Larry C. Johnson: The 8 Principles of Sustainable Fundraising

The economy, not so much. I have not seen that. Most of the real issues that often confound fundraisers are going on inside of the organization rather than the outside.

FS: So then, is hedging your bets, so to speak, in this economy a mistake?
LJ: Absolutely. Fundraising is the antithesis of begging. I really stress this to my clients. Fundraising is giving donors an opportunity to invest in a vision, a mission. And people will do that when they'll do nothing else. People want to be a part of something larger than themselves if you've identified the right people, the people who have a shared value base with yourself. I've been in this business 25 years, and I've seen recessions come and go. The economy is a convenient reason, or a convenient excuse, for not addressing some of the issues that may be a little more prominent.