Some people find me abrasive. Here's why.

Recently I was told, “Greg, you are one strong cup of coffee.”
I like that. Here’s why I am the way I am:
1. I believe life is very, very short. Both of my parents died in their 60’s. One of my best friends died last year at 54. I am 47. I think the fundraising sector needs to change, now! I don’t have time to wait. Today could be my last day. I have a tremendous sense of urgency.
I believe I need to get things done now! I guess that makes me a bit abrasive.
2. Complacency is a prelude to disaster. Our sector is failing to improve. That frustrates me tremendously. The fact that revenues from charitable gifts have been stuck at just 2% of GDP (gross domestic product) for over four decades is a crime. And it’s not the donors’ crime. It’s ours. We need to take responsibility for this. Imagine how much good could be done if we helped the revenues from charitable gifts grow to just 2.5% of GDP! That could add almost another $100 billion to help others! The sector can’t be complacent any longer.
I believe the sector must change now! I guess that makes me a bit abrasive.
3. The technology for success already exists. Technology is a game-changer. When it’s leveraged properly, it can make almost anything more effective— including fundraising. For example, just look at how much more efficient Uber, Apple, Google, and others have made all of us. But the nonprofit sector has been slow to adopt new technologies and strategies even though doing so would increase giving, make donors happy and make fundraisers more effective. But too often I run into people in the sector that don’t want to change. They don’t want to adopt new ways of doing things.
I believe nonprofit staff needs to embrace new technologies now! I guess that makes me a bit abrasive.
4. Too often donors are treated very poorly. Sometimes I wonder if lots of nonprofit staff might not be donating. Could the majority of them, perhaps, feel that they don’t need to donate since they already work hard all day helping to make an impact? If that’s the case, then it explains why so many nonprofits have such poor retention rates. It explains why so many lack donor-centricity. You can’t be donor-centric if you don’t know how it feels to be a donor, can you? The absence of donor-centricity leads to poor treatment of donors. I think that isn’t right and isn’t nice.
I believe nonprofit staff needs to treat their donors the same way they’d want to be treated! I guess that makes me a bit abrasive.
I’m frustrated.
Remember, I got into this because I was a pissed off donor. I wanted to figure out how to ensure that donors, like me, were treated better.
Less spray and pray marketing.
Less show up and throw up fundraising.
Less abuse of major donors and others.
I beg you, please don’t misconstrue my frustration.
What some perceive as abrasive others perceive as passion.
I’m on a mission. My train is moving. Will you get aboard? I hope so!
If not, please get out of the way because this sector must change for the good of donors everywhere, for the good of the beneficiaries of your donors’ gifts, for the good of the staff at your organization, and for the good of millions of organizations around the world.
Whew! Maybe I should switch to decaf.
 

SEE ALSO:

>> What We Do
>> Success Stories
 

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

20 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Nancy Preston
Nancy Preston
6 years ago

Love your commentary, Greg. My “tag line” is: “I challenge people and organizations to think and do differently.” I have not been retained on several occasions because I have high expectations, I set a high bar, I may appear to threaten the status quo… I am proud to say that I survived the economic downturn in the late 2000’s despite organizations saying they had to continue “treading water” and weren’t in positions to change things up, despite recognizing the need to. There is so much potential in the nonprofit sector…and I – like you – remain committed to guiding organizations towards high performance.
Fortunately…I don’t drink coffee! Onward!

engagementfundraising
6 years ago
Reply to  Nancy Preston

We are kindred spirits Nancy. Thanks for reading and driving the change that needs to happen.

David
David
6 years ago

Greg,
In the words of the esteemed philosopher Matthew McConaughey, …”Right on. Right on. Right on!”
Non-profits exist to achieve their good purpose (mission). If non-profits have more, they can do more.
You say – complacency is the prelude to disaster.
I would add, we all know mediocrity exists, but why would we ever want to embrace it?
Guess I’m a kindred spirit – (a.k.a., abrasive, passionate, aging fundraiser).

engagementfundraising
6 years ago
Reply to  David

Yes! David, I love that guy Matthew McConaughey. He carries the same passion albeit less abrasive. Different strokes for different folks. Thanks for being part of our “tribe”!

