Show and Tell: The Staff Ask Philanthropy is experiential. You can’t stimulate philanthropic giving with words. Talking to your board about giving doesn’t work. You can’t just ask your donors to be more philanthropic.
Don’t just invite staff to give. Philanthropy works when you give first and make a large enough gift that you feel pinched. Why? Because then you understand. You understand what it’s like to stand on the should-I-give-or-not bridge. You know the sound it makes in your soul when you hear your footsteps on the bridge. You imagine spending the money for your own needs or those of your family. You experience regret. As you give your money, you sense the loss of control and trust the promises the nonprofit’s making about how they will use your gift. And, then you experience the joy of helping others.
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