How Did You Know That Fundraising Was Your Calling?

We live in a fractured society and that's exactly why you, the fundraiser, are so important. Often thought of as gimmicky, transactional, or even underhanded, fundraising is really none of those things.

In truth, fundraising is all about forming relationships and building trust between individuals and groups of people who share an interest in shared pursuits. In a world increasingly fragmented, these pursuits are more and more rare.

It is, in fact, you, the fundraiser, who stands as a sentinel against what often seems to be a disintegrating society.

And it is this work, this building of relationships that makes the work you do "a higher calling." This work is, in my opinion, more necessary, even crucial, now more than ever.

Politically and socially, America is polarized and seemingly filled with anger at every turn. As a country, we seem to have built a world that draws us away from, rather than closer to, the characteristics of what makes us happy--meaningful work, successful marriage and healthy kids, and lots of friends and acquaintances, for example.

All of this points to why fundraising is truly a higher calling. The nonprofit sector-churches, schools, homeless shelters, and museums, are all institutions that need resources--money.

And that's where you the fundraiser come in. Your job is to help your organization obtain the money needed to fulfill its mission. And that's a beautiful goal, don't you think?

But is that enough? I think not.

By far, the most important thing nonprofits, and you as their representative do, is to bring people together in such a way that they mutually and cooperatively seek to achieve positive outcomes.

That's why, when all is said and done, the work you do is not transactional, but relational. You should be trying to create strong bonds between your donors and your organization, to bring their story and that of your organization's story together in unison so that individual donors feel a part of something larger than themselves and feel, as a consequence, the need to do more and more.

If you can tap into that "need" you will not only be serving individual donors well, but society too.

And that's why fundraising is a higher calling.

Can you tell me when you knew that fundraising was what you wanted to do as a profession? Would you please share your story with us?