WEBVTT
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Welcome to Eight Principles Voices.
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Conversations with those who are making a difference.
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I'm your host, Larry Johnson, founder of the Eight Principles.
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Now join me as I welcome this week's guest, as they invite us to come along on their journey.
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Hi, everybody.
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It's Larry Johnson, your host for Ape Principles Voices.
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And I have another really interesting person as a guest today, a passionate arts advocate.
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Now I want to unpack what that is.
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And so it's Lauren Kay to begin with.
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All right.
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Welcome, Lauren.
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Thank you so much, Larry.
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I'm grateful to be here.
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Well, it's our pleasure.
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And she's coming to us from Charleston during the Paleto Festival.
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For those of you who know anything about that, and she is uh the chief development officer for a local arts organization.
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We're going to be getting into that.
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But uh, so Lauren, what is a passionate arts advocate?
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That's what I want to know.
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Absolutely.
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So if we break it down, uh, we have the word advocate, right?
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So we have a spokesperson for um arts access for uh for arts uh integration, arts education.
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Um the way I like to think is that arts belongs in everything.
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It's a part of the way we live, the way we work, the way we play.
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Um and so that advocacy for the arts is um my job and not only my full-time job, but who I am as a person.
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And because of that personal, um because of that personal alignment to arts advocacy, that's what makes me a passionate one.
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Okay.
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All right.
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Um well now you've opened it sort of a box here.
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What is what is that personal connection?
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Absolutely.
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Um, I got both of my degrees, both my uh bachelor's and my master's degrees in voice performance.
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Um, so I studied classical music and opera, and I went to the University of Florida, Go Gators, uh, for my master's and Charleston Southern University um for my undergraduate degree.
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And that is I've been singing my entire life.
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Um, and that comes from my mother, who was a piano bar singer, karaoke queen, as we like to call it.
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Okay.
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Um so that uh that passionate part comes deeply from where I come from.
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Okay.
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Now um uh you're in Charleston, which is sort of has a history of being very arts oriented.
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How did you find yourself there?
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So in 2006, my family actually moved here.
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My stepdad is Coast Guard, was Coast Guard, and um transferred us here in 2006 from Tampa, Florida, before that, um Brooklyn, New York.
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And so since 2006, my parents have been here.
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I went to high school and college here and moved away for graduate school and worked in Southwest Florida for four years, and then decided it was time to come back to Charleston.
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All my closest friends from college were moving back.
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All right.
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Well, then you are somewhat of a local girl, although I know the the old families would say that you're you've not been there three generations yet.
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So you're not truly native.
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I know the way they think down there.
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Okay, I've been there.
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Um, but it's a delightful place.
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So now you are currently serving as chief advancement officer for a local arts organization, aren't you?
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Yes, director of development, yes.
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And which organization is that?
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That is Charleston Jazz.
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Now I okay.
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Charleston Jazz.
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Tell me about oh, look at you.
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You're just so bubble, you can't wait to tell me what Charleston Jazz is.
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Do you see the passion all over the face?
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Absolutely.
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Tell us what Charleston Jazz is.
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Absolutely.
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Charleston Jazz is a nonprofit arts organization uh located in Charleston, South Carolina.
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We have three pillars.
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We have the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, which is our 18-piece big band um made up of all South Carolina musicians, mostly local.
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We have one person who travels from um uh Columbia, South Carolina.
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They present six concerts a year at the Charleston Music Hall, usually um on a Saturday.
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And uh five, we have two shows on the Saturday, a 5 p.m.
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and an 8 p.m.
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And then um our second pillar is the Charleston Jazz Festival, where we bring in nationally recognized and internationally recognized jazz artists for a nine-day celebration of the great art form of jazz.
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Um, the awesome part about this festival is that it features multiple styles of jazz.
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So you can come one night and hear Cuban jazz, you can come a next night and hear Latin jazz, you can come a next night and hear big band jazz, uh, you can come a next night and hear the Gullah Collective and Herland Riley, a local, a local percussion group juxtaposed with a New Orleans jazz artist and jazz legend.
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Um, and I'm still reeling from that concert.
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That was just in April.
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We present it usually right before the New Orleans Jazz Festival.
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Um and then um our third pillar is and central at the heart of what we do is the Charleston Jazz Academy, um, which houses our education programs and our outreach programs in the community.
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So um the academy, we have a hundred students that come into those doors each week, take private lessons, take weekly combo classes.
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We're gearing up for summer camp starting next week.
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Um, and then also is home to our monthly Jazz Jam, which is uh the last Sunday of every month.
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So that's coming up this weekend, where we host a free event where anybody in uh anybody can come in and bring their own instrument and just have a jam sesh together.
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Uh we hire, we hire a trio so that if any, you know, that piano, drums, um, and usually some sort of brass instrument is covered.
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And so anybody can come in and play their instrument and sing too.
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So now tell me about your facilities.
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Do you rent them, own them, borrow them?
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Um, how do you what kind of facilities do you have?
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Absolutely.
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The we just have the Charleston Jazz Academy, um, and that is on the second floor of actually a brewing company.
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And um a member of our board owns that building.
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So a a large portion of it is in kind.
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Thank you so much.
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Um to that a very generous board member.
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Um, but we do we do pay for it as well.
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So we do pay rent for that building.
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Okay.
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Well, what's what's in your facility?
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You have like practice rooms, a recital hall?
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Tell me a little bit about how it's arranged.
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Absolutely.
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We have um like a larger band room space where actually our Charleston Jazz Orchestra will go and rehearse in that space for their music hall performances.
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So that's like, you know, piano, it was set up for the Jazz Jam, but it has the instruments on one side, obviously, and then chairs set up for the big band.
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Um that's where our combo classes will also take place.
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Um, and then on the opposite side of that, we have an office space there.
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So we have a front desk sort of situation, um, some uh a little bookcase, library, kind of a conference room area, and then um a wall of uh private practice rooms as well.
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You you you mentioned um look, um I don't think I'll have it right, but a recital hall or something.
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Is that a different facility that you perform in somewhere?
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Um yes, that's the Charleston Music Hall.
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So we don't own um that space at all.
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We rent that music venue six times a year for the Charleston Jazz Orchestra performances.
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And that um I think if I'm getting this right, I think it seats uh almost 800, but please don't quote me on that.
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All right.
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So you've been how long have you been doing this at the Jazz uh jazz group?
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So I've been with Charleston Jazz actually um since March 2nd of this year.
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So you're a new very new to Charleston Jazz, but not new to arts nonprofit.
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I've been in this space for eight years.
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Yeah, well, you know, you're a performer, you have a family that's musical, um, you have all the requirements, you know.
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Um, and you definitely are passionate.
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There is just no question about that.
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Um, I want to shift just slightly.
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It says I'm I'm quoting from your uh LinkedIn, you see.
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So you put things on LinkedIn that gets it gets red, you know?
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That you're an authentic relationship builder.
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Okay.
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Now let's let's unpack that for a few minutes.
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What is, in your view, an authentic relationship builder?
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Thank you so much for asking that question.
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Um, I would say um it in the development world, sometimes it can be hard to uh cross the lines between professional and personal, right?
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So if you're thinking uh in black and white terms, you on one side, you do have this very professional relationship.
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But in my line of work and development, um, and the development that I choose to stand for is these donors, these partners, these uh relational human beings become friends.
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You know, I they don't, they're not just acquaintances, they're not people that I just call up for money.
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They're people that I enjoy music with, they're people that I enjoy dinner with, they're people that I enjoy coffee with, they're I get texts on my phone when a new grandbaby is born.
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And um that's not something that um it's it's an untraditional workplace, you know, situation where those are the lines that are blurred.
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You're you're a part of this person's personal life.
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They're inviting you to be a part of who they are.
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And so um when I say authentic, I guess it's just the lines of the blurred lines of professional and personal.
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Uh in general, it just means I bring my authentic self to my professional role.
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There's no there's no wall of here's the here's the professional, Lauren.
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Okay.
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Um well, I've often said to people that uh you do the whole program, right?
