Are you aligned?

Here's a true story.

Somehow, my name is on many mailing lists, so one day I received a museum newsletter in which many of the scheduled lectures and programs were over-printed with bold black letters: CANCELLED. As the inside cover letter from the Director noted, the museum had suffered severe reductions in government funding, and the budget was in a tailspin.

The next day, I received an invitation to an exhibition opening from the same museum. Four color printing, dye-cut, gold-embossed with a snappy foil sticker holding the package together. This was by far the most elaborate--and expensive--invitation I had ever received.

So, was the museum experiencing financial troubles or not? Did it need more money, or was it just making odd choices? The message to me was that people (departments) in the museum were not talking to each other. Surely, they were not talking clearly to me.

Too often, our organizations’ messages are out of sync.

I am a specialist in alignment.

My work is to cut through the clutter and to ask essential questions:

• What is the mission? Is it clearly expressed and well-understood?
• Where is the organization going? What is the vision?
• How do programs express the mission?
• Does marketing activity provide a sturdy platform for successful fundraising?
• Are all promotional efforts sending a clear institutional message?
• Is the Board on board?
• Is there room for growth in your development program?

In short, are all the components of your organization—mission, board, programs, marketing, public relations, development, finance—aligned for success?

I don’t have an agenda. I don’t have a program. I don’t have books or pamphlets to sell. I don’t have a one-size-fits-all packet of charts and statistics.

I listen. I observe. I ask those questions that will help me know you. And I’ll get to know how to help you grow. It is a process that has helped me raise millions of dollars for theatres, museums, arts centers, environmental groups and social service agencies.

If you've come to this site, you're probably thinking about growing. Call me. Let’s get started. Let’s start aligning.

Sheldon Wolf
215-836-8484
swolf@advancementco.com