Leap and the net will appear.
Are you a “no” fundraiser, or a “yes” fundraiser?
People who frequently say “no” value safety and predictability. Nothing wrong with that. But their growth will be slow, and their success will be limited. People who recognize the power of “yes” value adventure and new experiences. Their growth will be faster and their success, over the long term, will be higher. (Although it won’t be a steady upward climb; be prepared for some setbacks—take enough risks and you’re bound to fail sometimes.)
We have been conditioned to play it safe, to say “no” more than yes our entire lives. Our path was charted for us before we could even walk: go to school, get a job, buy a house, raise a family. These are the benchmarks of success in our society. And most of us don’t view taking chances as a path to success. But history shows us otherwise. Just look at the legacies of Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, and the Wright brothers. You don’t create the world’s most popular computing products, revolutionize the manufacturing process or invent the airplane by playing it safe.
Risky Business
But then you go to work in the nonprofit sector. And nonprofits are not known for taking risks. Budgets are tight, and change is viewed with suspicion. So you play it safe, move slow, pinch pennies. If you don’t understand something, you quickly seek the safety net of “no.”
And this is why so many organizations leave money on the table. A prospect wants to give in a creative way that has never been done before—maybe through a gift of real estate—or by using a method the fundraiser is unfamiliar with. It could be a transformational gift … but the answer is a polite, safe “no thank you.”
The prospect, meanwhile, finds another nonprofit that’s willing to try something different. They say “yes” and turn that prospect into a donor. Meanwhile, your nonprofit loses a gift and a donor.
Ouch.
The Power of Yes
This is how most fundraisers are. But not all.
Savvy fundraisers say yes! Even while they’re thinking, I have no idea how this is going to work, they still say yes. Because “yes” is powerful. “Yes” brings results.
They leap first and then look for the net. They say yes and then the game is on. They say, yes and then figure out how to make it work. They contact someone like my friend Johnne Syverson at the Charitable Giving Resource Center, who helps nonprofits figure out how to accept unusual or complicated gifts.
They say yes, even to restricted gifts, and then they work with the donor to find a way forward that works for the donor and the organization. They recognize the power of “yes.”
Nonprofits create gift acceptance policies for a reason—some gifts just won’t work, or are not worth the potential complications. And I’m a big fan of boundaries. I’m all for saying “no” in order to protect your time or health. But if I realize I’ve said “no” out of fear or laziness, that deserves a second look.
So, what will you say? Will you attempt to say “yes” more this month? Will you consider gifts that may be out of your comfort zone?
Or will you continue saying “no,” and effectively send money to the nonprofit next door?
(For the right answer to that question, see the title of this article.)
