No philanthropy professional, no matter how experienced, well-trained, and sophisticated, can make wonderful things happen for their organization and their community without making relationships the priority.
Recently, I was asked to share a favorite donor story, which provides a perfect example of this abiding lesson. I didn’t even have to think about it as the donor who made the first-ever $1 million contribution to our organization will always be one of the fondest memories in my career. Yet, it wasn’t the actual gift that created the memory – although the $1 million contribution was transformational. Rather, it was the circumstance that resulted in the gift that I continue to reflect on some 30 years later because it was the perfect embodiment of how relationships – authentic and trusting – lead to contributions.
My relationship with this donor had begun nearly a decade earlier when I asked for an in-kind gift of the use of his business facility as the site of our annual gala. Our vision was to transform the large open spaces in his warehouse into venues, where more than 300 people could enjoy a variety of entertainment and activities. His contribution that year was not simply opening the doors to his business but also suspending business operations for more than 24-hours so that we could prepare for and conduct the event. In addition, he secured a contribution of semi-trucks to store all of his supplies in. It was an extraordinary success, and we couldn’t have been more grateful.
As was our tradition, our gala the next year would be held in a different location, but this donor wanted to remain involved. Without being asked, he stepped up to become a financial sponsor for the event. Within a few years, he had become an annual donor, attendee, and sponsor for both our annual events – all without specific requests. He took his involvement one step further to join the sponsorship sub-committee for the golf tournament eventually leading the sub-committee with his son for a number of years.
At this point, you may be wondering if I’m not asking, what am I doing? Though I didn’t think of it this way at the time, I was stewarding the relationship by sharing gratitude for the many gifts, sharing ongoing information about the organization’s work, asking his advice and counsel, and further involving him personally as a volunteer, including as a board member.
When the time came to consider the organization’s first capital campaign in more than 20 years, this donor was my first visit – not to ask for a contribution, but to invite him to serve on the pre-campaign planning cabinet. His counsel was so highly valued that his involvement would be foundational to whatever path we chose. With the planning cabinet’s work complete and a recommendation made to the board to engage in a multi-million-dollar capital campaign, this donor was the first to step up with a million-dollar pledge, again, without being formally asked. At this point, he engaged his wife in personally cultivating prospective campaign donors. They were a dynamic duo!
So, it went for nearly another two decades. Annual gifts, event support, special project engagement, and even another one-million-dollar commitment all continued to arrive until this donor’s passing and all without my doing anything beyond honoring what had become a close and valued relationship.
When I reflect on the long tradition of contributions and the fact that I only actually ever asked this donor for one in-kind gift, I recognize that this circumstance perfectly represents how relationships matter. I even feel sheepish that people actually believed that I was responsible for the great many wonderful things made possible through this special donor’s abundant and faithful philanthropy. I wasn’t; I was nothing more than the conduit by which he could express his vision and passion for our organization’s mission. As professionals, it is both our responsibility and honor to create bridges between amazing possibilities and those with the passion and ability to fund them.