Recently a friend of mine was promoted. Now she is in a leader position at her organization’s headquarters. Yippee!
I asked her, “What will you change first?”
She pounced on the question and answered right away by saying, “I’m going to make sure our staff understands that there’s nothing wrong with fundraising.”
She went on to recount how her predecessor would habitually talk about fundraising in a derogatory manner by repeatedly saying, “It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.”
“Why is asking for money a dirty job?” she asked me rhetorically. Of course, we both agree, it’s not!
People WANT to give. We are just here to make it easier. We are here to facilitate the process. And, by doing so, we empower them to do what they can’t do alone. We give them the opportunity to do good along with us.
It’s NOT a dirty job. And, yes, someone DOES have to do it if they want to make the world a better place. Let’s not allow staff members (and leaders) to put down fundraising. It is the lifeblood of the organization and should be treated with the respect it deserves.
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