🤔Think Like a Giver👐

Let’s pretend you’ve been given the opportunity to meet with a small group of young, successful entrepreneurs who are excited about investing their newfound wealth in charitable causes.‍

‍Or, let’s imagine you finally landed a meeting with the matriarch of a large wealthy family who was encouraged by one of her grandchildren to have tea with you.

What if one of your fellow college grads recently moved nearby to be the next CEO of a thriving tech company in your area. They reached out to you, expressing excitement to get together and catch up.

What thoughts are you having at this moment about the possibility of these opportunities? Are you already crafting a super compelling deck in your head? Thinking about stories of impact that you can share? Maybe bringing a key beneficiary of your cause along with you…or your CEO or board chair? It’s exciting to think about these scenarios, isn’t it?

First, however, here are two thoughts I want to share as you consider these scenarios:

1. These should not be unlikely or “pie in the sky” fantasies. If you are pursuing a relational approach to major gift fundraising through networking and connecting, these types of meetings should actually be unsurprising (and, increasingly, more and more common).
2. It is good practice for you to be ready when these opportunities come along. Rehearse and think about them regularly.  Be primed and ready to engage at the ideal time.

Here’s the counterintuitive discipline I want you to think about when considering these connections: Before diving into the incredible work of your cause, make a genuine effort to understand what is truly happening in the lives of these folks.

❓Are there key milestones that have occurred recently in their lives, or possibly just around the corner?

❓What stories are they telling you about family and community?

❓What questions or concerns do they have about their industry/business/sector?

❓What questions or concerns might they have about giving to charity?

❓What unique questions would the entrepreneurs be asking?

❓What about the wealthy grandmother?

❓Has your fellow college-grad-turned-CEO ever thought much about their philanthropic passions?

When the ideal time finally comes to talk about potential partnership with your cause, here are my views based similar experiences over the years:

‍For Entrepreneurs -“How can I have the greatest impact?”These folks are likely wired to think in terms of ROI. They’re wondering how giving can make an impact that’s comparable to their business investments. When addressing this, you might frame the cause as an investment in social return. Share metrics, but keep it personal, with a story that demonstrates the tangible change their generosity can bring. Reassure them that, just like in business, the right opportunities need the right timing and partners.

For the Wealthy Matriarch - “How will this align with my family’s legacy?”Someone in her position might be thinking deeply about her family’s generational story. She may be wondering if giving to your cause is the right move for continuing the family's legacy. Address this by discussing the long-term impact of her giving—how it will resonate beyond her lifetime and potentially become a lasting family tradition. Suggest she involve other family members in the process (along with your willingness to help in any way), to make the gift even more meaningful.

‍For the Tech CEO -“When will I find time for this?…and who do I trust?”As CEO of a large growing company, the role is often all consuming. How in the world can they find time to think about any kind of charitable giving when they’re working 12+ hour days and constantly living in airports? However, many CEOs, especially those leading public-facing brands, want the company’s philanthropy to reflect their values. You can offer encouragement and, given your history of friendship, be of assistance to them. Knowing they can trust you to guide them in the midst of their high pressure and high stakes leadership is a significant gift.

As tempting as it might be to jump right into presenting your cause with these folks, the key to assuring progress is by:

🤝asking great questions

🤝listening well

🤝connecting to their deeper needs and aspirations

What would you add to the mix?  Praying for you all to discover great connections and have a great week!

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If you haven't taken advantage of some of the resources I've created to help major gift fundraisers, take a look now!  Initial calls with me are free and "no strings attached".  Sometimes folks feel like they need to wait and not 'bother' me until they have a pressing issue.  No need for that...just make the call. 🕺

‍Here's where you can access a lot of content for free:

‍* Follow me on LinkedIn - You'll get short pro-tips and reflections on major gift fundraising every day between 5-7am pacific.

* Breakthru Newsletter - As you've seen here, these are longer weekly posts (audio and written) sent directly to your email.

* Breakthru Blog - the newsletter from the previous week gets posted here each week for everyone (so email subscribers get it a week early).

* Breakthru Podcast - Interviews with high net worth givers about how we as fundraisers can get better at inviting them to the party.  And audio readings of Breakthru Blog posts.

‍Before getting to the PAID stuff: My opinion is that no small ministry with a tight budget should be spending more than $3-5k (total) for major gift coaching/consulting.  Most of you will be good-to-go spending far less than that.  This was a major issue for me when I was a frontline fundraiser - major gift consultants were an expensive 'black-box-of-confusion' for me.  That stops now.

‍Here's the PAID stuff:

‍* Online Catalyst Course - This is a full brain dump of my 28+ years of experience - good, bad, ugly.  It's built around the fundamentals, the sacredness, and the fun, of major gift fundraising.  It's infused with Henri Nouwen reflections.  Many people can take this course and they will be 'cooking-with-gas' and not need any additional coaching from me on the core systems.  I'm grateful that this course has gotten *great* reviews.

* Live coaching with me - I refer to this as "brain rental".  The ROI on live coaching, as you might imagine, is extraordinary.

Finally, be sure to connect with my colleague Ivana Salloum.  She's super awesome and can help with scheduling and access to resources, etc.

I look forward to hearing about your good work!

Blessings,