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You do direct mail, one-on-one visits.
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Um, I guess are you responsible for the communications pieces, Sue, that relate to advancement?
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You do that as well.
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Most of them we have thankfully, we have a marketing manager and our executive director is very involved with but you're but you're sort of a one gal show here.
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You're doing it all, right?
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Um and uh uh I like to say uh that when you're making calls on on uh on investors is what I like to call donors, and you've already made it pretty personal, you know, giving is really a spiritual act, either little s or big s.
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It's something that involves the person's heart.
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It's not just something that involves their their finances.
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So I've often said, well, you if you're doing your job well, you're the relationship you have with these people is somewhere between their financial advisor and their priest.
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You're sort of in that middle range there somewhere because they'll discuss personal things with you that impact on their giving and other things like that.
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And if they like you, they'll tell you other stuff.
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Um, and I I I just really want a yes or no question to this.
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I don't really need to know anything more detailed on this, but have you yet encountered a situation with a donor who volunteered something to you in regard to themselves totally unexpected, and you knew it had to be very confidential, so they were placing a personal trust in you.
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Have you had that experience yet?
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Um, I mean, I could think of a few times where I've been shocked at the information that was shared, like something totally out of left field, um, that probably this person like wouldn't want to be shared around towns, but not like something like, well, I guess I have been told things in confidence before, and a donor um would say to me, you know, don't this stays between us, you know.
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So then then they're the ones where um they will share something with you where they're looking for a safe place to say something.
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They're looking for a confidant, and they and you're selected as the safe place.
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And um, have you had that experience?
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I think I think so.
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I mean, I I can't think of a of a moment, but what I'm tying it to is, you know, a a gift to be able to get, even just to get people to tell you that kind of sacred information to them, you know.
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They they feel comfortable, they feel safe with you.
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Well, that's a sign that they really like you, number one.
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It's also unfortunately a sign that there aren't that that some people feel feel pretty isolated in the world.
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And so, you know, when they didn't have that opportunity, they will.
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And see that that to me um is is um uh I mean I've had a few of those occasions.
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I'm thinking one in particular, which I was totally on totally from left field, and it was obvious it wasn't going anywhere else.
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Um, but the person just wanted to un sort of unburden themselves, is really what it was.
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And then but for you when you have that kind of relationship, you know what a secular trust really is, and that that's the point at which you become in some ways their investment partner, and that that's that is that's something that has to be very carefully nurtured.
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And and it's it's well, we've had this discussion, I think, more that you know, donors are really driving this equation.
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Uh, it's not the organization that's driving it.
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A lot of times people will give for reasons that aren't even directly related to the organization, it may be tangential to it in some ways.
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I'm sure you had that experience, you know.
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Well, because if my nephew over here suffers some horrible disease, who almost also happens to play the jazz clarinet, I'm interested in you.
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Yeah.
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You see what I'm saying?
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
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And so and so, as a development officer, I'm sure you have to be you have to lead with learning what the donor's about, correct?
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Yeah.
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Yeah, as opposed to selling the Charleston Jazz program.
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Let me show you my shiny thing here, and which I know you'll love, as opposed to why they selected you.
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Yeah, I said for I said to a friend today, we were we were meeting earlier about um a different music opportunity.
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Um, but I I said to him, I said, if you don't know why your donor gives to your organization, why are you asking them for a gift?
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I feel I'm of the firm belief in my core values.
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I do not feel comfortable asking anybody for a gift if I don't have some sort of connection point as to why they gave their first gift to Charleston Jazz.
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If they're a new donor, why did you come to our concert?
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What excites you about jazz?
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They're not getting an ask before that preliminary step happens.
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Well, and I suspect that you um knowing you the way I do, uh, that you you want verbal confirmation of that.
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Um so Lauren, why is it you support us?
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You know, I'm just curious.
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And and that and I wait and you sort of unpack that to me and maybe ask a few more you know questions to go with it.
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Um, but yeah, you don't lead with you don't lead with Charles and Jazz.
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You lead with, so how can I help you?
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What problem are you trying to solve?
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Yeah, what problem are you trying to solve?
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Um, I love that.
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Um, I'll tell you a little story that um you never really know until you know.
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All right.
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When I was living back east, um, you know, and I'm you know, those of you who know him and I don't know, I was vice president of a small liberal arts college.
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And on this one afternoon, about two o'clock, I think it was, um, my assistant says, 'I got this man on the phone that insists on speaking with you, um, and he wants to make a pretty significant gift.' And I said, 'Okay.' Well, we don't know who he is.
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Uh, and because they couldn't locate him anywhere in the database or anything.
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And he wanted to make a million-dollar gift that day.
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Well, you know, uh I'm a little curious about this, and I I I definitely had to do my due diligence in a way that wasn't offensive to him.
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Um, so I just you know, he got on the phone and said, Mr.
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Smith, it's a pleasure to speak with you.
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I said, uh, and I'm quite I'm quite flattered that you would consider us for such an investment.
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But you know, I am curious.
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Um, you're not an alumnus, um, you're not a parent, you have no apparent connection with us.
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I mean, what what would motivate you to make such a size little investment?
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He told me right away.
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Well, I'm in the middle of a very acrimonious divorce.
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And if my wife if I can't keep it, my wife sure as hell isn't gonna get it.
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Okay.
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That's a reason to give.
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That is a reason again.
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It was clear to me that this was not illegal uh illegally bought gains.
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It wasn't hot merchandise or anything like that.
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And so I said, All right, um, what do you need?
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And so we gave him the transfer numbers.
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It was wired that afternoon, just like that.
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Wow, you never know.
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You never know who you're gonna meet, never know who you're gonna talk to.
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But you know, you asked the right questions to find out what's motivating this, what is it, you know?
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Um, because it did come out of the blue, just totally out of the blue.
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Hi, you know, I don't want to make this well, would you that would have taken you a a little bit of a gas, wouldn't it?
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Yeah, I mean, yeah, but it's so funny.
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I I think about like the different kind of fundraiser, you know, uh as the full-time fundraising, I really have only been in a full frontline full-time fundraising role since 2023.
00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:04.160
So I'm coming up actually on three years full-time, which is a thank you, which is very short time.
00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:14.079
I think about in year one what I was doing and what I would have done and how I would have asked for a gift, and I was terrified because I was a I was I started as a grants manager.
00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:24.799
So, like, even though the thought of being on the relational relational side and the individual side excited me, the thought of asking for a gift terrified me.
00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.200
But that's the that's the mindset, right?
00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:33.200
You think about asking for a gift and you're like automatically taking the human out of it.
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:46.319
So instead, I'm not going there to ask for a gift, I'm going there to fulfill their needs with something they're passionate about and I know how to fix it, you know?
00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:52.960
Well, in many ways, that is a proper way of approaching an organized investment like a grant.
00:19:53.200 --> 00:20:09.440
Um you know, I'm sure you know that um you know one of the one of the ways to sort of improve your chances uh would be to in advance of making an application, call the program officer and say, so Lauren, what is it, what are your priorities this year?
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:11.680
What are you looking for this year?
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:14.240
And that's like much like dealing with an individual.
00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:20.799
And so that when you submit your application, first of all, you're already known to this person, you're not just a piece of paper.
00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:21.680
All right.
00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:27.119
And then you already have that, you always have a sense of what he or she is looking for.
00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:27.920
All right.
00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:30.799
So you can attune your request to that thing.
00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:35.200
It's a very similar thing, but it's it's it is one step removed.
00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:50.880
So you it isn't that idea of you're asking them for their money, but still, you know, and and you know, I mean, see, I I was amazed that so many people when they apply for foundational corporate grants, they don't understand that personal aspect of it, that there is a human being at the other end of this.
00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:51.920
Correct.
00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.400
And you're gonna come in with 60 or 100 others.
00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:58.640
How are you gonna distinguish yourself?
00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:02.880
How are you gonna know what if you're really responding to what they're looking for?
00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:04.799
Well, you call them up and you ask them.
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:05.279
Yeah.
