My way or the highway

Is this a familiar scenario? A prospective supporter who has been there, done that, comes to your organization with an offer to generously fund a specific strategy they believe is the best path to advance your shared goals. 

The only problem is, it’s not what your organization does best. And to accept it would mean mission creep. 

Well, I’d like to tell you a short story about how I managed this roadblock. 

Not long ago, I had the privilege to work with a fascinating donor we will call “Jeff.” For several years Jeff had given modest gifts, though his capacity was much greater. One day, Jeff proposed a new idea that he committed to back with a six-figure contribution. How exciting!  

Alas, the proposed program didn't align with the approach my organization spent decades building and perfecting, which (I might add) had a long history of proven successful outcomes. And Jeff made it clear, he was not interested in funding any other big plans. 

I knew this situation would take fortitude. There was no easy solution. No way to compromise. Jeff wasn’t wrong, it was not a bad approach. In fact, it was an approach other organizations were already pursuing. 

However, the fact of the matter is that his strategy would distract my organization from a more leveraged approach that would lead to even bigger results. So what did I do?

Step 1: Back to basics – I stepped back and focused on the high level. I studied why this donor cared so deeply about these programs. 

Step 2: Listening – Over the course of several more conversations I uncovered exactly what motivated Jeff’s philanthropy and what he hoped to achieve. For several subsequent meetings we largely focused on his motivation and big picture solutions.

Step 3: Building trust – Because Jeff knew I understood his goals and he could see that my organization shared his values, he became open to learning more about our strategies. I was able to share how our work complemented his other philanthropy and provided a more comprehensive approach that would lead to his desired outcomes. 

The Result: In the “my way or the highway” dichotomy, I took the highway… Thankfully, the donor joined me with a gift ten times the size of any of his previous gifts. This transformational gift enabled my organization to significantly increase its impact in ways we previously hadn’t thought possible.

Fortitude led me to stepping back, listening, and building trust. And thus, when we hit the open road together we swiftly reached our destination, mission advancement, on a highway with expanded lanes and an increased speed limit thanks to his support.