[Warning: rant in progress]
Hang around me for any length of time and you’ll hear me rant about the awful tendency of those of us in nonprofits of getting entitled.
Sit in the back office of just about any nonprofit, and you’ll here people slip into talk that donors “owe” us the same size of gift they’ve given in previous years.
This has to change.
Donors earn their money. It’s theirs to do with as they please.
We need to earn the gift every single time. Even if we’re doing the most important work in the world.
We are responsible to do our mission with excellence.
We are responsible to track our wins and loses.
We are responsible for involving our donors in the work we do.
We are responsible to tell our story with incredible persuasion and power and convince them it is the most important work in the world and it is worthy of their investment, again.
And we must be continually asking current donors, “Who on your
- bowling team,
- carpool,
- morning commute,
- garden club,
- golf club,
- board of directors, etc.
would like what we’re doing?
It’s up to us to earn the gifts each and everytime we ask. And to be grateful for each and every gift we receive.
[the rant has come to a completion]
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I was starting to think that I was the only fundraiser out there that felt the same way about this entitlement attitude. It seems to be quite pervasive in the fundraising circle and in articles/letters to the editors in a certain Philanthropy chronicle :-).
Thank you again for reminding us, it all comes down to “work”.
Thanks Andrea!
You’re not the only one. 🙂 I’m pleased with how many “amen”‘s and “yes”‘s this post has received!