We want the most funding we can get for our worthy cause. Why not? But what constitutes the “most?” And what makes for the “best?” Without a doubt, the worthy nonprofit that delivers on its mission, the cause that is successful, does so because there has been a commitment for the long-haul.
Funding such an enterprise requires developing a revenue stream that is sustained, over time, while also delivering the most revenue for the least overall cost. Here is where it gets tricky for a lot of nonprofit leaders. So driven to achieve short-term cash, they often alienate the very supporters that would give them what they really need.
Overselling through over-the-top urgency or incessant short-term solicitations only turns off the philanthropic investor. Such an investor really isn’t interested in you or your organization’s needs. They are keenly aware of their own values and want to use those values to make a lasting—read “long-term” difference in the lives of others.
Principle 6 of The Eight Principles of Sustainable Fundraising® is Divide & Grow™. One-time cash givers will always be with us. God bless them—and thank them. Just don’t let your eagerness to claim these gifts blind you to where sustainability really lies—the donors that are there because they believe in what you want to accomplish, not who you are.
