What your parents can teach you about organizational culture

You know that day when you do that something your mom always does (or did) that drives you crazy and you say to yourself, “Oh my god. I’ve become my mother.”

That’s what your parents can teach you about organizational culture. Their influence seeps into EVERYTHING — even when you try really really hard to fight against it.

Organizational culture seeps into everything…

I was on a call with a super smart digital team the other day.

Someone I really respect said, “We tested an anniversary card thank you vs. a straight appeal and the appeal won hands down.”

“What were you measuring?,” I asked.

“Revenue.” He answered.

“Did you think to measure retention?” I asked.

The line went quiet.

This team is super smart. But the organization they work with values immediate return on investment vs. life-time donor value. And it shows it every decision they make.

What does your organization value? And how might it be influencing your fundraising strategy in obvious and not-so-obvious ways?