Even the worst mess is fixable. That's the hope-filled message from Christopher J. Doyle, president of American Leprosy Missions, writing in this month's FundRaising Success magazine: We Are Not Afraid to Say 'Leprosy'.
Mr. Doyle is writing in response to my past column, When PC Equals BS, about an unnamed organization that refused to utter the word "leprosy," despite the fact that its mission was fighting leprosy. Doyle correctly deduced that the organization I was talking about was the American Leprosy Missions of the early 90s, before his tenure there.
The leprosy organization that wouldn't talk about leprosy was in deep trouble. Donors were fleeing. Revenue plummeted. That's how it was when Doyle arrived. Among other important changes, he lifted the ban on "leprosy."
And guess what -- things turned around. American Leprosy Missions is now on solid financial footing. They've been growing for several consecutive years. They're even doing well now, when so many others are struggling.
That's what happens when you remember to talk to your donors -- not yourself. As Doyle put it:
We aren't going to ignore leprosy out of existence. The only way we're going to beat leprosy is to fight it on the front lines, one patient at a time. And that's going to cost money -- money that comes from donors who are moved to act by seeing what a vile enemy leprosy is to mankind.
Anyone looking at the pre-Doyle American Leprosy Missions would have seen an organization hopelessly circling the drain. That's what I thought. But things can change. There's hope.
You can hear an interview with Mr. Doyle about what it took to turn a nonprofit organization from trouble to triumph at the Fundraising Is Beautiful podcast: How a Sick Organization Got Better.
As usual will all enterprises. Success depends upon leadership.
Thank you Mr. Doyle for being a courageous leader. There are precious few of you around.
Posted by: Ted Grigg | 31 July 2009 at 23:17