Donor or Compassion Fatigue

When are fundraisers going to wake up to the fact that there's no such thing!

It's trotted out as a lame excuse and by the medja when they want to have another go at fundraising but it simply doesn't exist. How can anyone be tired of helping to change the world; helping, in a small way, to make it a better place?

What people are heartily sick and tired of is sloppy, inappropriate fundraising. Direct mail that just tries to piggy back on the fact that someone has given to other charities or has expressed a philanthropy interest. Inappropriate fundraising that asks for money from people who have no interest in that charity, that cause or (even if expressed effectively) that case for support.

That's what people are fatigued about. Asks that are never going to be considered because they are inappropriate, wrongly timed, poorly executed and attrociously constructed. I'm still getting pen packs! For goodness sake fundraisers, stop moaning and start fundraising with passion, good technique, thoughtfulness and, most importantly, humility.

If anyone wants an understanding of that, look at Leonard Cohen's latest concerts. He's 74 performing fantastic music but has nothing but respect for his audience and surprise at his continued success. We could learn a lot from such graciousness.

More about Prophets and Gurus

Still smarting about the rejection notices but I'll console myself with the fact that most successful authors suffer these things at the hands of those who don't or can't understand the gold dust that they are rejecting.

Talking with a major gift fundraiser about the recession and have to agree that when your portfolio has gone from £100m to £60m you feel (relatively) poor. All the indications are that supporters are continuing to give at previous levels but it's very hard and takes much longer to get prospects to the point of solicitation. Where charities can defer asks, they probably should as asking too soon invariably results in a much smaller gift. That was, I recall exactly the probably we had back in 1992 with a large capital campaign and pressure to get the cash in.

They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Perhaps being well informed just makes you grumpy. What do you think???

A prophet in his own land

Was talking with Richard Gutch, formerly head of Futurebuilders when we found ourselves having a GOM moment. I was bemoaning the fact that a paper, featuring brand new research about donor motivations to be published this summer, has been turned down by both the Institute of Fundraising and the International Fundraising Congress. Is it that I need to change my deoderant I asked Richard? Sniffing cautiously he demurred and agreed that it's all too easy to get overlooked by the bright and shiny new stuff (aka New Kids on the block). Yes I admit it there's 61 years on the clock - including successfully surviving at least three other recessions. Sometimes its hard being the proverbial prophet. Especially when you know you're right!