Ask Not What Your Donor Can Do For You…
I’ve recently been enrolled in some coaching courses, and it got me thinking…
What if you were to think of yourself as the coach and the donor as your client?
As a coach (aka “philanthropy facilitator”), your goal would be to help that client.
This is a very different stance than approaching them as someone who will help you. It completely shifts the equation of your interactions.
I’ve been working with donors, and organizations working with donors, for forty years now. Along the way, one of the things I’ve learned is your approach to your work matters. It’s why I talk a lot about reframing.
- Philanthropy, not fundraising.
- Storytelling, not asking.
- Gratitude, not greed.
- Abundance, not scarcity.
- Helping, not selling.
Today I’d like to discuss another type of reframing. It has to do with using your ears and mouth in the proportion in which they were given to you.