“You will get all you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want.”-Zig Ziglar
The biggest mistake that I see among nonprofits is that they spend too much time talking about what they want, what they do, what they need.
We train fundraisers to “strategize” for gifts that meet their fiscal year goals, which is usually code for manipulation.
But, what about the donor?
What about spending time and energy thinking about what our donor wants, needs and desires?
Our timelines are irrelevant if our donor is not ready to give.
If we haven’t done the hard work of building trust, of providing value, of helping our donor to connect to the impact they want in the world, then we have not earned the right to ask for a gift.
Trust = donations.
How might we act differently if we saw our roles as fundraisers differently?
What if we did not see ourselves as trying to “get” something from our donors, but rather as matchmakers that help to connect donors with the right project at the right time for the right amount (for them)?
Be a guide, not a miner.
When we’re doing our best work, we’re not fracking for resources, we’re guiding the resources to the places where it can do the most good for our mission and for our donors.
