“We regret to inform you that we are unable to provide the requested funding at this time.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read those words with minor variations. The first time, it crushed my spirit a little. But that was 14 years ago. Nowadays, it doesn’t phase me at all. A new client recently got their first “We regret to inform you…” When they asked, “Is this OK? ” I had to laugh.
“No” is a normal part of fundraising and the more frequently I hear it, the more money I raise. The only person who never hears “no” is the person who never asks.
“No” doesn’t bother me because it isn’t so much about me as it is about the donor. Maybe they have different priorities right now, maybe they don’t fund projects in my area, or maybe they got rear-ended in a parking lot and spilled hot coffee all over their lap. There are a lot of different that a person might decide not to say, “yes.”
This is where the virtue of cheerful persistence comes in handy. While one donor might say, “No,” the one after that might say, ‘Yes.’ Or maybe it’s the one after that. Or maybe it’s that first donor after two more phone calls and a personal tour. Cheerful persistence enables a fundraiser to start each new donor contact with fresh enthusiasm and warmth.
“No” won’t kill you.
Cheerful persistence is especially important in the world of grant writing and major gift fundraising. A “no” today is not necessarily a “no” forever. Over the years, I’ve had numerous grantors decline my application one year only to have them fund it the following year.
Likewise, when cultivating major donor prospects, multiple contact attempts might be required before a donor responds. Not that they’ll ever respond in any way besides increasing their giving. I’ve known some major donors who never picked up a phone call or responded to an email or invitation, but they increased their giving by 25x thanks to a well-timed and thoughtful sequence of communications. Their lack of response doesn’t mean they don’t read or appreciate your emails or watch the video you send. They just have other things on their plate.
The key to cheerful persistence is to view fundraising from a relational rather than a transactional perspective. While each gift will be entered into the database as a transaction, it is the fruit of a relationship that a donor has developed with an organization, a mission, and in particular, a fundraiser. Cheerful persistence sees each donor contact with the long view that it is another step towards building a strong relationship with a donor.
The fundraiser with the virtue of cheerful persistence sees each donor as a person first. Securing their gift is merely a byproduct of building a good relationship with the donor.
Some bad habits work against cheerful persistence. These habits are as destructive to regular relationships as they are to relationships with donors. Habits like complaining, gossiping, prejudice, and sour grapes are obstacles to approaching each donor contact with enthusiasm. They don’t lead us to think the best about our donors or act charitably toward them.
While I know it is possible to raise money without cheerful persistence and have gone through seasons where persistence alone carried the day, this virtue makes fundraising a lot more fun. Cheerfulness means joy. Joy in your mission, joy in your organization. Joy in giving a new donor something good and valuable to do in your community. And if you enjoy what you’re doing, it’s likely that your donor will, too.
Would you like to learn more about raising money for Church and Ministry? Check out Letters From The Almoner, now available on Amazon.com.
