I’m thinking today about the importance of first thought.
What I mean by that is a person’s natural reaction to a crossroads moment – something that could go in one of two directions, like success or failure.
And I’m reflecting on the moment of decision that a person has when confronted by that crossroads – the decision either to take the risk of believing in possibility or to play it safe and assume failure.
And I’m thinking about this not only as a fundraiser and a business owner, but as a father.
My kids are on the older side, ranging in age from 15 to 23, and the older they get, the more I interact with them about big things – promotions, jobs, internships, credentials.
Things with potential – things that may exist in the future but that do not exist now.
And the fact that those things do not exist now makes them scary.
They are unknown.
So when I encourage my kids to take a risk – apply for a job, email a professor, talk to a coach, attend an event – they are nervous.
And I get it.
Because the situation is unknown.
And the unknown can be scary.
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But the future can also be exciting.
Because the future has potential.
There is nothing fundamentally moral about being risk-averse.
It is not more right to do the safe thing.
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But a lot of folks live that way.
A lot of fundraisers live that way.
Confronted by the risk involved in making an ask, fundraisers often choose safety.
They assume raising money is about being “impressive” or “not wrong.”
So they play it safe.
They send a card instead of having coffee. They write a grant instead of making a call. They focus inward instead of facing outward. They manage programs instead of building new relationships.
But based on my observation, that is a fast path to stagnation.
Or even failure.
Because every organization goes through attrition.
It’s just a natural thing.
So if you’re not looking to that next opportunity, if you’re not building your pipeline, if you’re not holding new conversations with potential donors, things will eventually either stagnate or just fade away.
On the other hand, however, when an Executive Director gives themself permission to be optimistic – when they look at a situation and think “this may work out!” – uniquely exciting things can happen.
Good things.
Scary perhaps, because they are new.
But good.
A closed gift. A new relationship. A new building. An enhanced program.
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And I see this as yet another example of how fundraising is a pretty good laboratory for life.
Successful fundraisers – like successful people – know the importance of maintaining a general sense of optimism.
That the next really great thing probably won’t happen unless you take that risk – unless you let yourself believe “This may work out.”
Calculate risk. Be a good steward. Confer with stakeholders.
But don’t assume that by playing it safe you are doing the more right thing.
You are allowed to believe that the next great thing just may work out.
Because at the very least, when you refuse to take a shot, you’re guaranteed not to hit anything.
But when you do, it is indeed possible that the next great thing is just around the corner.
Photo by Júnior Ferreira on Unsplash.
