But, it’s all about relationships, right?
Life is rarely binary. More often, our lives are filled with "yes, and" choices. Those "yes, and" choices create tension. In the fund development sector, our mantra is "it's all about relationships." We cultivate and get to know donors. We wait to ask donors until we have built a relationship; we don't treat them as ATM machines. We steward and thank donors for their generosity. We engage them in understanding the impact of their gifts. All of these moves, these tasks, are meant to build the relationship between the donors and our organizations. And, yet, our tasks are measured by donations. How many donations did we raise for how many dollars? How frequently did we receive a donation? How frequently is a donor giving? And, more. The indicators of our success rely on data, the numbers. Those statistics, that data, often drive the stress in our field. We lay awake the night before a fundraising event wondering if the net proceeds will be sufficient or exceed last year's numbers. We look at the year-to-date budget and revenue numbers and feel the pangs of panic of the yawning budget gap. We count the number of coffee and meetings we have had and feel…