Fundraising can become all-consuming. We can lay awake at night wondering if we have said the right thing at the right time with the right tone to a potential donor. We can procrastinate calling a donor with the simple purpose to update them, when we worry that they will think we are calling to ask for money. And, we can layer these concerns with the anxiety of meeting the revenue goals for the campaign or year.
How can we bring balance?
There are a number of burnout prevention techniques; however, let’s focus on a way to reduce burn-out, unique to fund development.
Building 3 types of intentional friendships.
The first friendship type is with a joyful, sacrificial donor of limited means who will never give to the cause(s) you serve. Among the other delights of this friendship, you can nourish your common interest of generosity and gratitude. When I spend time with a friend like this, I am reminded why fund development, as a means of generosity, undergirds our work.
The second friendship type is with a caring, generous donor of significant means who will never give to the cause(s) you serve and you commit to never asking. When there is no pressure of “the ask,” the friendship is based on being real; seeing and sharing each others’ burdens. When I spend time with a friend like this, I learn the unique challenges wealth brings; where I don’t understand their circumstances; and when I unintentionally treat other donors to the causes I care about as ATMs.
The third friendship type is with a fellow fund development professional in another organization. These are safe friendships where you both can freely share to celebrations, setbacks and strangeness of the fund development field. When I spend time with these friends, we learned from each others’ experiences and we can encourage each other.
Fund development is all about relationships. The balance to our work is not isolation from relationships. It’s intentional relationships that have no pressure of asking or proving expertise, competence or success and bring flourishing.