00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:13.920
Um, I I I uh I was VP at a school where every year they would get a pretty sizable gift from the Albert Sloan Foundation.
00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:20.720
Well, um, I was I was chief dancing officer, but I didn't take that by uh I didn't take that for granted.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:22.079
I called the director up.
00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:23.920
I said, Yeah, I'm gonna be in Manhattan next week.
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:38.880
I'm gonna talk to you about what your what your uh uh your um uh uh priorities are this year, and we just and we'd go have lunch, have get to know just kind of catch up with families and things, so then I would know how to shape the proposal.
00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:40.000
Absolutely.
00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:42.640
So that's a perfect move.
00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:45.519
So that oh, okay, it's coming in from X University.
00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:45.920
Here we are.
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:48.400
So and I would get favorable treatment.
00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:55.200
You know, I I didn't assume, I didn't take for granted, although they'd made yearly grants to this school for 25 years.
00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:56.960
You know, I wasn't gonna take for granted.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:02.400
I think he really appreciated that fact that he wasn't being kind of written off as a sure thing.
00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:03.839
Right.
00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:04.400
Right.
00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:13.599
And and because no one on the opposite end, no matter if you're a corporate sponsor, no matter if you're a foundation sponsor, no one wants to feel like that.
00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:15.839
No one wants to feel like a checkbook.
00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:18.960
Grants are not just checkbooks, you know.
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:34.480
I learned I had to, but I I also had to learn that, you know, being on the grants manager side when I as a newbie, you know, and so I sought mentorship in other areas, met with a director of plan giving of the Jewish Endowment Foundation here.
00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:39.680
And she told I had explained, I'm like, I just can't connect to grants.
00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:45.680
And she goes, think of it as another way to tell the story that you're passionate about.
00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:48.240
And that changed my whole world.
00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:51.680
That that one sentence changed my whole world.
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:55.359
Now do grants still bother me?
00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.000
Yes.
00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:07.759
But um but I'm telling the story and that and the fact that this is going to fuel you know if it fuels the mission of Charleston jazz amazing.
00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:19.680
And you've done enough research to know who the recipient is going to be and what their particular point of view is so you'll know how to shape how you're going to present yourself to them.
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:20.960
That's so important.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:22.720
That's just so important.
00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:35.440
Well can you tell a story about something that really surprised you with a donor and you can keep keep the names out of it.
00:23:35.599 --> 00:24:08.240
I don't really need to know the names but it was there something that just you weren't expecting at all but it turned at weren't it totally took you totally unexpectedly but it turned out really well hmm um well I guess I can um okay I have two stories is that okay oh please please so um when I was at my and is this about like a surprise about the donor or a surprise surprise of a gift or anything you want to do.
00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:09.039
Okay.
00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:10.640
It's wide open.
00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:12.319
I have two stories.
00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:31.200
Um at my previous organization that I was with uh for a very short time it was a transitionary time for me um spectacular organization doing amazing community work um I was sent to my first donor meeting in like the first three months I was there.
00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:38.319
Okay and um I we had a wonderful I had a wonderful conversation with this woman.
00:24:38.480 --> 00:25:12.480
She had had a history of giving and she was also you know very very successful and accomplished woman and has had a uh a very you know 40-year history with this long organization very well connected but of course this is my first time meeting her um you know we were in the middle of a capital campaign so you know let me pause just for a moment you know when you're new like that and you come into a situation where someone already has a relationship with the organization that can be very intimidating.
00:25:14.400 --> 00:26:57.759
Yeah it is intimidating and especially because this is you know a globally I mean one of the world's biggest um global network of nonprofit organizations that was overwhelming at first to me um because um and the way the model was people just you know people give through payroll and they've been giving through payroll for a hundred years so um so that in itself was intimidating um but I think I am curious about people so I was always willing to just like absorb and learn about where they are where they've been with the organization um and the organization changed focus and really um came together and said you know single mission focus here's where we're going um and thankfully didn't have much um donor uh during donor turnover during that period um because obviously the trust can be there but anyway back to the um story she was a wonderful lady at the end of our meeting you know I was terrified I needed a pep talk before and I had made the organization I was with for two and a half years I had made all I had made these apps before but I was still terrified but I you know um I asked her where where she gives her other um charitable gifts to good question yeah learning uh more about where she gives and um she basically told me she was at the level I had at wanted to ask her in my head at a previous chapter of that place, right?
00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:02.400
Um so in my head, do I know she has the capacity to give?
00:27:02.480 --> 00:28:50.000
Yeah like absolutely the capacity's there the affinity's already there the history's there um but is it right right now I don't know but um instead of asking for a dollar amount um we had they had this um society at the certain at the servant certain giving level it was a society and so I said well what would uh given your prior given your portfolio um what would it take for you to be a society member today um paused that's that's very important by the way the pause waiting for the res waiting for the response yes yep I learned that learned that the hard way um pause and um she said well you know I I'd have to I'd have to look it might have to shuffle around some things she goes but let me take a look at it and so we left the meeting and it wasn't a it wasn't a yes and it wasn't a no um and then I take it this was an upgrade financially from what she had done previously yes yeah okay um and we uh I sent her a follow-up email the next day um thanking her for her time and just reiterated her portfolio and thanking her for her support of other organizations too it was clear that she was passionate about some other different things um and I said this is just another we didn't talk about this but another option to consider you're at this level we have a step up program a three year step up program if you want time to consider your portfolio and you think this step up program would be uh more meaningful to you I'm here to talk to you about it.
00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:59.039
The next day after that she gives the full amount and she's a society member next day it was wired like that.
00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:28.240
Well you see that tells me that she was simply wanting a little space to think it over and I also think it it told me that you know the follow the meeting in general I mean she had told me and she's like I've been involved here now for three years and no one you know no one really asked me for more and that's assumption and we all we all do it.
00:29:28.480 --> 00:30:22.880
Our donors actually want to be asked which is just a crazy concept to us I feel like um so that sometimes surprises me when so when a donor goes which what was part of my second story which is a conversation I had yesterday where she's frustrated that she didn't get asked for a gift and I'm like I have never heard that in my life before well Lauren now you're not you're still single right yes well when that when that time comes I have a feeling that you'll expect your husband to be to ask you not to not to presume even if it is a quote unquote foregone conclusion all right you will expect to be asked in a way that you find respectful and endearing and would would make him worthy of you.
00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:59.359
You see that's what this is about you see I mean because at that point you know your husband to be is the supplicant and you and he's asking you to say yes and you have that ability to turn him down and really reckon his life be careful but but see and even if even if it's more or less an an accept that it's sort of assumed you say no no you know you want that moment where he asks you and of course preferably it presents a ring which is as they say is a material expression of his love.
00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:02.799
And uh so that's what that that's what that's about.
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:08.079
You know and it's like I'm important enough that you're gonna make that request of me.
00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:53.519
You see and you see some of the things uh some people uh get all torque when you ask for a specific amount and it's not always appropriate but it is in some some senses especially in a campaign setting um because you're trying to raise X dollars you know how that works everything well if a person is going to give you something um then they generally want some guidance like what what would be the right the right level here what what would be you know what could I how would I contribute in a meaningful way given my ability what would be an appropriate amount you see and that's that's that kind of conversation as opposed to a renewal annual gift.
00:31:54.160 --> 00:33:39.200
Let me shift slightly uh do you have any do you have a any kind of monthly giving program uh so we currently don't have a formal one in place but we're trying I'm trying to start one okay all right uh is it just lack of uh never done it before or is there any been any particular uh reason why not staff capacity for this like as far as the strategy and you know having everything mapped out it's just my executive director God bless her she's been fundraising on her own for the last seven years so whoa so now she just added me yeah and we're tag teaming it all well maybe we should do another one of these with her and you yeah that'd be awesome okay what do you see uh you've been at this what six months now pretty much right um this organization yeah three almost four months four months that's very new um what would you like to be able to tell me about the progress you will have made a year from today that's a that's a a wonderful wonderful question and I and I love it I would like uh more donors to feel more of our partners whether they be new that whether they be um an 18 year long subscriber as long as we're around whether they be a new season subscriber I want each person that walks through the music hall that comes into the academy to feel like they belong to feel that they are welcomed as they are at any point in their life.
