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Ongoing communication reminds us who we've asked for help, that we've been taken seriously and for
those who have given, that our gift has really meant something.
By The Reverend
Alanson B. Houghton
You’re about to meet a donor that any capital campaign would
welcome with open arms. The Rev. Alanson B. Houghton years
ago “retired” from the Episcopal priesthood to the
coast of South Carolina. There he keeps busy with activities
for nonprofit organizations including the YMCA and United Way.
Alan has several valuable assets: he’s a doer, a veteran
capital and annual campaigner (along with being a veteran of the U.S.
Marine Corps), and an experienced donor. In his most recent
activity, he has been the chair of the Leadership Division of the
“Our Hope for Today…and Tomorrow”
campaign for the Georgetown County (SC) Family YMCA, where D.C. Dreger,
ACFRE, CDS
Senior Campaign Director, has been serving. Alan, a founding
member of the Y board of directors, was part of the solicitation team
for numerous leadership gifts in addition to being a leadership donor.
Alan has written a statement meant to be read by people on both sides
of the donor equation. His words come from his own
experiences and from his heart. You’ll see the
value he brings to capital campaign fundraising. -Ed.
*****
Money doesn’t grow on trees nor does it drop off like leaves
in the fall! If we need monetary contributions to help a
worthy cause we must ask for them—be it for a church or a
charity or a community or public endeavor.
We must be bold and forthright in our asking. People cannot
read our minds or sense the feelings of our hearts unless we are open
and direct. If we really believe in the enterprise, and have
given money ourselves, then our request will ring loud and
true. We must be specific with our question as well as with a
suggested amount.
If I ask you to give “something,” you'll do just
that and it will be the smallest amount you think you can get away with
without ruining our friendship, or your reputation! But if I
ask you to match what I’ve given or a specific amount I think
you’re capable of giving, then I challenge and inspire you to
dig deeper. No one is insulted by being asked, or for being
asked for more than they might be able to afford to give. Believe me.
The “best in the business” are (1) those who
believe in something deeply enough (2) to be able and willing to sell
it, and (3) are then willing to call on their peers and “ask
for the order,” and (4) last but not least, to use their
credit, i.e.: if I ask you to help me, I must expect you to ask me to
help you at some later date. Bob Duke, one of the gurus in
the charitable giving field, taught me these four principles.
He also reminded those of us he worked with that asking for money was
really exposing people to new arenas, and giving people an opportunity
to reach beyond themselves—to “do the
extraordinary.” In other words, it is a privilege
to expose others to facets of our common life that they may have
overlooked. And it’s a privilege to ask them to
join in common cause for the common good. We’re
really doing them a favor!
They may say “no” but that's okay. You
can ask them again and the next time you may be pleasantly
surprised. You may eventually determine that they are not
interested; therefore you must move on to someone else. Yes,
it’s tough asking for money but it’s also a chance
to underline what you believe in as well as giving others a way of
“buying in.” Often they don't know what's
out there unless you tell them! You are the messenger.
The reverse side of this coin is what you do when you receive the
money, the gift, the offering of a human being, for the church or the
charity or the community or public endeavor. You say
“Thank you.” Period!! You say
it in person, and by phone and by pen.
Eight letters—a mere breath—yet so many fail to
breathe them, say them, write them, use them in appreciation for what
has been offered or given. I cannot understand the failure or
the hesitation to tell someone that you are grateful for what has been
given, and at your request! Why the silences?
A simple “thank you” is the minimum response in
thanksgiving for whatever has been offered. It reinforces the
instincts of the giver, and it reminds the receiver that what has been
given is also the gift of someone’s heart.
So it’s not “if” to say thank you, but
how? A call and a note are minimum responses to any gift. It
takes so little time, yet means so much. But more than that
it reminds us who have asked for help that we have been taken
seriously, and we who have given that our gift really means
something. Silence is not golden here. In fact it
can turn gold into ashes overnight.
St. Paul reminds us that God loves a cheerful giver. I
agree! But what ensures such cheerfulness will continue, and
that the giver might give again, could well be those eight letters,
that mere breath—Thank you!
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