And then they came for me…

chain link fenceWe are the do-gooders, and the philanthropy facilitators, and there’s never been a more urgent time to do good and facilitate philanthropy (aka “love of humankind”).

The separation of children from their parents is breaking everyone’s hearts – on both sides.  This is simply wrong, wrong, wrong.  And these children, who have done nothing wrong, will be permanently scarred.

Yesterday’s article from Vu Le of Nonprofit AF, Actions we can take to end the inhumane policy of separating immigrant kids and families, really struck a chord with me.  I can’t say it better, so I’m encouraging you to read the article in its entirety. It’s not about politics. It’s about right and wrong. Humanity and cruelty.

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Why Creating Donor Engagement Opportunities Boosts Fundraising

I wish I had a dime for every time a nonprofit board or staff member told me “We’re the best kept secret in town; if people knew what we do, they’d give to support us.”

If I had all those dimes, I could make a nice contribution to your cause.  That is, if…

  • You endeavored to learn a little bit about me,
  • You engaged me personally,
  • Then you asked me.

You see, merely “building awareness” will not ipso facto raise more money for your cause.

Just because I care about something, and somehow learn you are involved in doing something about that thing, doesn’t mean I’m going to support you financially.

Why should I?  There are a lot of good causes out there, and making a decision to invest in you is something I need to act on.

I’m busy.  I’m overloaded with information. And inertia is just too powerful a force.

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