Nonprofit fundraising efforts are often recognized on the coasts and major cities, but overlooked in rural communities that need it the most. But the fundraising is there—alive and well—and Patrick Kirby, Founder of Do Good Better Consulting, is on a mission to help smaller nonprofits secure the funding they need to succeed.
Do Good Better, a consulting firm based in West Fargo, ND, offers organizations self-paced online courses, fundraising group coaching, one-on-one organizational consultancy work, motivational speaking, and special event curation assistance, among other services. Patrick has worn many different fundraising hats for over a decade, and now he prioritizes engineering creative solutions to his clients’ problems.
Those working in the fundraising space rarely start out there; they come from various different industries. But, they often have one thing in common: they’re really good at telling stories. According to Patrick, most nonprofit professionals and fundraisers happen upon their roles accidentally. No one goes to school for it, and there is no degree one can receive for annual giving or event planning. They usually join an organization because they believe in the cause.
“At some point somebody’s going to say ‘Well, we need more money,’ and then point to the person who seems to have the ability to talk to people or tell a story and say ‘Congrats! You get to do it,’” says Patrick. “These folks typically don’t receive a lot of support or guidance, so they don’t even know where to start.”
With a background in educational fundraising, sales, and nonprofit development, and a degree in politics, Patrick took a leap in starting Do Good Better—he wanted to help bridge the gap for small and medium-sized nonprofits to answer some of the pressing questions that lead to burnout and confusion when trying to reach their goals financially. Patrick lived in the Twin Cities for many years, but when the oil boom happened in North Dakota, he decided to start an office there. Patrick particularly enjoys activating the agricultural community and inspiring confidence in those groups that do not often receive massive funding from major businesses.
“I love working in the rural community,” says Patrick. “I think it's a forgotten group of individuals that are still doing amazing work, but they may not get the attention or the funding that a lot of the urban centers do.”
Additionally, fundraising in the Midwest looks a lot different than coastal fundraising. Those working in the nonprofit space typically avoid talking about their successes as doing so is seen as bragging, despite the fact that this kind of transparency is essential for securing further donors.
“You can speak the language, you understand that we're in flyover country, and things just are different here,” says Patrick. “If they don't know what you did, then how on earth are they going to want to support you? But working with down-to-earth, humble people is so rewarding.”
Those at Do Good Better approach their work honestly and openly. Patrick has experience with fundraising “in the trenches” and avoids sugarcoating the realities of nonprofit work when collaborating with his clients. He’ll say when the work is hard, challenging, rewarding, frustrating, and glorious, and will always meet the client where they’re at. Patrick’s greatest challenge is not being able to help everyone who needs it, and he believes the phrase “we’ve always done it this way” is the most dangerous one in the English language. No two nonprofits are the same, and the real work starts when the fundraising methods are reconstructed from top to bottom.