00:33:40.079 --> 00:33:42.640
So that's I would feel like my main goal.
00:33:43.839 --> 00:37:43.599
I have in the background some like revenue goals of course like that's just as a fundraiser you know I want to I want to also have um revenue success this year um which we had we which we have had um I would say um inviting I'd want to say starting um starting a young professionals group is really um on the forefront right now I think in my first month the strategy is already there it's just about implementation and how to roll it out um and so I would say getting that off the ground is important to me um creating in some sort of ambassador group for Charleston jazz and activating our volunteers and our committees and our board members more the staff capacity is very very low um and we have so many talented and willing board members to step up and actually get their hands dirty which is unheard of I love this board shout out to all the Charleston Jazz board members and committee members because y'all are awesome um they really want to help okay they want to know what we need and how to help and use their time all time talent and treasure all three all all the above you know you're in a pretty good situation then if you have I know if you have a board that's energetic committed um and they're they're giving of their material wealth their their their time uh their interest all three of those things together I mean it's well you know this already that's quite a motivator for other potential donors as well yes absolutely and absolutely have you yet to get now you've only been there four months but have you gotten the question from a donor yet well how much does the board give do they all give or anything like that have you had that question yet I haven't had that specific question but I have had conversations with people that I knew at my previous organization um oh I was reading up on your board you know it's clear that it's like important to other donors other partners other investors um who is on your board because if there are some movers and shakers that they know personally that's an immediate hook well and um uh no one wants to be uh financing someone's personal play thing um absolutely they want to be able to feel that uh uh that your leadership is committed so they can be committed you see um well one more question all right um what is it that we haven't spoken about that you're just dying to tell me Lauren interesting um I would say there are are there are two things right so there's the fundraiser mindset um this goes into what my personal mission is is to open doors for other people open doors for other people you want to unpack that for me get out of the way so sometimes you don't need to be heard it's not you but what you can do you can use your platform use your voice to uplift someone else like you have made it a huge calling of yours to uplift the voices of fundraisers um my I feel like a big calling of mine is to open doors for our young people we have we have 22 year olds and 23 year olds that are graduating college and they have they want big things they've they're hungry they're driven and all they need is a good leader and a good mentor to open a door for them to get them there.
00:37:44.159 --> 00:38:20.159
If someone can do a job that you can't fill why not connect a person to something that they might be passionate about that they might thrive in that you couldn't in the music world it can be very hard in the in the singing world in general it can be very hard to say I want this gig and I want this gig and I want this gig when can you take a step back and say maybe this isn't the right fit for me but I sure know someone who would be perfect for that role and you open a door for another person.
00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:25.599
And I try to do a little bit of that I hope to do a little bit of that in my everyday life.
00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:36.719
And as much as there are teenagers as a voice teacher I teach voice as well and I have a wonderful wonderful voice student who just wants opportunity.
00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:57.360
She gets up in front of a crowd and and I just put her on my recital two weeks ago and she gets up in front of an audience she's never seen before in her life and how much confidence that takes how much vulnerability that takes and she sang her heart out for two songs on the program like a total professional.
00:38:58.880 --> 00:39:05.280
And that's what we need to we need to be empowering those children to speak up for themselves.
00:39:05.599 --> 00:39:10.320
And they those 22 and 23 year olds they're not afraid of anything it's amazing.
00:39:10.559 --> 00:39:11.519
I love it.
00:39:11.840 --> 00:39:57.360
I'm like I was such a scared whoops sorry um I was such a scared college kid and just afraid of everything afraid of if I was too much or you know too big or or just I worried about the tiniest things and I just want more young people to know that you are you're enough the way you are and someone and even though I don't have to apologize for bosses that don't uplift you in the way you needed to be uplifted or hear you or value you or appreciate you I hope that some someday one day you'll find that you will find the right person to do that.
00:39:58.000 --> 00:39:58.320
Okay.
00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:24.800
Well that's quite a statement Lauren I think you're gonna be there a while that's my guess anyway um you have a lot you have a lot of potential you're very passionate you must you really look seems like your boss has a you have a good relationship with your director and also with your board that's something that a lot of none and a lot of Delma officers would love to have and they don't I do not take it for granted.
00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:27.039
I do not take it for granted one bit.
00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:53.519
If someone wanted to reach out to you how would they reach you Lauren absolutely you can email me at Lauren at charlestonjazz.com and I do spell my name with a Y so it's L-A-U-R-Y-N at charlestonjazz.com you can find me on LinkedIn under Lauren K and you'll see that authentic relationship builder I'd love to build an authentic relationship for this conversation.
00:40:54.000 --> 00:41:17.440
Okay all right well you see you'll see there in the lower left hand part of your screen your your name is there and hopefully it's spelled correctly I hope it is anyway so well this has been delightful Lauren and I've enjoyed it very much and I know that our audience has appreciated as well they I'm sure they will do it and so first of all thank you for taking your time to do this.
00:41:17.679 --> 00:42:11.519
Thank you and uh to the audience I thank you for listening to this taking this time you know of course if you want to ever reach out to me it's uh it's simply info at the aprinciples dot com all spelled out and Lauren has already said it's Lauren at charleston jazz dot org okay dot com dot com oh excuse me whoops whoops got that wrong so thank you lauren very very much thank you so much for this opportunity thank you Larry all right thanks everyone next week someone new thank you for listening today join us for our next episode when I'll have another thought provoking leader as my guest guest comments and opinions are their own the recording is copyright by the eight principles all rights reserved
00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.400
Welcome to Eight Principles Voices.
00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:07.519
Conversations with those who are making a difference.
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I'm your host, Larry Johnson, founder of the Eight Principles.
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Now join me as I welcome this week's guest, as they invite us to come along on their journey.
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Hi, everybody.
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It's Larry Johnson, your host for Ape Principles Voices.
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And I have another really interesting person as a guest today, a passionate arts advocate.
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Now I want to unpack what that is.
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And so it's Lauren Kay to begin with.
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All right.
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Welcome, Lauren.
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Thank you so much, Larry.
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I'm grateful to be here.
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Well, it's our pleasure.
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And she's coming to us from Charleston during the Paleto Festival.
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For those of you who know anything about that, and she is uh the chief development officer for a local arts organization.
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We're going to be getting into that.
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But uh, so Lauren, what is a passionate arts advocate?
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That's what I want to know.
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Absolutely.
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So if we break it down, uh, we have the word advocate, right?
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So we have a spokesperson for um arts access for uh for arts uh integration, arts education.
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Um the way I like to think is that arts belongs in everything.
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It's a part of the way we live, the way we work, the way we play.
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Um and so that advocacy for the arts is um my job and not only my full-time job, but who I am as a person.
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And because of that personal, um because of that personal alignment to arts advocacy, that's what makes me a passionate one.
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Okay.
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All right.
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Um well now you've opened it sort of a box here.
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What is what is that personal connection?
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Absolutely.
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Um, I got both of my degrees, both my uh bachelor's and my master's degrees in voice performance.
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Um, so I studied classical music and opera, and I went to the University of Florida, Go Gators, uh, for my master's and Charleston Southern University um for my undergraduate degree.
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And that is I've been singing my entire life.
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Um, and that comes from my mother, who was a piano bar singer, karaoke queen, as we like to call it.
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Okay.
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Um so that uh that passionate part comes deeply from where I come from.
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Okay.
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Now um uh you're in Charleston, which is sort of has a history of being very arts oriented.
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How did you find yourself there?
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So in 2006, my family actually moved here.
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My stepdad is Coast Guard, was Coast Guard, and um transferred us here in 2006 from Tampa, Florida, before that, um Brooklyn, New York.
00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:04.639
And so since 2006, my parents have been here.
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I went to high school and college here and moved away for graduate school and worked in Southwest Florida for four years, and then decided it was time to come back to Charleston.
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All my closest friends from college were moving back.
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All right.