Mike
6 years ago

Continue to be abrasive! The lethargy and contentment with 60%-70% donor attrition is atrocious! It’s too bad philanthropy officers are not measured on the key metrics. Unfortunately, most of them do not know their key metrics. Dr. Eddie Thompson recently spoke to +700 fundraisers, and 3 (THREE) had a strategic plan for at least three years.

engagementfundraising
6 years ago
Reply to  Mike

Onward and upward Mike. Thanks for your support.

Kelley Tetzlaff
Kelley Tetzlaff
6 years ago

Greg, I can ad an “AMEN!”, and “PREACH it brother” to your comments!!
It is time that the charitable world wake up and come out the 15th or 16th century!
Stay ‘robust coffee’ strong- change the world. I want to be on the same train!

engagementfundraising
6 years ago

Thanks Kelley! Right on brother!!

Kurt W.
6 years ago

Nice! Lemmings don’t create change. No one ever got fired for “doing what everyone else does”, but then again, none of them ever changed an industry.

engagementfundraising
6 years ago
Reply to  Kurt W.

….says the guy who said I was a strong cup of coffee! Thanks Kurt!

Scott
Scott
6 years ago

I share your passion, Greg. When you understand the magnitude of the potential and realize we are not fully tapping into that, it drives you to want to do more. There is huge opportunity. We simply need to understand how to better communicate and engage with the masses.I appreciate your insights and fine work in this area.
As for strong coffee, bring it on!

engagementfundraising
6 years ago
Reply to  Scott

Thanks so much Scott. Cheers!

Jonathan Kresken
Jonathan Kresken
6 years ago

A great fire burns within me but no one stops to warm themselves at it and passers-by only see a wisp of smoke Van Gogh
Keep the fire burning and add some wind to the flame to keep it going
Thanks for the words of wisdom, Greg

engagementfundraising
6 years ago

Thanks so much Jonathan. I’m so thrilled to have you (and The Citadel Foundation) as a client. I love looking at your MarketSmart dashboard ad seeing all those leads we generated together. Almost 1,400! Plus about 140 legacy gifts found. Wow!!

William Skaggs
William Skaggs
6 years ago

I love a strong cup of good coffee. I also love passion. If those are making you “abrasive,” then maybe too many are enjoying weak coffee inside their personal bubble, safely hidden from passion … and change 😉

engagementfundraising
6 years ago
Reply to  William Skaggs

Yesss! Thanks William. I appreciate the support.

Laura Waller
6 years ago

Keep going, Greg – There is too much at stake to not be a TRUTH TELLER about the situation. Too much missed opportunity and too much vulnerability to be silent and not set the bar higher and challenge the profession to dig deeper.

engagementfundraising
6 years ago
Reply to  Laura Waller

Thanks Laura. I will!

Helen
Helen
6 years ago

Dear Greg, Passion is great, and I agree with you that there is lots of opportunity to be grasped in our sector. But — and maybe this is me being British — but my experience is that people don’t do things because you yell at them & talk about how terrible everything is. Donors don’t give in response to that, and co-workers don’t embrace change in response to it either. People respond when you show them positive practical solutions that they can realistically implement. I’ve developed fundraising programmes for two organisations, the first of those is now regularly bringing in over £1m a year, the second has tripled its fundraised income since I came here 21/2 years ago. Not because I am super brilliant, but because across the organisation, I’ve got people to understand that fundraising is not something the Development Department (all 2 of us!) does – it’s something we all play a part in, and there are clear things each colleague can do that help us raise more money for our work. I highly recommend a book called “Switch – how to change when change is hard” by Chip & Dan Heath. They make the point that what looks like resistance to change (or what you might call complacency) is often lack of clarity.
In your role as a commentator, you have a fantastic opportunity to give clear direction on how to do something better, and your posts often do this … please don’t undermine your credibility by starting to just rage at the way things are.
That’s my rant over 🙂

engagementfundraising
6 years ago
Reply to  Helen

Love this! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU Helen for such a great reminder. Your “rant” is not brilliant because you are British but because YOU ARE BRILLIANT. Thank you for your very wise counsel.

Get smarter with the SmartIdeas blog

Subscribe to our blog today and get actionable fundraising ideas delivered straight to your inbox!