Not too long ago I had breakfast with an exceptionally generous person.
He had just made a multi-million dollar gift to his favorite nonprofit. He also had recently given a nearly equal amount to his church.
There is nothing about this person that screams wealth. He’s very humble and hardworking, The business he built did so well that when he sold it, he was able to share some of it with organizations that aligned with his own deep personal values.
During the breakfast, I asked him why he had decided to support the two causes he’d given to. I was expecting that he’d tell me about the research he’d done or maybe the numbers he’d crunched.
Instead, he told me the following:
“I got a letter in the mail with a picture and a story of a little girl. It really touched me. I just felt like I needed to do something.”
His response has lingered or festered (I’m not sure which feeling best describes this feeling) inside me ever since hearing it.
I’d like to pass on to you my takeaway from this experience.
Always try to remember the pure, simple, inspirational and wonderful message of what your organization does.
Tell that story again and again. Don’t lose the story in the morass of day-to-day activities which sometimes can cause you to forget the simple goodness of your cause.
Remember, if the purpose of your fundraising is to raise money for your cause, then focus on the pure and simple impact of what your organization does.
Tell your story. Share the basic need. Show donors how and why they should respond.
It really should be that simple.