Fundraising Secret #13: Fundraise for causes you're passionate about

I just had the privilege of speaking at the Consortium of Endowed Episcopal Parishes’ annual meeting. What a fun group of people!

As a pastor, it was a blast to speak with people who’s job is to help people in their parish grow in giving. These people were passionate about what they do, and about Who they do it for.

Which brings me to Fundraising Secret #13: Fundraise for causes you’re passionate about.

Nonprofits engage values at a visceral level. People want to get passionate about the work of their favorite charity.

You need to be passionate too.

If you’re just doing time at a job–just punching the clock to pay the bills–you’ll have a very hard time raising money.

Passion is exciting. Passion is contagious.

Complacency is contagious too.

If you’re disinterested in your nonprofit, you’ll communicate that to the people you’re soliciting.

So if you’re in that situation, start looking for a new job. Or find some aspect of your job to get excited about. Talk to your spouse and close friends. Take assessment like the Highlands Abilities Battery. Hire a coach. (Talk to your friends and social networks to find a good one.) Do something today.

I’m not encouraging you to work 24/7. Boundaries are healthy. But you need to at least get excited about the cool things your nonprofit is doing. Because, to the donor, that means you’re excited about the cool things their donations are doing.

You can punch a clock anywhere. But your nonprofit deserves more than that.

And so do you.

Life’s short. Live passionately.

4 Comments

Sandy Rees on February 27, 2008 at 11:05 am

I couldn’t agree more! People without passion just aren’t good fundraisers.

I’ve been working with a very complacent nonprofit Board recently, and I finally helped them understand and admit that they have no passion for the cause. And they’re the Board members! We brainstormed some ways that they can connect with the mission and they are at least excited about trying to become passionate about the children their organization serves. The nature of the organization prevents them from observing direct service delivery, but they’re planning to bring in some volunteers from the front line to tell their stories. For the first time in who knows how long, they left a Board meeting excited and with renewed energy.

Passion is SO important! Thanks for a great post Marc!