Footprint Donors Lead To More Capital Campaign Gifts...

I traveled to Houston a decade ago to meet a donor with the board chairman at the Open Door Mission. The man had given more $20 million to numerous charities over the last decade.

The amazing thing was that he was in his 80’s and still working every day. As a matter of fact, he traveled to China every month to oversee a manufacturing company he owned. It seemed that the older he got the more he worked.

Over dinner I thanked him for his support, and then asked him one simple question, “Why?”

Why would a man in his mid-80’s keeps working so hard, continue traveling and consistently logging in many 60+ hour work weeks? Why had he not retired, sold his company, slowed down and just managed investments?

He paused and with a steeled resolve he explained…

“Footprints…”

I interjected, “Oh, you mean like that Jesus poster I’ve seen; one set of footprints when things get tough because Christ is carrying you?”

He laughed and said, “You don’t get it.”

“You see, when you get to my stage in life, you begin thinking about your how little time you have.” He continued, “It is not about what you keep, but what you can give away. It is not about how much money you make, but how much you can invest that can keep impacting the world after your time is up. I want to see my footprints all over this planet before my time is done.

My name is on buildings and programs across this country for one reason… One day soon I’ll be gone.”

This man refused to retire. Why? So, he can expand his impact on the world! He continues to earn so he can leave footprints. That is the mindset of nearly every capital campaign donor I have ever met. Some call them “brick & mortar donors”, but I now call them “footprint donors.” I hope you are cultivating these kinds of relationships, especially if you areconsidering a capital campaign soon.

There are huge differences between capital campaign donors and traditional major donors.? Of course, there are a few donors who will give to both?types of initiatives, but very few.? There are different motivations for both types of giving that usually translate into two distinct groups of people.

First and foremost, capital campaign donations usually happen from people outside of your organization’s donor base.? That is right… footprint donors are usually new donors.? Capital campaign givers have an innate desire to leave a legacy.? They want to see the family name stand in perpetuity, stand forever and usually on the face of a very large building.?

Capital campaign donors have an affinity to brick-and-mortar projects.? They want to build things that their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will see long after they have departed this earth.