Recently, I had lunch with a colleague who has been working in non-profit fundraising for over 30 years. Over the last year, he has had some health issues that nearly killed him. He’s now recovering, and he has a long life ahead of him. It’s nothing short of a miracle that he was sitting across the table from me. He’s also very passionate about fundraising. As we settled into our seats and ordered, he looked at me and said with great conviction,
“Jeff, you know what I think is the biggest problem in the non-profit sector? Fear. We are afraid to do the hard work. We are afraid to change, we are afraid of being donor-centered. Fear is keeping our industry from actually changing how philanthropy should be done. Instead, we just keep limping along, doing incremental things that give us incremental results. If we want great change, we have to do great things. Life is too short (I know it firsthand) and too wonderful to accept mediocrity and complacency.”
I wanted to leap out of my seat and yell, “Yes!!!!” He is exactly right.
I want to let you in on a secret. Almost every day Richard and I get notes and emails from MGOs who read our blog, like you, who lament that their boss (or executive director, or board) is making it impossible to do their jobs. Richard and I have a ton of empathy for your situation. Believe me, you know how much we stress that leadership should actually lead, and lead well.
But…
When we talk with these MGOs, our counsel is that if you want to see change – if you want your organization to see donors as your mission – then YOU have to be the one to change it.
There is already plenty of fear from non-profit leaders, causing them to do nothing. If you want to see change in your job, at your organization and in our industry, it has to come from you.
Now, I’m going to let you in on another secret. It actually works! Richard and I have story after story of MGOs, managers and leaders who are putting aside their own fear and making changes that put their donors first.
Is it easy to make change? No, and blood may be spilled; and there will be resistance that will feel impossible. But it’s not impossible.
If you know that the way your organization is doing major gifts is wrong… do something about it.
If you see a manager playing it safe… call her out and challenge the status quo.
If you witness a board of directors doing nothing to connect you to donors… ask them for help!!
If you look at a donor’s giving record, and it shows that they continue to give the same amount every year… challenge them with a project they would love, and ask for something greater.
You see, I believe that we all have recordings constantly playing in our head, telling us “no,” “you can’t do it,” “you have no power,” “that donor doesn’t want to do that,” “that board will do nothing,” “my boss will not listen.”
So you believe those recordings, you listen to them over and over, and you believe those messages are real… and you never take any action.
Will you get over your own fear, and stop listening to those messages? Will you stop thinking the problem is something else, and create the change you really want to see? Will you do bold things so you can see bold change?
You don’t need to be near death’s door to see that life is about living, not just getting by. Today is a great day to start living.
Jeff