Nonprofits: Are You Only Fulfilling Half of Your Mission?

Douglas K. Shaw
CEO/Chairman of the Board

I receive a lot of emails and phone calls from nonprofit organizations and ministries inquiring about our fundraising services. Unfortunately, I can’t help everyone who asks.

Now, there are some very good reasons for this—for example, my company, Douglas Shaw & Associates, doesn’t do the kind of fundraising being asked for, such as capital campaigns or grant writing. We are, after all, a direct response fundraising agency. For us to do what we do best, we utilize a nonprofit’s database to communicate with their donors in meaningful ways that inspire them to give.

Today, direct-response fundraising is very “multichannel,” i.e., we use just about every means available to communicate the mission of the organizations we serve . . . direct mail, digital, and on-air channels are where we can maximize donations for some of the best organizations in the world. Every year, we raise hundreds of millions of dollars for these fantastic nonprofits, and people’s lives are being meaningfully changed as a result.

But there are other reasons why I am not willing or able to serve a nonprofit requesting Douglas Shaw & Associates’ fundraising services. One of the most frequent is that the inquiring organization is only fulfilling half of its mission!

What do I mean by this? Let me give you an example: An organization called me the other day and wanted to find out if my company could help them acquire more donors. Since this is something we do quite well, we asked them a few qualifying questions about who they were, what they did, and what their goals were for building their donor base.

I must admit their answer saddened me. They were focused on spending as little as possible to both acquire and cultivate relationships with their donors. They wanted to make sure the vast majority of their budget went to helping people in need. Why would this fiscal frugality sadden me? My answer might surprise you!

One of the things I look for in serving nonprofits is their sense of partnership with their donors. After all, donors’ dollars fund their ability to exist and serve. Without donors, nonprofits can’t fulfill their mission. Without enough donors, nonprofits cannot grow and thrive in their service. Without a thriving base of financial support, charitable organizations flounder, losing flexibility to seize high-impact opportunities and high-level talent. And, sadly, they end up delivering minimal services to people who really need them.

Here’s the point I’m trying to make: if you focus your efforts on spending less to acquire donors and cultivate meaningful relationships with them, you are missing not only the point but the other half of your mission! Donors need to give. They see people in need and want to help but seek a trusted partner they can believe in . . . one who has your expertise in helping to provide the help and hope our communities, countries, and world need.

The other half of your mission is to provide an experienced, trustworthy outlet for donor giving!

Let’s turn our thinking 180 degrees just for a moment. If the Bible is true when it says, “It’s more blessed to give than receive”—and I believe it IS true—then we have a responsibility to look at donors in a way that many do not. When I hear nonprofit CEOs say, “We need to do more with less,” my heart hurts. I feel this especially when I sense that donors are seen only as a means to an end—your organization’s end. Please, revisit your thinking about the other half of your mission, i.e., the services you provide to both the “givers” and “receivers” in accomplishing the mission you strive to complete.

As children, we were taught to “look both ways before you cross the street.” I’m proposing, as nonprofit leaders, that you “look both ways in accomplishing your mission.” You and your board will never regret your decision to do this.

As donors increasingly feel your organization’s growing partnership with them, in their desire to make the world a better place, you’ll find more joy in your journey. Fundraising will no longer feel burdensome, but rather joyful as you realize the authentic service you are offering to people of goodwill.

If you’d like to explore this idea further for your own organization, contact us today. Let’s discuss how to look both ways in accomplishing your mission.