When we see a hundred dollar bill something happens. It may be all in our head, but it seems to have energy. It grabs us. Money is a powerful force. We’ve all felt its pull.
The reason money is so powerful is because it represents our hard work and all the emotional investment we put into our jobs. Having money gives us options, power, security, and pleasure. It boosts our self-esteem and makes others respect us, or so we think.
Anything that powerful carries a lot of potential danger. Unchecked, the influence of money can grow until it strangles a person’s heart.
The enjoyment of working in fund development is that we have an opportunity to loosen money’s hold on people by encouraging them to give it away. When people give their money away, they short-circuit its negative influence. As development directors, we perform a powerful and unique service to donors!
Three very important things happen when a person gives money away:
- The organization receives help.
- The person or cause in need is taken care of.
- And the donor finds fulfillment and joy.
So, it is obvious, and widely understood, that the organization and the cause it represents gets funding. But when the donor gives it also adds a powerful dimension of significance to the giver’s work. Donors share the values of the organization and want to participate in the work, but they may lack the training, talent, time, or even the calling it takes.
When people give, they transfer their talent and labor to a cause by giving the money that their work has earned. In effect, a donor’s job becomes an extension of the organization. It’s almost like they have suddenly joined the staff.
When you think of the giving transaction this way, the donors are positioned in a substantially different place – they are true partners.
Non-profits must make sure the power of money is used to help the people and causes they serve, AND the donor. Organizations must take as much satisfaction in helping the donor find satisfaction as they do in securing the funds. That is what releases the power of money in the right way.
