“I’m dying,” she said. “I have 4 to 5 weeks to live.” And this was 5 weeks ago.
Deb Ashton is a personal friend in the planned giving industry who passed away of cancer on January 6, 2022, at 4 AM in Hingham, MA.
I am devastated, but our conversation gave me a paradigm shift.
Read on … because this is more powerful than the “ask” as we know it.
Busy taking care of her final affairs and completing her will, she phoned me to bequeath one of her assets – her book. As we ended the call, she said she would try to call me once more and asked me to keep her health condition confidential for now, not wanting “mercy calls” from friends and public.
My own mortality just stared me in the face.
My uncle, in his 80s, often tells me, “Viken, I don’t have many years left. These days, I am thinking about my legacy. Have you thought about yours?”
Now, I think this man will live until he is 100. I hear that generous people are more likely to become centenarians. But his words actually gave me a different twist when it comes to philanthropy, especially in light of my friend’s phone call. I realized that, when it comes to charity, I actually do not like to give.
I like to invest in a nonprofit.
And I’m not alone.
Giving vs. Investing
The mere act of giving is not what brings major donors to the table. What they care about is the stamp they will make on the world. They see their gifts as investments in the future—a long-term strategy that will become a part of their legacy. When a donor makes a gift to invest in a nonprofit, they are investing in their own legacy.
The older we get, the more we reflect on our lives and begin to consider our individual legacies. For what will we be remembered? What did we do to improve the world?
By giving to a cause or organization they believe in, donors are actually investing in their legacies—legacies that will continue to grow long after they’re gone. They are investing in a way for their loved ones and friends to remember them. One that guarantees that their deep-seated beliefs will live on.
Investing in a Nonprofit Means Investing in Immortality
Many fundraisers seem to think that the heart of their job is talking—specifically, asking donors to make large contributions of money. But even the most generous donor doesn’t really like being asked.
Any good fundraiser will tell you that their job is actually about listening. If you listen to your donors and put yourself in their shoes, you’ll learn what’s important to them and, eventually, the values and causes they want their names associated with after they are gone. Only after hearing what matters to them can you help them reach these goals—by educating them about ways to invest in their legacy.
This approach isn’t always second nature—especially if you are a young fundraiser and have not yet considered or planned for your own legacy. But it is a must if you want to be successful. And this is where your paradigm shift must occur.
Ask Without Asking
Try this: the next time you meet with a donor, listen to their story. Then tell them a story about creating a legacy. Talk with them about investing in their own future as well as your nonprofit’s.
Help them to build a dream.
If you do this, the gift may come in before you even make the ask. The donor knows why you are there, after all.
At the end of the day, most donors are a little selfish. They may give, but they do so in order to invest in their own legacies.
It’s your job to show them how to maintain the continuity of their deep-seated beliefs for generations to come. When a donor makes a gift to invest in a nonprofit, they are investing in the future.
