In December 2018, Marc Pitman* introduced me to the idea of psychic poverty. The stock market was going through uncertainty and donors were pulling back on major gifts. Sound familiar?
He discussed how donors can suddenly feel fearful about giving even though their wealth remains relatively unchanged. This infects fund development professionals and we begin to worry about asking and meeting our fundraising goals.
The vaccine? Practice generosity during the times of fear.
This message starts with us. Give a gift to the organization you serve, even a small one, as a hedge against your own feelings of psychic poverty.
Next, spread the word of your gift to your colleagues, staff and volunteers. Your leadership will help buoy them against their own fears.
Finally, this is the time to reach out to your donors and listen to their needs. Many of us have older donors with limited social networks and/or family that live near them. We might be one of the few important relationships in their life.
Take the time to care for them. Make a phone call and ask what they need. Fear can cloud our donors’ perspectives. As experts in the nonprofit field, we can help connect them to resources.
Generosity is one of the best antidotes to psychic poverty. Let’s practice together.
*P.S. Marc Pitman has a great resource with practical ideas for fundraising events and the economy called “Fundraising in the Age of Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Image: CDC/Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS