The Most Important Thing a Donor Can Give You (It’s Not What You Think)

What is the most important thing a donor can give you?

If I were to ask that question at an Association of Fundraising Professionals conference, I suspect most members of the audience would respond by saying, “A big check!” If I were to pose the same question at a National Association of Charitable Gift Planners convention, participants might shout out, “A charitable remainder trust!”

In other words, we tend to think that the most important or valuable thing a prospect or donor can give a charitable organization is money and, preferably, lots of it.

However, do we have the wrong goal in mind?

Maybe.

Amy Cuddy, a psychology professor and researcher at the Harvard Business School, says that successful professionals must first earn an individual’s trust and respect.