Donation, Gift or Investment?

The words you choose shape your fundraising results.?Never more so than what you call the material exchange in philanthropy.

Perhaps the most common term used for a freely given exchange of value to a nonprofit organization is the word “donation.”

The word is ubiquitous.?Virtually every website for a nonprofit organization has a link or button named “Donate”.

Donate suggests an act in response to an impromptu request.

Whatever else they are, “donations” tend to be of modest size.?Nothing too earth shattering. ?Or live changing.

Think adding $1 to your grocery checkout.

Another word that’s in common parlance is the word “gift”. ??This has a somewhat different ring to it.?I think of gifts given to me by friends and family at Christmas and on my birthday.?These usually come with thought. ?The key here is “thoughtful.”

“Giving” implies a freer, more voluntary, act than “donating.”

A word you rarely hear in connection with “charitable giving” is the word “investment.”

This is a word integral to the world of business and wealth accumulation.

This word conjures an entirely different understanding and paradigm.?Here, there is an expectation of a return for what’s invested.?In business or wealth management, this is clearly understood as a material return. ?More value back than what you invested.

In the charitable and nonprofit worlds there is also a return expected.?It’s also more value than the investor invested.

The wrinkle, however, is the return investors expect isn’t material.??Read that again.

In fact, it’s something far more valuable.?It’s something that money can’t purchase.

This is why philanthropy isn’t about money.?

Let’s shout that:?PHILANTHROPY ISN’T ABOUT MONEY.

There. I feel better.

The return which philanthropic investors expect is the fulfillment of their visions.?Their dreams.?Their personal self-fulfillment.

When nonprofit leaders build relationships with philanthropic investors—at all levels of financial capacity—in a way which provides investors the intangible return of self-fulfillment they’re seeking, the flood gates open.

Those organizations who secure philanthropic investments do so because they focus on the investor.?Not themselves.?Not their “good work”.

To expand the number of investors in your organization and to grow their commitments, It’s essential this understanding pervade your entire organization.?

Not just the fundraisers.?Not just the staff.?Not just the board. Absolutely everyone.

When an organization achieves what I call a “culture of philanthropy”, the natural result is a stream of philanthropic investments.?Sustained investments.?Investments which scale in amount and number.

You instill this culture by the adopting of The Eight Principles? throughout your organization.

Whether an organization is aware of them—or not—they are governing, prescribing, determining the fundraising outcomes of that organization.

Why fly blind cobbling together of various appeals, programs. and approaches, hoping for sustained success, when being deliberate about acquiring the right culture will ensure success??At levels you’ve never seen before.

We have the training programs that implant the organizational culture you’re seeking in record time.?Permanently.

Our train-the-trainer, continuous learning program puts this culture inside your organization in record time.

Take a look at this brief video:

What does the video tell you??Can you identify with it?

What confounds me is why so many involved in raising funds for worthy organizations and causes, continue to chase the latest cool technique or method—regardless of whether it’s the right approach for them.

They think that because something worked elsewhere, it will work for them.

WRONG!

Repeat after me: “Principles ARE universal.?Methods ARE NOT.”

Success depends on internalizing the principles then choosing the methods which are right for YOU.

Helping organizations create that magic is what drives us here at The Eight Principles.?

Allow me to show you how. Schedule a call with me and we’ll talk.?It’s complimentary.?There’s no obligation. ?

In thirty minutes or less, I will give you a path to deliver that magic.?

I’d love to speak with you.

The best part??It doesn’t take buckets of money to achieve your goals.?It’s desire and will.

To Everyone:?My goal is simple.?To show all who really want it the clear, proven path to abundance.

To Your Fundraising Success,