“I hate asking for money!” That’s the refrain we often hear from volunteers and staff alike, especially at the beginning of a campaign. I even heard it from Dr. Ed Miller of John Hopkins Medical School… someone who raised $2.2 billion during his tenure.
If you’ve followed our team over the years, you might have heard us say, “Please stop asking for money!”
Because what Dr. Miller loved to do (and what helped make him so successful) wasn’t about asking for money at all. And it was so much easier and rewarding.
“I don’t like asking for money. But I love building relationships. I consider relationship building with donors one of the perks of my job,” said Dr. Miller.
Think about it. While asking for money may indeed make you nervous, isn’t getting to know interesting people and connecting them to your cause one of the most joyful parts of it? I think if you ask any development officer or CEO, they would echo Dr. Miller’s sentiments. Getting to know people and building a trusting relationship is the best part of the job. As Doug Lawson put it best, philanthropy is “the magical mingling of the artful asker, the joyful giver, and the grateful recipients.”
Every job has challenges and every job (hopefully) has perks. Where does relationship-building with a donor, a supporter, a passionate advocate rate? For me, right at the top of the perks.
So it’s all a matter of perspective. If, in your mind, you are going out to raise money, cultivate that donor, make a big request, you may be psyching yourself out before you even begin.
But take a step back. Look at it from a different perspective. What if you consider it an honor and pleasure – indeed a perk of your job – to get to know truly great people who are quite generous?
Doesn’t that sound like a pleasant walk on a warm sandy beach?
It is all in the way we approach our work. Arduous task? Or a great perk?
