Travels of a Kindred Spirit

by Paul Jolly

Taking the Asking Matters assessment helped me to understand why I am good at some aspects of fund raising and vexed by others. Here is what I have found.

A ceasefire in “class warfare”. I can get as wound up as the next guy about the growing gulf between the privileged and the rest of us. But when I am talking to a gazillionaire about an organization we both care about, I unwind.

  It has given me great satisfaction to craft a fund raising career out of being plain ol’ me.

It takes all kinds. Donors who are passionate about a cause are fun to talk to. It doesn’t matter if they are cringing introverts or raging extroverts. My interpersonal skills are at their height when I am with a committed donor. We are kindred spirits together!

Asking is no big deal. Whatever gene makes people squirm about asking for money is missing from my DNA. If I can help an important organization do good work by asking for a gift, and you can help by being generous, let’s do it.

This is not say that I am a five star fund raiser. I get lost in crowds, so I am mostly useless at events. Donors who ask tough analytical questions can often throw me off guard. And I can’t work for organizations whose fund raising is based on prestige, because I can’t promote elitism with a straight face. Not even for a good cause.

The stereotypical fund raiser, working his way around a crowded room with a firm handshake for everyone, is my polar opposite. It has given me great satisfaction to craft a fund raising career out of being plain ol’ me.

Paul Jolly has been a fundraiser for over 20 years, in development shops ranging in size from 1 to 30. His consulting practice focuses on helping organizations strengthen relationships with their best donors. He has given numerous workshops in the Mid-Atlantic region, serves as an “expert” on the Asking Matters Web site, and is a peer reviewer for Maryland Nonprofits’ Standards for Excellence program.