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Well, then you are somewhat of a local girl, although I know the the old families would say that you're you've not been there three generations yet.
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So you're not truly native.
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I know the way they think down there.
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Okay, I've been there.
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Um, but it's a delightful place.
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So now you are currently serving as chief advancement officer for a local arts organization, aren't you?
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Yes, director of development, yes.
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And which organization is that?
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That is Charleston Jazz.
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Now I okay.
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Charleston Jazz.
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Tell me about oh, look at you.
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You're just so bubble, you can't wait to tell me what Charleston Jazz is.
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Do you see the passion all over the face?
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Absolutely.
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Tell us what Charleston Jazz is.
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Absolutely.
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Charleston Jazz is a nonprofit arts organization uh located in Charleston, South Carolina.
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We have three pillars.
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We have the Charleston Jazz Orchestra, which is our 18-piece big band um made up of all South Carolina musicians, mostly local.
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We have one person who travels from um uh Columbia, South Carolina.
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They present six concerts a year at the Charleston Music Hall, usually um on a Saturday.
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And uh five, we have two shows on the Saturday, a 5 p.m.
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and an 8 p.m.
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And then um our second pillar is the Charleston Jazz Festival, where we bring in nationally recognized and internationally recognized jazz artists for a nine-day celebration of the great art form of jazz.
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Um, the awesome part about this festival is that it features multiple styles of jazz.
00:04:56.959 --> 00:05:18.160
So you can come one night and hear Cuban jazz, you can come a next night and hear Latin jazz, you can come a next night and hear big band jazz, uh, you can come a next night and hear the Gullah Collective and Herland Riley, a local, a local percussion group juxtaposed with a New Orleans jazz artist and jazz legend.
00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:21.120
Um, and I'm still reeling from that concert.
00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:22.240
That was just in April.
00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:27.040
We present it usually right before the New Orleans Jazz Festival.
00:05:27.680 --> 00:05:40.800
Um and then um our third pillar is and central at the heart of what we do is the Charleston Jazz Academy, um, which houses our education programs and our outreach programs in the community.
00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:50.480
So um the academy, we have a hundred students that come into those doors each week, take private lessons, take weekly combo classes.
00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:54.000
We're gearing up for summer camp starting next week.
00:05:54.160 --> 00:06:00.399
Um, and then also is home to our monthly Jazz Jam, which is uh the last Sunday of every month.
00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:09.600
So that's coming up this weekend, where we host a free event where anybody in uh anybody can come in and bring their own instrument and just have a jam sesh together.
00:06:09.759 --> 00:06:19.439
Uh we hire, we hire a trio so that if any, you know, that piano, drums, um, and usually some sort of brass instrument is covered.
00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:24.800
And so anybody can come in and play their instrument and sing too.
00:06:25.439 --> 00:06:27.759
So now tell me about your facilities.
00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:30.959
Do you rent them, own them, borrow them?
00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:34.079
Um, how do you what kind of facilities do you have?
00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:34.959
Absolutely.
00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:42.079
The we just have the Charleston Jazz Academy, um, and that is on the second floor of actually a brewing company.
00:06:42.480 --> 00:06:46.160
And um a member of our board owns that building.
00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:48.879
So a a large portion of it is in kind.
00:06:49.199 --> 00:06:50.319
Thank you so much.
00:06:50.560 --> 00:06:53.439
Um to that a very generous board member.
00:06:53.680 --> 00:06:56.560
Um, but we do we do pay for it as well.
00:06:56.639 --> 00:06:58.720
So we do pay rent for that building.
00:06:59.040 --> 00:06:59.360
Okay.
00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:01.680
Well, what's what's in your facility?
00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:04.480
You have like practice rooms, a recital hall?
00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:06.399
Tell me a little bit about how it's arranged.
00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:07.439
Absolutely.
00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:17.839
We have um like a larger band room space where actually our Charleston Jazz Orchestra will go and rehearse in that space for their music hall performances.
00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:27.439
So that's like, you know, piano, it was set up for the Jazz Jam, but it has the instruments on one side, obviously, and then chairs set up for the big band.
00:07:27.680 --> 00:07:30.639
Um that's where our combo classes will also take place.
00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:35.920
Um, and then on the opposite side of that, we have an office space there.
00:07:36.079 --> 00:07:50.399
So we have a front desk sort of situation, um, some uh a little bookcase, library, kind of a conference room area, and then um a wall of uh private practice rooms as well.
00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:57.439
You you you mentioned um look, um I don't think I'll have it right, but a recital hall or something.
00:07:57.519 --> 00:08:00.319
Is that a different facility that you perform in somewhere?
00:08:00.639 --> 00:08:03.040
Um yes, that's the Charleston Music Hall.
00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:05.759
So we don't own um that space at all.
00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:11.279
We rent that music venue six times a year for the Charleston Jazz Orchestra performances.
00:08:11.360 --> 00:08:22.079
And that um I think if I'm getting this right, I think it seats uh almost 800, but please don't quote me on that.
00:08:22.639 --> 00:08:23.199
All right.
00:08:23.759 --> 00:08:28.319
So you've been how long have you been doing this at the Jazz uh jazz group?
00:08:28.720 --> 00:08:33.200
So I've been with Charleston Jazz actually um since March 2nd of this year.
00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:39.200
So you're a new very new to Charleston Jazz, but not new to arts nonprofit.
00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:41.039
I've been in this space for eight years.
00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:48.159
Yeah, well, you know, you're a performer, you have a family that's musical, um, you have all the requirements, you know.
00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:51.039
Um, and you definitely are passionate.
00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:53.039
There is just no question about that.
00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:56.639
Um, I want to shift just slightly.
00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:01.360
It says I'm I'm quoting from your uh LinkedIn, you see.
00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:04.320
So you put things on LinkedIn that gets it gets red, you know?
00:09:05.120 --> 00:09:08.159
That you're an authentic relationship builder.
00:09:08.399 --> 00:09:08.720
Okay.
00:09:09.200 --> 00:09:11.679
Now let's let's unpack that for a few minutes.
00:09:11.840 --> 00:09:15.600
What is, in your view, an authentic relationship builder?
00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:18.320
Thank you so much for asking that question.
00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:29.759
Um, I would say um it in the development world, sometimes it can be hard to uh cross the lines between professional and personal, right?
00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:36.559
So if you're thinking uh in black and white terms, you on one side, you do have this very professional relationship.
00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:49.519
But in my line of work and development, um, and the development that I choose to stand for is these donors, these partners, these uh relational human beings become friends.
00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:54.399
You know, I they don't, they're not just acquaintances, they're not people that I just call up for money.
00:09:54.559 --> 00:10:05.840
They're people that I enjoy music with, they're people that I enjoy dinner with, they're people that I enjoy coffee with, they're I get texts on my phone when a new grandbaby is born.
00:10:06.080 --> 00:10:16.240
And um that's not something that um it's it's an untraditional workplace, you know, situation where those are the lines that are blurred.
00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:19.759
You're you're a part of this person's personal life.
00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:23.679
They're inviting you to be a part of who they are.
00:10:23.840 --> 00:10:32.080
And so um when I say authentic, I guess it's just the lines of the blurred lines of professional and personal.
00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:38.240
Uh in general, it just means I bring my authentic self to my professional role.
00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:42.480
There's no there's no wall of here's the here's the professional, Lauren.
00:10:43.200 --> 00:10:43.519
Okay.
00:10:44.720 --> 00:10:52.720
Um well, I've often said to people that uh you do the whole program, right?
00:10:52.879 --> 00:10:56.000
You do direct mail, one-on-one visits.
00:10:56.080 --> 00:11:01.279
Um, I guess are you responsible for the communications pieces, Sue, that relate to advancement?
00:11:01.519 --> 00:11:02.240
You do that as well.
00:11:03.120 --> 00:11:13.279
Most of them we have thankfully, we have a marketing manager and our executive director is very involved with but you're but you're sort of a one gal show here.
00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:14.799
You're doing it all, right?
