Yellowstone, the first national park, was protected by Congress on March 1, 1872. Yellowstone brings to mind otherworldly geothermal formations, vast prairies, and tumbling rivers. It also brings to my mind one of the many faux pas of my fund raising career. This faux pas highlights the importance, in conversations with donors, of having the right answer to the question, "Are you from around here?" When I worked for The Wilderness Society, I visited Jackson Hole, Wyoming many times. There was a donor, with whom I had no contact, who lived 90 miles west of Jackson Hole. I wrote before one of my trips, saying that I would be nearby and would try to arrange a visit after I arrived.  It was not until after I got to Jackson Hole that I checked my atlas and saw the dreaded words "road closed in winter" along the highway that stretches west out of Yellowstone. I imagined the donor sitting in his wood heated home surrounded by snow drifts, reading my letter and chuckling about an Easterner who thought he could go anywhere he wanted anytime of year.
A donor has the right to know that the person he or she is talking to is an authentic representative of the cause they share. For a land conservation organization, "Are you from around here?" is a test of authenticity. For other organizations, the test is different.
Here are two other instances of the same test.
- A fund raiser at a spiritual center steeped in feminist theology insisted on referring to women, regardless of age, as "gals." He didn't last long. He was clearly not "from around here."
- A board member of a Maryland organization who had recently moved to the Eastern Shore was eager to introduce some of his affluent neighbors to the cause. He told me that old-timers of a certain status will work two questions into the first five minutes of conversation. The answers to "How much waterfront do you have?" and "What kind of boat do you own?" indicate whether you are "from around here" and determine whether or not you are added to the "invite to our next party" list.
What form does the question "Are you from around here?" take for your organization? How do you answer it? Share your thoughts with other readers here. |
