will be used – More and more, donors aren’t getting excited about unrestricted giving.  Penelope Burk, author of Donor Centered Leadership, writes, “Unrestricted asks are the weakest solicitations, producing the poorest response rate and sub-par gift values.  Holding back information on what a not-for-profit intends to do with the money they raise makes donors question whether fundraising is even necessary.” Donors often don’t have a sense of what our programs and services cost.  How will their gifts affect our daily operations?  For major gifts, donors often want more accountability and ownership.  This is appealing to them because the end result of the gift is specific, identifiable and more meaningful to them.

Stay tuned for the next five common fundraising mistakes in our July newsletter.  And feel free to let us know of mistakes you’ve made that can provide a learning lesson for all of us.  (We promise to keep your name and your mistake confidential!)  Believe me, we have all made them!  Email us at mbacon@baconlee.com.

By Marion T. Lee, CFRE

“Who are these people and why are they on this board?”

How many times have you asked yourself this question as you contemplate donating to an organization, volunteering to help with program service, or serving on a nonprofit board or a board committee?  Sounds cynical, yet knowing who is serving on a nonprofit’s board is vitally important for donors, prospective staff members, and the community at large.

So why do we want this information?

As donors, we seek this knowledge to establish affinity, affirm credibility and credentialing.  Our gift, be it time or money, is easier to commit to when we feel that a board is known and actively engaged in the organization.  At Bacon Lee, we know that savvy candidates for new positions, conduct in-depth research into members of the nonprofit’s board and their reputation in the community.  It is not unusual to have a candidate accept or pass on a job opportunity based solely on the board, its community profile, and governance reputation.

What personal benefits are derived from board service?

Active, passionate board service requires time, attention and fortitude.  To be a good board member, you bring to the nonprofit your true sense of integrity, courage, ethics, compassion and patience.  Serving on a board also comes with the reward of significant benefits that include:

1)   Learning more about the community in which you live;

2)   Gaining experience in general administration and human resource management, financial oversight, strategic planning, organizational governance and      communications;

3)   Networking and developing life-long friendships and

4)   Developing personal fulfillment by supporting a cause that is dear to you

How does the right board participation help an organization?

As you can see, making the decision to join a nonprofit board of directors requires much thought. .  It should not be a decision made randomly, based on guilt or your need for a vanity boost.  Your work and dedication has far reaching impact on the success of the organization.  In Bacon Lee’s recent feasibility studies in the Austin/San Antonio region, we found that 77% of the persons interviewed had concerns about giving to  a project for reasons directly related to the board including:

1)   Could not find a list of the board members on the website or in the materials;

2)   Felt that the Board members were not recognized in the community or for their active involvement in the cause;

3)   Knew that the current board was known for its passive, laissez-faire attitude which has effected fundraising and human resources.

When approached for board service, what should you consider first?

As someone who recently evaluated my own board roles, I suggest that when approached to serve on a board, you ask yourself these five questions:

1)   Why am I interested in joining this Board?

2)   Do I have the information that I need to make this decision?

3)   Will I devote the time and attention needed to fulfill my duties as a board member?

4)   Am I willing to be there in times of change and possible crisis?

5)    When determining whether to make a gift, where would this organization fall in my top  five gifts?

If you have determined at this point that you are interested in continuing to build a relationship with the organization, consider asking a current board member the following:

1)   Does the nonprofit organization carry Directors and Officers Liability Insurance?

2)   Is the organization facing a significant event such as a capital or major gift campaign, or change in executive leadership?

3)   Is there any pending legal action involving the organization?

4)   May you have a copy of the most current by-laws and does the organization operate in accordance with the by-laws?

5)   What is the time and gift commitment expectation?

Informed leadership is essential and it begins before you ever take a seat at the table.  I would strongly recommend that you make sure that an organization has Directors & Officers Liability Insurance before agreeing to serve.  A significant fundraising event can be exciting and surely increases your learning curve as will a change in staff leadership.  On the other hand, legal action against the organization can be serious and should be evaluated based on your personal concerns and circumstances surrounding the issue.  By-laws are the basic “ground rules” of the organization.  An organization should be operating in accordance with  its by-laws or be willing to create an ad-hoc committee to review them and make recommendations for changes.