00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:31.600
Um and uh uh I like to say uh that when you're making calls on on uh on investors is what I like to call donors, and you've already made it pretty personal, you know, giving is really a spiritual act, either little s or big s.
00:11:31.759 --> 00:11:33.919
It's something that involves the person's heart.
00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:37.360
It's not just something that involves their their finances.
00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:47.679
So I've often said, well, you if you're doing your job well, you're the relationship you have with these people is somewhere between their financial advisor and their priest.
00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:56.799
You're sort of in that middle range there somewhere because they'll discuss personal things with you that impact on their giving and other things like that.
00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:59.039
And if they like you, they'll tell you other stuff.
00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:03.679
Um, and I I I just really want a yes or no question to this.
00:12:03.759 --> 00:12:24.159
I don't really need to know anything more detailed on this, but have you yet encountered a situation with a donor who volunteered something to you in regard to themselves totally unexpected, and you knew it had to be very confidential, so they were placing a personal trust in you.
00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:26.559
Have you had that experience yet?
00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:53.919
Um, I mean, I could think of a few times where I've been shocked at the information that was shared, like something totally out of left field, um, that probably this person like wouldn't want to be shared around towns, but not like something like, well, I guess I have been told things in confidence before, and a donor um would say to me, you know, don't this stays between us, you know.
00:12:54.720 --> 00:13:02.720
So then then they're the ones where um they will share something with you where they're looking for a safe place to say something.
00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:09.679
They're looking for a confidant, and they and you're selected as the safe place.
00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.320
And um, have you had that experience?
00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:14.000
I think I think so.
00:13:14.159 --> 00:13:28.799
I mean, I I can't think of a of a moment, but what I'm tying it to is, you know, a a gift to be able to get, even just to get people to tell you that kind of sacred information to them, you know.
00:13:29.200 --> 00:13:32.480
They they feel comfortable, they feel safe with you.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:36.080
Well, that's a sign that they really like you, number one.
00:13:36.240 --> 00:13:41.279
It's also unfortunately a sign that there aren't that that some people feel feel pretty isolated in the world.
00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:44.960
And so, you know, when they didn't have that opportunity, they will.
00:13:45.120 --> 00:13:51.279
And see that that to me um is is um uh I mean I've had a few of those occasions.
00:13:51.360 --> 00:13:58.879
I'm thinking one in particular, which I was totally on totally from left field, and it was obvious it wasn't going anywhere else.
00:13:59.120 --> 00:14:04.639
Um, but the person just wanted to un sort of unburden themselves, is really what it was.
00:14:04.879 --> 00:14:20.960
And then but for you when you have that kind of relationship, you know what a secular trust really is, and that that's the point at which you become in some ways their investment partner, and that that's that is that's something that has to be very carefully nurtured.
00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:27.759
And and it's it's well, we've had this discussion, I think, more that you know, donors are really driving this equation.
00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:30.320
Uh, it's not the organization that's driving it.
00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:37.840
A lot of times people will give for reasons that aren't even directly related to the organization, it may be tangential to it in some ways.
00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:40.000
I'm sure you had that experience, you know.
00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:49.200
Well, because if my nephew over here suffers some horrible disease, who almost also happens to play the jazz clarinet, I'm interested in you.
00:14:49.440 --> 00:14:50.080
Yeah.
00:14:50.559 --> 00:14:51.759
You see what I'm saying?
00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:52.879
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:14:53.200 --> 00:15:01.679
And so and so, as a development officer, I'm sure you have to be you have to lead with learning what the donor's about, correct?
00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:02.320
Yeah.
00:15:02.480 --> 00:15:06.159
Yeah, as opposed to selling the Charleston Jazz program.
00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:12.879
Let me show you my shiny thing here, and which I know you'll love, as opposed to why they selected you.
00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:19.919
Yeah, I said for I said to a friend today, we were we were meeting earlier about um a different music opportunity.
00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:31.679
Um, but I I said to him, I said, if you don't know why your donor gives to your organization, why are you asking them for a gift?
00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:36.799
I feel I'm of the firm belief in my core values.
00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:47.360
I do not feel comfortable asking anybody for a gift if I don't have some sort of connection point as to why they gave their first gift to Charleston Jazz.
00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:50.720
If they're a new donor, why did you come to our concert?
00:15:50.879 --> 00:15:53.039
What excites you about jazz?
00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:57.919
They're not getting an ask before that preliminary step happens.
00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:06.320
Well, and I suspect that you um knowing you the way I do, uh, that you you want verbal confirmation of that.
00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:09.600
Um so Lauren, why is it you support us?
00:16:09.679 --> 00:16:10.960
You know, I'm just curious.
00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:19.519
And and that and I wait and you sort of unpack that to me and maybe ask a few more you know questions to go with it.
00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:24.639
Um, but yeah, you don't lead with you don't lead with Charles and Jazz.
00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:27.200
You lead with, so how can I help you?
00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:31.120
What problem are you trying to solve?
00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:33.519
Yeah, what problem are you trying to solve?
00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:35.360
Um, I love that.
00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:41.840
Um, I'll tell you a little story that um you never really know until you know.
00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:42.639
All right.
00:16:43.679 --> 00:16:53.039
When I was living back east, um, you know, and I'm you know, those of you who know him and I don't know, I was vice president of a small liberal arts college.
00:16:53.360 --> 00:17:07.839
And on this one afternoon, about two o'clock, I think it was, um, my assistant says, 'I got this man on the phone that insists on speaking with you, um, and he wants to make a pretty significant gift.' And I said, 'Okay.' Well, we don't know who he is.
00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:11.359
Uh, and because they couldn't locate him anywhere in the database or anything.
00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:14.480
And he wanted to make a million-dollar gift that day.
00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:26.480
Well, you know, uh I'm a little curious about this, and I I I definitely had to do my due diligence in a way that wasn't offensive to him.
00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:29.599
Um, so I just you know, he got on the phone and said, Mr.
00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:31.119
Smith, it's a pleasure to speak with you.
00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:37.119
I said, uh, and I'm quite I'm quite flattered that you would consider us for such an investment.
00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:38.720
But you know, I am curious.
00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:44.720
Um, you're not an alumnus, um, you're not a parent, you have no apparent connection with us.
00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:49.119
I mean, what what would motivate you to make such a size little investment?
00:17:49.519 --> 00:17:51.119
He told me right away.
00:17:51.359 --> 00:17:54.559
Well, I'm in the middle of a very acrimonious divorce.
00:17:54.720 --> 00:17:59.440
And if my wife if I can't keep it, my wife sure as hell isn't gonna get it.
00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:02.319
Okay.
00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:04.319
That's a reason to give.
00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:05.680
That is a reason again.
00:18:05.920 --> 00:18:09.920
It was clear to me that this was not illegal uh illegally bought gains.
00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:12.400
It wasn't hot merchandise or anything like that.
00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:15.279
And so I said, All right, um, what do you need?
00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:17.519
And so we gave him the transfer numbers.
00:18:17.599 --> 00:18:20.240
It was wired that afternoon, just like that.
00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:23.200
Wow, you never know.
00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.759
You never know who you're gonna meet, never know who you're gonna talk to.
00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:32.000
But you know, you asked the right questions to find out what's motivating this, what is it, you know?
00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:35.920
Um, because it did come out of the blue, just totally out of the blue.
00:18:36.079 --> 00:18:42.079
Hi, you know, I don't want to make this well, would you that would have taken you a a little bit of a gas, wouldn't it?
00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:44.960
Yeah, I mean, yeah, but it's so funny.
00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:56.400
I I think about like the different kind of fundraiser, you know, uh as the full-time fundraising, I really have only been in a full frontline full-time fundraising role since 2023.
00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:04.160
So I'm coming up actually on three years full-time, which is a thank you, which is very short time.
00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:14.079
I think about in year one what I was doing and what I would have done and how I would have asked for a gift, and I was terrified because I was a I was I started as a grants manager.
00:19:14.240 --> 00:19:24.799
So, like, even though the thought of being on the relational relational side and the individual side excited me, the thought of asking for a gift terrified me.
00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.200
But that's the that's the mindset, right?
