191^st years ago Sunday, the draisine, precursor to the bicycle, was patented.  It was a simple two-wheeled contraption that allowed a walker to glide between steps.  Pedals, brakes, derailleurs, and padded spandex shorts were later embellishments.  And who would want to trade in the top hat for a Styrofoam helmet?

A bicycle is a simple machine, but it can multiply the speed of an individual from 3 miles an hour to 12, 15, or 18 miles an hour with the same amount of exertion.

A development office is also a simple apparatus.  The back of an envelope is plenty of space to write down the tenets of good fund raising.  Like a bicycle, a well crafted development operation can dramatically increase an organization's impact.

So where did the idea come from that fund raising is a "necessary evil?"  Or a separate "department"?  Did any of us, when we unbolted the training wheels from our first two-wheeler, see the bike as a necessary evil?  Of course not.  It is a way of becoming more powerful.

The current economic purgatory makes some people want to retreat from their donors.  Don't succumb!  Hop on your bike -- it's going to be a great ride!