Everything You Know About Fundraising Is Wrong

If you think fundraising is merely about raising money, you are missing the point. The inspired fundraiser understands their job is to foster greater generosity and gratitude in the world. Development is simply the building of valued-based relationships between prospective donors and organizations. Fundraising then is a vehicle for donors to act on these values, bringing joy to themselves and others.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: The truth is there is no lack of money for good causes.

According to Giving USA in 2022 over $499 billion was donated to nonprofits in the U.S. Nearly 80%, or $360 billion, came from individuals and bequests. Even in the challenging times we live in, all research indicates that individuals can provide nonprofits with stable and flexible sources of funding, even in times of recession.

The single largest barrier to raising money is your lack of belief in yourself, donors, and your good cause.

The first step is healing your negative relationship with money, power, and privilege. It is also a mistake to think you must know rich people to succeed as a fundraiser. You already know everyone you need to get started.

If you are having trouble raising money from others, let me suggest you start by making your own donation first.

The fact is that low- and middle-income folks give at a higher percentage of their incomes than those of upper incomes. Successful fundraisers welcome donors of all levels.

Statistically speaking, the regular, small annual fund donor is the best-planned giving prospect.

Too many of us have forgotten that the ancient practice of giving and receiving gifts has the power to transform the lives of individuals, institutions, and communities and even connect us to what is divine in the world.

As a fundraiser, you can:

1. HELP THOSE IN NEED to break free of the cycle of poverty, violence, and oppression they might face, reminding them there are those who still care.
2. HELP DONORS EXPRESS PERSONAL VALUES, developing a sense of abundance and generosity by learning they have enough to share.
3. REDUCE ISOLATION in communities by connecting people who share common values, providing them opportunities to organize for social change and advocate for improvements in public policy.
4. CREATE SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL SUPPORT for organizations that have clear community need, yet often little or no perceived for-profit market value.
5. BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER across lines of difference, connecting people with means with those with need, healing the chronic schisms that continue to challenge our society.
6. ASSIST INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES in leaving a legacy for both their children and communities that are in alignment with their deepest values and wishes.
7. THROUGH OPENING HEARTS to the cycle of GIVING and receiving, connect people to something larger than themselves, which is at the core of every spiritual tradition.

Think about the last time you wrote a donation check or spent time volunteering at a nonprofit. How does it make you feel months or even years later to remember? Isn’t this one of the best feelings? Don’t you want everyone else to feel as you do right now? You can.

All you need do is ask them for a gift.

Over the years, I've come to believe that one of the greatest obstacles in raising money is not finding people who will give but helping people become more comfortable with receiving abundance in their lives.

Too many of us in this culture don't think we are worthy of such attention or affection.

To foster generosity in others, the first person we need to start with is ourselves. One who is mindful of the practice of fundraising can develop a spirit of self-acceptance and generosity toward themselves, others, and the world around them.

Asking for help is one of the best ways you can tell someone they are important to you.

If you decide not to ask, perhaps you think they are not rich enough or do not care enough about the issue. You may believe that you are protecting them. In fact, you've taken away one of their most valuable rights: their right to choose. The truth is, people only rise to the level of expectations we place on them.

To succeed as a fundraiser, you don’t need to change donors, only your belief in them.

The inspired fundraiser provides donors an opportunity to put their values into action, to become the hero of their own life story, and to make their dreams for a better world come true.

Imagine how your life could be transformed if you dedicated yourself to fostering generosity in the world.

Look around yourself. Everywhere you look, people feel isolated, powerless, and fearful. We live in a very divided country, with threats ranging from global terrorism to global warming. Many of today’s challenges seem overwhelming. Like you, my heart breaks when I see someone forced to live on the streets or go without healthcare. There must be a better way, but what is it?

What if we lived in a world where we cared for our neighbors? What if, instead of being fearful of differences, we embraced them? What if instead of feeling helpless, we lived a life of abundance? That is the gift you give to others when you become a fundraiser.

By connecting donors with the gentle joy of giving, you help them discover what it means to be human.

In joining with others and giving to those in need, donors recognize they already have everything they require, and the differences that divide are merely an illusion.

You are the Johnny Appleseed of generosity. Years from now you, will look back and see all the young children you helped graduate from college, the local park that was once a toxic landfill, and the community center built in the middle of former gang turf and know your life was one well lived.

So, let me ask you: When you ask someone for a donation, whose gift is bigger — theirs or yours?