“…Fancy is fruitful and promises fair, but, like the dog in the fable, we catch at a shadow, and when we find the disappointment, we are vexed, not with ourselves, who are really the impostors, but with the poor, innocent thing or person of whom we have formed such strange ideas…”
This week, I am reading from Abigail Adams’ letter to Hannah Lincoln, written in 1761.
Reflection questions:
- Have you become too firmly attached to the capital project you have envisioned and formed false notions of things and persons?
- Have you invited donors hear your wishes for the project and then listened to their input to make the project better?
Reflections on quote:
During the strategic, pre-development, and construction planning, we have grand wishes of what the project will be. We dream about our mission and how this building will further that dream. It is a beautiful element in every capital campaign. Unfortunately, we can move too quickly from the construction planning to the quiet phase of asking donors. And, in doing so, we can form false notions about things and persons; that, about the project and the donors who will fund the project. Then reality and disappointment will suddenly confront us when we are across the table making an ask to a donor who doesn’t have the same wishes for the project. Instead, we need to be to patient in planning, holding loosely our wishes and vision for the project until after we invite prospective donors to give their input into the project. Otherwise, we can become too firmly attached to an idea for the project that a potential donor won’t fund. When we listen to donor’s advice, we hold our wishes loosely and invite these donors to help us make our wishes and dreams for the project even more practical and life-giving to the small towns we serve.
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Music credit: Woeisuhmebop