Gotcha! Bit again by the transaction bug. Like a mosquito bite that spreads malaria or the zika virus, the transaction bite can degrade the health of the donor relationship over time.
Donor Dreams
One of the distinct privileges of being professional fundraisers is that we get to explore big ideas and dreams with our donors about having an impact in the world. Some examples:
Mitigating hunger and starvation.
Providing education to orphans.
Securing housing for homeless families.
Relieving the suffering of cancer patients.
I could go on and on. These are just a few issues where generous donors dream about putting their capital to use for good, and fundraisers help them make that a reality. As fundraisers, we are in the enviable position of helping donors stay connected to their values and creating an environment where their visions can be fulfilled. We can light the fire in their bellies, and fan the flames of their philanthropic desires.
Donor Perspectives
That said, sometimes donors can get stuck in particular perspective or way of seeing the world that derails their dreams, or dissipates their vision. Related to the causes above, some limited perspective might be:
"Governments politicians are corrupt and will steal food before it gets to the needy."
"Western-style education will be of no use to African orphans."
"Homeless shelters don't work."
"Insurance covers cancer treatments."
As fundraisers, we can take the initiative in working with donors when they get stuck. We can invite them to explore a variety of alternative perspectives in order to move them into action. We can actually say to a donor: "I know that you care about providing education for orphans, and right now the way you're seeing it is that western methods don't work. Are you willing to explore some other perspectives?" I've rarely had a donor say "no" to that invitation. Especially if it's an issue that s/he really cares about. Once the door is open to alternative ways of seeing a situation, we can brainstorm with the donor and co-create possible pathways forward.
Of course, this requires that we remain present, open, and flexible as we dance in the moment with donors. Which brings us to dealing with donor emotions.
Donor Emotions
Nearly any classical economist worth his salt will tell you that making a philanthropic gift is a completely irrational act (from an economic point of view). Thankfully human beings are not automatons, and we have the emerging field of behavioral economics which helps explain from a social scientific standpoint why philanthropy is good for a well-functioning society. And what we're learning is that individual decisions are influenced by both rational (left brain) and emotional (right brain) factors. In fact, it would appear that, more often than not, decisions are first made on emotional grounds, and then justified by rational explanations.
This growing body of evidence is good news for fundraisers and the donors with whom we work. Thankfully, development professionals have known for a long time that donors make gifts from their hearts, not from their heads.
Yes, tax incentives matter. Yes, naming rights are appealing. And, no, these are not generally the primary driving forces for philanthropic giving. As fundraisers, it is incumbent upon us to tap into donors' emotions and allow them to fully experience sadness over a loved one's loss to cancer, or anger at corrupt government officials that steal food from their starving citizens. It is from that pool of emotion that we can help donors can emerge to change the world.