Finally, your own commitment of time, talent and treasure, is a personal assessment of your passion for the mission.   You will, at the right time on the right board, change lives – for the better and for good.

By Mike Bacon, CFRE

Your most loyal donors are those who support your cause consistently, year after year.  If you haven’t already run a list of donors who have given to your nonprofit every year for the past five years, stop now and run that list.  Now compare it to the subset of donors have given every year from the past 10 years.  How much did the list shrink?   Do you know the handful of donors who have given the most consecutive years?

These are your loyal donors.  Whether it be five years, seven years or more than 10 years, this short list of individual, foundation or corporate donors is your most valued resource.  If you steward them wisely, they could become your life long donors.

Most of us are familiar with a pyramid of gifts.  When you build a gift pyramid focusing on donor consistency, it looks something like this:

Planned Gift Donor

Major / Capital Donor

Consistent Annual Donor

Periodic Donor

First Time Donor

Let’s focus now on the consistent annual donor.  We can see how valuable they are, not only in terms of sustainability (being able to count on their support every year) but also because these are often the donors who will eventually make both major gifts and planned gifts.  They are the core of your pipeline for significant support.  And far too often, this core of donors is taken for granted.

Now you have a list of those key supporters in your hand.  What are you going to do with it?

For starters, you need to be certain that you (or someone in your organization) know them personally.  With all the transition in the nonprofit sector, chances are good that some of these people are just names on a list.  Whoever once knew them on your Development team could be long gone from your organization.  If you are new, you have a great opportunity to reach out to these loyal donors and introduce yourself.

What will you talk about when you call or visit your most loyal donors?  This is the time when you need to go beyond the light “touches” of sending them just a newsletter or an event invitation.  First of all, share your gratitude for their generosity.  Make sure they understand how unique they are to your cause.  “There are so few individuals who have given a gift to us every year for the past seven years.” Here are a few great questions to ask:

• Why are you so loyal to us?
• What has been the emotional connection to our mission for you?
• What benefits do we offer that you actually value?
• Have we kept you informed of how we are using your gifts to serve our clients?
• Is there anything you want to know about our work that we haven’t shared already?

You know this already but make sure this contact is not an ask.  The purpose of the call or visit is not “what can we do to encourage you to give more.”  If that’s your approach, you may actually turn off these loyal donors.

Go create your list and have fun making your calls and visits.  In her book, Donor-Centered Fundraising, Penelope Burk discovered that 94% of donors surveyed say that the charities they support never or hardly ever call them without asking for another gift.  98% say that charities never or hardly ever pay them a visit without asking for money.

Your connection to your most loyal donors is one of your greatest assets.   Taking the time to visit or call them to sincerely express your gratitude will pay dividends for years to come.

By Priscilla Guajardo Cortez, J.D., M.Ed.

Several years ago, while a development officer for a major state university, I was part of an innovative effort to identify and develop strategies to engage growing segments of our alumni and donor base.  Some of this brainstorming was spurred by an upcoming comprehensive capital campaign, but mostly the university’s development office wanted to understand how we could respond effectively to the rapidly changing demographic landscape of our campus and ultimately our alumni.

For more than a decade, higher education has experienced significant increases in the number of culturally and ethnically diverse students admitted and attending.   For example, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Hispanic college enrollment totaled 497,641 in fall 2012, 260,247 more than in fall 2000, and 23,000 more than in fall 2011.  These rising student enrollment numbers are reflective of an extraordinary demographic shift in Texas in which Hispanics continue to drive the overall population growth of our state.

Why should fundraisers for institutions of higher education and nonprofit organizations pay attention to demographic trends? The answer to this question became clear during the economic downturn in 2008, when charitable organizations across the country experienced several years of depressed funding from traditional sources of revenue such as government and philanthropic and “discretionary” individual funding.

