“When conventional economic and marketing assumptions shape and undergird the work of charitable fundraising, .... potential donors will often be approached with the expectation that they will be more interested in having their names in the program or on a plaque or in receiving a premium or a tax break than in giving to help others "out of the goodness of their hearts."
This week, I am reading a quote from Growing Givers’ Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry by Thomas Jeavons and Rebekah Burch Basinger, published in 2000.
Reflection questions:
Reflection on quote:
We are starting a short series on authentic giving. Due to the nature of capital campaigns, it is easy to fall into the trap of asking for a transactional donation because of various common features of a campaign, such methods to give to save on taxes documents and naming rights; that is, give this donation and you can name this part of the building. Let’s start this series about authentic giving in looking at our approach.
Several years ago, I learned this principle through a bit of a failure. I was working with a nonprofit client that had a donor who planned to give a gift of appreciated stock. Immediately, I advised the nonprofit to set up the process for the donor to transfer the stock to the client and avoid capital gains tax. However, when the donor was told how to avoid capital gains tax, they refused and instead insisted on selling the stocks, paying the capital gains tax, and donating the proceeds. This donor cared more about the world-changing and life-giving power that was present in or working through the goodness of his heart and soul than the tax break. And, frankly, the donor was a bit offended to be offered a way to save money in his giving.
Imagine if the conversation had gone differently. What if I hadn’t assumed that the donor would want a tax break? What if I had encouraged the nonprofit to first approached the conversation with an acknowledgement that this donor was giving out the goodness of their heart. What if only after that was fully acknowledged, then the nonprofit had a conversation with the donor about what they wanted to accomplish through their method of giving? When we approach donors with the assumption that they wish to give authentic gifts without receiving anything in return, we can better avoid any feeling that the gift is a transaction.
To purchase this book: Growing Givers’ Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry by Thomas Jeavons and Rebekah Burch Basinger.
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Music credit: Woeisuhmebop