00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:33.200
You think about asking for a gift and you're like automatically taking the human out of it.
00:19:33.519 --> 00:19:46.319
So instead, I'm not going there to ask for a gift, I'm going there to fulfill their needs with something they're passionate about and I know how to fix it, you know?
00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:52.960
Well, in many ways, that is a proper way of approaching an organized investment like a grant.
00:19:53.200 --> 00:20:09.440
Um you know, I'm sure you know that um you know one of the one of the ways to sort of improve your chances uh would be to in advance of making an application, call the program officer and say, so Lauren, what is it, what are your priorities this year?
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:11.680
What are you looking for this year?
00:20:11.920 --> 00:20:14.240
And that's like much like dealing with an individual.
00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:20.799
And so that when you submit your application, first of all, you're already known to this person, you're not just a piece of paper.
00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:21.680
All right.
00:20:21.839 --> 00:20:27.119
And then you already have that, you always have a sense of what he or she is looking for.
00:20:27.440 --> 00:20:27.920
All right.
00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:30.799
So you can attune your request to that thing.
00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:35.200
It's a very similar thing, but it's it's it is one step removed.
00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:50.880
So you it isn't that idea of you're asking them for their money, but still, you know, and and you know, I mean, see, I I was amazed that so many people when they apply for foundational corporate grants, they don't understand that personal aspect of it, that there is a human being at the other end of this.
00:20:51.359 --> 00:20:51.920
Correct.
00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.400
And you're gonna come in with 60 or 100 others.
00:20:56.640 --> 00:20:58.640
How are you gonna distinguish yourself?
00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:02.880
How are you gonna know what if you're really responding to what they're looking for?
00:21:03.039 --> 00:21:04.799
Well, you call them up and you ask them.
00:21:04.960 --> 00:21:05.279
Yeah.
00:21:05.759 --> 00:21:13.920
Um, I I I uh I was VP at a school where every year they would get a pretty sizable gift from the Albert Sloan Foundation.
00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:20.720
Well, um, I was I was chief dancing officer, but I didn't take that by uh I didn't take that for granted.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:22.079
I called the director up.
00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:23.920
I said, Yeah, I'm gonna be in Manhattan next week.
00:21:24.000 --> 00:21:38.880
I'm gonna talk to you about what your what your uh uh your um uh uh priorities are this year, and we just and we'd go have lunch, have get to know just kind of catch up with families and things, so then I would know how to shape the proposal.
00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:40.000
Absolutely.
00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:42.640
So that's a perfect move.
00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:45.519
So that oh, okay, it's coming in from X University.
00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:45.920
Here we are.
00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:48.400
So and I would get favorable treatment.
00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:55.200
You know, I I didn't assume, I didn't take for granted, although they'd made yearly grants to this school for 25 years.
00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:56.960
You know, I wasn't gonna take for granted.
00:21:57.200 --> 00:22:02.400
I think he really appreciated that fact that he wasn't being kind of written off as a sure thing.
00:22:03.440 --> 00:22:03.839
Right.
00:22:04.079 --> 00:22:04.400
Right.
00:22:04.480 --> 00:22:13.599
And and because no one on the opposite end, no matter if you're a corporate sponsor, no matter if you're a foundation sponsor, no one wants to feel like that.
00:22:13.839 --> 00:22:15.839
No one wants to feel like a checkbook.
00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:18.960
Grants are not just checkbooks, you know.
00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:34.480
I learned I had to, but I I also had to learn that, you know, being on the grants manager side when I as a newbie, you know, and so I sought mentorship in other areas, met with a director of plan giving of the Jewish Endowment Foundation here.
00:22:34.640 --> 00:22:39.680
And she told I had explained, I'm like, I just can't connect to grants.
00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:45.680
And she goes, think of it as another way to tell the story that you're passionate about.
00:22:45.839 --> 00:22:48.240
And that changed my whole world.
00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:51.680
That that one sentence changed my whole world.
00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:55.359
Now do grants still bother me?
00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.000
Yes.
00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:07.759
But um but I'm telling the story and that and the fact that this is going to fuel you know if it fuels the mission of Charleston jazz amazing.
00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:19.680
And you've done enough research to know who the recipient is going to be and what their particular point of view is so you'll know how to shape how you're going to present yourself to them.
00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:20.960
That's so important.
00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:22.720
That's just so important.
00:23:23.599 --> 00:23:35.440
Well can you tell a story about something that really surprised you with a donor and you can keep keep the names out of it.
00:23:35.599 --> 00:24:08.240
I don't really need to know the names but it was there something that just you weren't expecting at all but it turned at weren't it totally took you totally unexpectedly but it turned out really well hmm um well I guess I can um okay I have two stories is that okay oh please please so um when I was at my and is this about like a surprise about the donor or a surprise surprise of a gift or anything you want to do.
00:24:08.960 --> 00:24:09.039
Okay.
00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:10.640
It's wide open.
00:24:10.960 --> 00:24:12.319
I have two stories.
00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:31.200
Um at my previous organization that I was with uh for a very short time it was a transitionary time for me um spectacular organization doing amazing community work um I was sent to my first donor meeting in like the first three months I was there.
00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:38.319
Okay and um I we had a wonderful I had a wonderful conversation with this woman.
00:24:38.480 --> 00:25:12.480
She had had a history of giving and she was also you know very very successful and accomplished woman and has had a uh a very you know 40-year history with this long organization very well connected but of course this is my first time meeting her um you know we were in the middle of a capital campaign so you know let me pause just for a moment you know when you're new like that and you come into a situation where someone already has a relationship with the organization that can be very intimidating.
00:25:14.400 --> 00:26:57.759
Yeah it is intimidating and especially because this is you know a globally I mean one of the world's biggest um global network of nonprofit organizations that was overwhelming at first to me um because um and the way the model was people just you know people give through payroll and they've been giving through payroll for a hundred years so um so that in itself was intimidating um but I think I am curious about people so I was always willing to just like absorb and learn about where they are where they've been with the organization um and the organization changed focus and really um came together and said you know single mission focus here's where we're going um and thankfully didn't have much um donor uh during donor turnover during that period um because obviously the trust can be there but anyway back to the um story she was a wonderful lady at the end of our meeting you know I was terrified I needed a pep talk before and I had made the organization I was with for two and a half years I had made all I had made these apps before but I was still terrified but I you know um I asked her where where she gives her other um charitable gifts to good question yeah learning uh more about where she gives and um she basically told me she was at the level I had at wanted to ask her in my head at a previous chapter of that place, right?
00:26:58.160 --> 00:27:02.400
Um so in my head, do I know she has the capacity to give?
00:27:02.480 --> 00:28:50.000
Yeah like absolutely the capacity's there the affinity's already there the history's there um but is it right right now I don't know but um instead of asking for a dollar amount um we had they had this um society at the certain at the servant certain giving level it was a society and so I said well what would uh given your prior given your portfolio um what would it take for you to be a society member today um paused that's that's very important by the way the pause waiting for the res waiting for the response yes yep I learned that learned that the hard way um pause and um she said well you know I I'd have to I'd have to look it might have to shuffle around some things she goes but let me take a look at it and so we left the meeting and it wasn't a it wasn't a yes and it wasn't a no um and then I take it this was an upgrade financially from what she had done previously yes yeah okay um and we uh I sent her a follow-up email the next day um thanking her for her time and just reiterated her portfolio and thanking her for her support of other organizations too it was clear that she was passionate about some other different things um and I said this is just another we didn't talk about this but another option to consider you're at this level we have a step up program a three year step up program if you want time to consider your portfolio and you think this step up program would be uh more meaningful to you I'm here to talk to you about it.
00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:59.039
The next day after that she gives the full amount and she's a society member next day it was wired like that.
00:28:59.519 --> 00:29:28.240
Well you see that tells me that she was simply wanting a little space to think it over and I also think it it told me that you know the follow the meeting in general I mean she had told me and she's like I've been involved here now for three years and no one you know no one really asked me for more and that's assumption and we all we all do it.
