Fundraising is a practice, a craft, characterized at its best by creativity, collaboration and a deep, human connection.  It is about enabling people to discover what is important in their lives, and it is much more about transformation than it is about transactions.

We miss something very important when we are focused on selling people. Selling implies that money is the most important part of the relationship.   When money is at the center of the relationship, it distracts us from our mission because we are worried that we won’t have enough or that we’ll make a mistake.  It sets up a false power dynamic that requires that we talk shell-to-shell.

When we remove this buyer/seller dynamic, we move away from dependence and a relationship that favors one side over the other.  It moves into a place of effortless flowing, growth and discovery, sharing, trust and co-creation.

When we work from here, partnerships become a constant source of renewal and energy.  Metrics and results are no longer used to justify an investment, so they don’t have to be “spun” or “enhanced.”  Rather, they’re used as a valuable tool for understanding, for knowledge, a resource for wise future decision-making and an inspiration for action.