Some organizations/institutions recognized that, in order to mitigate the negative effects of the financial crisis, they needed to broaden their traditional donor base and explore strategies for engaging often overlooked, but emerging communities of color.  Other organizations simply chose to wait it out, missing the opportunity to understand methods and motivations for giving among these communities of color.

With the continued growth of minority populations, organizations that do not fully engage diverse communities in philanthropy do so at their own economic peril.

Because there is such little information on the giving patterns of communities of color and no established data-gathering organization has seriously undertaken this issue, I want to share what I have learned in working with one of the fastest growing and largest ethnic minority groups in Texas – the Hispanic community.

While much of what I have learned about Hispanic philanthropy has been in the context of higher education, nonprofit organizations serving and engaging this population can easily apply these observations to their work.  Here are things that every fundraiser should know in working with Hispanic donors:

1.    Engaging the Hispanic community for its philanthropic support is not just about marketing. Attempts to engage this diverse community have typically been through mass marketing tools and techniques.  Including photos of Hispanics in collateral materials and/or translating them into Spanish are not enough.  While these strategies may indicate your interest in the community and help to raise awareness of your organization, it will not help you build one-on-one relationships which we know is key to successful fundraising.

2.    A genuine commitment to diversity is critical. An organization attempting to engage the Hispanic community must be committed to this for the long-term and must demonstrate a meaningful understanding of the culture and priorities of the Hispanic community.  This means identifying the  segment or segments of the Hispanic population you are targeting – Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, etc.  Being Hispanic means so many different things, much of which depends on where you were born, where your parents were born, and if you speak Spanish or not.  Figure out who you want to engage and start talking to them.  Learn as much as you can about their culture, their priorities, and their passions.  Note there may be some generational differences, so be sure to engage a variety of age groups as well.

I’ll discuss more ways that your nonprofit can engage the Hispanic community in the April issue of this newsletter.

Last month we discussed how important it is to learn how committed your future boss is to leading the development effort for your nonprofit, and this month’s advise deals with the questions the wise job seeker will ask about office atmosphere and the organization’s day-to-day working environment.

The number one reason that jobs turn over is the lack of good communication between the employee and his/her immediate supervisor. So, asking probing questions BEFORE you take the job is our wisest counsel.

Here are some “management” questions for the new job seeker to consider:

• What is the management style of the person to whom I’ll be reporting?
• What does the day-to-day operating environment look like?
• In what ways will this position help me stretch my professional capabilities?
• Is there money in the budget for my professional development (training, membership fees for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, conferences, etc.)?
• What are the fundraising expectations for my position?  How much money will I specifically be required to raise?
• How often will I be reviewed and provided feedback on how well I am doing?
• What are the expectations regarding evening and weekend work?

The savvy job applicant will come prepared with questions like these, so that at the conclusion of the interview, you will know what your job expectations are, what kind of atmosphere you’ll be working within, and what kind of management style your future supervisor possesses.  These are major factors in determining whether the job is a good fit for you.

By Karen Kegg

Development officers have so much to accomplish!  The expectations that are placed on fundraisers and their departments are high in this very competitive market, and knowing what to focus on can be challenging when being pulled in so many directions.   However, setting performance standards for individuals can assist the department in reaching the organization’s goals when a defined process with attainable outcomes is established.

Performance metrics measure an organization’s activities and performance. Metrics create tangible steps that set clear, reachable goals within a finite period of time and track the results in a suitable system.  Think about metrics as goals being broken into manageable units.  Those units should be based on the organization you serve and its particular culture.  Some universal nonprofit examples include:

• How much money has your nonprofit raised?
• What’s your percentage growth of constituent-based giving (annual fund)?
• How many new donors have you acquired?
• How many donors have renewed their gift?
• How many donors have upgraded their support?

Now comes the science part: Utilizing the quantitative metrics, or the work to be done, to reach your organization’s unit goals.

