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(Belated) Happy Feast Day of St. Romanus:
Reflections on Fund Raising |
October, 2009 |
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 In the 7th century, St. Romanus, the bishop of Rouen, enlisted a prisoner awaiting execution to delivered his city from a monster called Gargouille. For the next 1000 years, the local bishop was allowed to free a prisoner every year on St. Romanus' feast day. And gargoyles were placed on cathedrals throughout the Middle Ages to scare away evil spirits.
The word "gargoyle" is the origin of "jargon" and "gargle." Here are a few unfortunate recollections of gargled fundraising jargon scaring people away.
- Remember in the 90's when we were talking about the generational transfer of trillions of dollars? I met a woman, a trustee of a family foundation, who spoke with surprising bitterness about people my age waiting for people of her age to die.
- When I worked for a Quaker organization in Philadelphia, I met an attorney who offered to share what he knew about the names on my prospect list. I sent him a follow up note to take him up on the offer in which I used the phrase "Friends with deep pockets." It turns out that his wife was heir of the one of the great Philadelphia Quaker family fortunes, and when she opened my note, she was irate.
- The day after getting back from a planned giving seminar, I called a donor excitedly to talk to her about annuities. She agreed to a meeting, and I spent 20 minutes in her living room trying to explain life income gifts without using the word "death." She stared at me in sympathetic puzzlement. Finally she lit up and said "Oh, I know what you mean. You're talking about a give-now, die-later plan."
These are all instances of using the wrong language for the conversation. How can a conversation succeed if the language is wrong? How can fundraising succeed if the conversation is broken? And, while we are asking questions, why does the feast day commemorate the bishop of Rouen, instead of the condemned man who actually slayed the monster?
Want to talk about getting the jargon and gargle out of your communication with your best donors? | |
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If your organization would benefit from creative thinking about major gifts fund raising, let's talk. I can help you think through how to raise money from individual donors in this tough economic climate, get ready for a capital campaign, strengthen board involvement in fund raising, or overcome collective nuerosis about money. Call my cell phone (301) 758 3410, or send an email to paul@jumpstartgrowth.com |
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