00:29:28.480 --> 00:30:22.880
Our donors actually want to be asked which is just a crazy concept to us I feel like um so that sometimes surprises me when so when a donor goes which what was part of my second story which is a conversation I had yesterday where she's frustrated that she didn't get asked for a gift and I'm like I have never heard that in my life before well Lauren now you're not you're still single right yes well when that when that time comes I have a feeling that you'll expect your husband to be to ask you not to not to presume even if it is a quote unquote foregone conclusion all right you will expect to be asked in a way that you find respectful and endearing and would would make him worthy of you.
00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:59.359
You see that's what this is about you see I mean because at that point you know your husband to be is the supplicant and you and he's asking you to say yes and you have that ability to turn him down and really reckon his life be careful but but see and even if even if it's more or less an an accept that it's sort of assumed you say no no you know you want that moment where he asks you and of course preferably it presents a ring which is as they say is a material expression of his love.
00:30:59.680 --> 00:31:02.799
And uh so that's what that that's what that's about.
00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:08.079
You know and it's like I'm important enough that you're gonna make that request of me.
00:31:08.799 --> 00:31:53.519
You see and you see some of the things uh some people uh get all torque when you ask for a specific amount and it's not always appropriate but it is in some some senses especially in a campaign setting um because you're trying to raise X dollars you know how that works everything well if a person is going to give you something um then they generally want some guidance like what what would be the right the right level here what what would be you know what could I how would I contribute in a meaningful way given my ability what would be an appropriate amount you see and that's that's that kind of conversation as opposed to a renewal annual gift.
00:31:54.160 --> 00:33:39.200
Let me shift slightly uh do you have any do you have a any kind of monthly giving program uh so we currently don't have a formal one in place but we're trying I'm trying to start one okay all right uh is it just lack of uh never done it before or is there any been any particular uh reason why not staff capacity for this like as far as the strategy and you know having everything mapped out it's just my executive director God bless her she's been fundraising on her own for the last seven years so whoa so now she just added me yeah and we're tag teaming it all well maybe we should do another one of these with her and you yeah that'd be awesome okay what do you see uh you've been at this what six months now pretty much right um this organization yeah three almost four months four months that's very new um what would you like to be able to tell me about the progress you will have made a year from today that's a that's a a wonderful wonderful question and I and I love it I would like uh more donors to feel more of our partners whether they be new that whether they be um an 18 year long subscriber as long as we're around whether they be a new season subscriber I want each person that walks through the music hall that comes into the academy to feel like they belong to feel that they are welcomed as they are at any point in their life.
00:33:40.079 --> 00:33:42.640
So that's I would feel like my main goal.
00:33:43.839 --> 00:37:43.599
I have in the background some like revenue goals of course like that's just as a fundraiser you know I want to I want to also have um revenue success this year um which we had we which we have had um I would say um inviting I'd want to say starting um starting a young professionals group is really um on the forefront right now I think in my first month the strategy is already there it's just about implementation and how to roll it out um and so I would say getting that off the ground is important to me um creating in some sort of ambassador group for Charleston jazz and activating our volunteers and our committees and our board members more the staff capacity is very very low um and we have so many talented and willing board members to step up and actually get their hands dirty which is unheard of I love this board shout out to all the Charleston Jazz board members and committee members because y'all are awesome um they really want to help okay they want to know what we need and how to help and use their time all time talent and treasure all three all all the above you know you're in a pretty good situation then if you have I know if you have a board that's energetic committed um and they're they're giving of their material wealth their their their time uh their interest all three of those things together I mean it's well you know this already that's quite a motivator for other potential donors as well yes absolutely and absolutely have you yet to get now you've only been there four months but have you gotten the question from a donor yet well how much does the board give do they all give or anything like that have you had that question yet I haven't had that specific question but I have had conversations with people that I knew at my previous organization um oh I was reading up on your board you know it's clear that it's like important to other donors other partners other investors um who is on your board because if there are some movers and shakers that they know personally that's an immediate hook well and um uh no one wants to be uh financing someone's personal play thing um absolutely they want to be able to feel that uh uh that your leadership is committed so they can be committed you see um well one more question all right um what is it that we haven't spoken about that you're just dying to tell me Lauren interesting um I would say there are are there are two things right so there's the fundraiser mindset um this goes into what my personal mission is is to open doors for other people open doors for other people you want to unpack that for me get out of the way so sometimes you don't need to be heard it's not you but what you can do you can use your platform use your voice to uplift someone else like you have made it a huge calling of yours to uplift the voices of fundraisers um my I feel like a big calling of mine is to open doors for our young people we have we have 22 year olds and 23 year olds that are graduating college and they have they want big things they've they're hungry they're driven and all they need is a good leader and a good mentor to open a door for them to get them there.
00:37:44.159 --> 00:38:20.159
If someone can do a job that you can't fill why not connect a person to something that they might be passionate about that they might thrive in that you couldn't in the music world it can be very hard in the in the singing world in general it can be very hard to say I want this gig and I want this gig and I want this gig when can you take a step back and say maybe this isn't the right fit for me but I sure know someone who would be perfect for that role and you open a door for another person.
00:38:20.960 --> 00:38:25.599
And I try to do a little bit of that I hope to do a little bit of that in my everyday life.
00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:36.719
And as much as there are teenagers as a voice teacher I teach voice as well and I have a wonderful wonderful voice student who just wants opportunity.
00:38:38.000 --> 00:38:57.360
She gets up in front of a crowd and and I just put her on my recital two weeks ago and she gets up in front of an audience she's never seen before in her life and how much confidence that takes how much vulnerability that takes and she sang her heart out for two songs on the program like a total professional.
00:38:58.880 --> 00:39:05.280
And that's what we need to we need to be empowering those children to speak up for themselves.
00:39:05.599 --> 00:39:10.320
And they those 22 and 23 year olds they're not afraid of anything it's amazing.
00:39:10.559 --> 00:39:11.519
I love it.
00:39:11.840 --> 00:39:57.360
I'm like I was such a scared whoops sorry um I was such a scared college kid and just afraid of everything afraid of if I was too much or you know too big or or just I worried about the tiniest things and I just want more young people to know that you are you're enough the way you are and someone and even though I don't have to apologize for bosses that don't uplift you in the way you needed to be uplifted or hear you or value you or appreciate you I hope that some someday one day you'll find that you will find the right person to do that.
00:39:58.000 --> 00:39:58.320
Okay.
00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:24.800
Well that's quite a statement Lauren I think you're gonna be there a while that's my guess anyway um you have a lot you have a lot of potential you're very passionate you must you really look seems like your boss has a you have a good relationship with your director and also with your board that's something that a lot of none and a lot of Delma officers would love to have and they don't I do not take it for granted.
00:40:25.039 --> 00:40:27.039
I do not take it for granted one bit.
00:40:27.440 --> 00:40:53.519
If someone wanted to reach out to you how would they reach you Lauren absolutely you can email me at Lauren at charlestonjazz.com and I do spell my name with a Y so it's L-A-U-R-Y-N at charlestonjazz.com you can find me on LinkedIn under Lauren K and you'll see that authentic relationship builder I'd love to build an authentic relationship for this conversation.
00:40:54.000 --> 00:41:17.440
Okay all right well you see you'll see there in the lower left hand part of your screen your your name is there and hopefully it's spelled correctly I hope it is anyway so well this has been delightful Lauren and I've enjoyed it very much and I know that our audience has appreciated as well they I'm sure they will do it and so first of all thank you for taking your time to do this.
00:41:17.679 --> 00:42:11.519
Thank you and uh to the audience I thank you for listening to this taking this time you know of course if you want to ever reach out to me it's uh it's simply info at the aprinciples dot com all spelled out and Lauren has already said it's Lauren at charleston jazz dot org okay dot com dot com oh excuse me whoops whoops got that wrong so thank you lauren very very much thank you so much for this opportunity thank you Larry all right thanks everyone next week someone new thank you for listening today join us for our next episode when I'll have another thought provoking leader as my guest guest comments and opinions are their own the recording is copyright by the eight principles all rights reserved
