I don’t know about you, but when I tell people I’m a fundraiser it’s not always met with a warm response. I’m sure everyone has met a telemarketer or doorknocker that drove them mad, been disappointed by charities misusing funds, or perhaps it’s just general dislike for marketing interrupting their lives.
Wherever the bad experience, it has coloured their overall perception of what we do. It’s a tough environment to face sometimes, but I hope that if you’re ‘in the business’ that you’re not apologising for fundraising.
Our job is about connecting people to opportunities for their hearts to grow and enabling organisations to have more impact for good.
We’re not here to manipulate people because our world is cynical enough as it is. We’re here to present and articulate a clear need and how people can participate in solving it. We’re connecting people with opportunities and enabling change as a collective, that would otherwise be impossible as an individual. And, like putting fuel in your car, moving forward requires resource – without you’re not going to get very far.
If you take your job seriously then you’re in the business of building long-term relationships, and that’s never easy. Seeing organisations grow requires determination, resilience and consistency. But like all relationships, it’s worth the work because of the joy that comes when our hearts are aligned to a unified mission.
In my experience, most nay-sayers are empty vessels criticising, but not contributing to that end. Fundraising is a job that aligns with God’s heart, and you’re a critical part of the ministry and its growth.
I encourage you to not buy into the lie that what you do is unnecessary or worse still… evil – but see it for what it is – a calling and a privilege.
More Insights from Dunham+Company: “The DANGER of Success”