Building strong relationships with constituents requires activities to move the donors closer to the organization.  These activities include thoughtful interactions and personal visits to qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects and donors.  Establishing the number of activities for each donor prospect in a portfolio creates a strategy.  Performance metrics also hold the development officers accountable for their actions.  These strategies are laid out at the beginning of each fiscal year and should be reviewed every three to six months.

It’s important to be specific and realistic when setting performance metrics.  The metrics should be based on the development officer’s experience level and the giving capacity of the portfolio.  Some examples of metrics include:

• Number of face-to-face visits per month for qualification and cultivation. The standard number of face-to-face visits is 7 to 10 per month.
• Number of proposals and solicitations per year.  One third of the portfolio should be ready for solicitation.
• Number of annual fund renewals
• Amount of money raised in a fiscal year

Analyzing outcomes

An important aspect of performance metrics is strategy effectiveness.  Have activities in the last three to six months reaped the benefits?  The pipeline should be continuously moving donors closer to the organization and bringing in new friends for support.  One helpful metric to analyze is how much time a prospect spends in cultivation.   All too often development officers have prospects in their portfolio in “perpetual cultivation” but they never solicit those prospects for a major gift.   This should serve as a red flag to managers who can coach the development officer to be more proactive to move a prospect through discovery, cultivation and solicitation.  Sometimes those prospects may need to be reevaluated or reassigned.

If you have not already, I encourage you to evaluate your department’s effectiveness and begin to set departmental and individual goals for your organization.  Begin by analyzing the donor database and evaluate the capacity of the top 10 percent of donor prospects.  Start small and ramp up the metrics each year.  If you work smart and focus on what will bring in the best results, your development efforts will continue to be successful!

By Amy Phipps

Should I stay or should I go now?

If I go there will be trouble

And if I stay it will be double

So come on and let me know

Should I stay for should I Go?

–The Clash

The New Year is a great time  to stop and reflect on the opportunity to make positive changes in your life.  A diet, an exercise plan, projects around the house and…oh yes …what about your career?  The calm that follows the frenzy of the holidays can give you the space you need to take a step back and look at where you’ve been, where you are currently…and where you might want to go in the future.

If you’re like most nonprofit professionals, you’re mission-driven.  And if you’ve been dedicated to and effective at translating your mission into results, your leaving may be a disruption for the organization.  But, at the same time, you may have a sense that it’s time to move on.  Perhaps you’ve completed a major effort and are looking for a new challenge.  Perhaps there have been roadblocks to your success.  You may be looking for opportunities for advancement that your current organization just can’t provide.  Sometimes it’s about the money.

Whatever your situation, you’ll want to maintain relationships and leave your organization in good stead.  To insure a positive transition for the affected organizations and for you personally, we’d encourage you not to be tempted to leap quickly into the next step.  Instead, first do a 360-degree assessment of your current situation.  This will help you to better understand your reasons for leaving and know more about what you really want. Ask yourself these questions:

Should I Stay?

• How long have I been here?
• What have I accomplished?
• What remains to be done?
• What is the potential for advancement?
• How will my staff team be affected?
• How will my board team be affected?
• What situations exist in this position that I would want to change in the next position?
• What situations exist in this position that I would also want in the next position?

Once you’ve completed this reflection, it’s time to think about your next position.  Think about these questions.

Should I Go?

• What do I love?
• Who would I want to work with?
• Are there causes or initiatives I would want to work for?
• What are my career goals?
• Where am I in my career cycle?
• What new skills would I like to learn?
• What new experiences would I like to have?
• Where can I be of greatest service?

Come On and Let Me Know

After you’ve completed a self-reflection process, how do you move toward a decision?

• Seek support from one or two trusted confidantes who understand you and the field.
• Take care of your health.  This can be stressful!  Eat right, exercise, and get enough rest.
• If within your tradition, seek counsel from clergy or a spiritual advisor.

Whether you decide to stay or to go, using this process will equip you to move into 2014 confident that you are in the right place at the right time.  And what better way to start the New Year?