“We should stop asking during this pandemic,” Board members of a few clients said.
This struck me as curious.
Many of these Board members were also business leaders.
In their own businesses, they didn’t stop giving customers the opportunity to buy. They didn’t stop sending out product newsletters. They didn’t stop communicating about how their business was handling COVID-19 and how customers could feel safe. They didn’t remove their products from online stores.
They kept selling.
They gave customers the opportunity to consume as much or as little as the consumer wanted. They didn’t make the decision for the customer.
These same Board members, however, were not giving donors the opportunity to donate as much or as little as the donor wanted. They were making the decision for the donor.
Giving is much more than a transaction, than a sale. It’s an opportunity for the donor to generously act upon their values in our communities. They should have the opportunity to give as much or as little as they want.
We keep asking.