Street Smarts
The man drank something from a cup, then went inside and came out with a cup that he put down on the sidewalk and held upright while the dog slurped. When they were done, he gathered up all of their trash and put it into the curbside bin. Then man and dog sauntered away in the hot Texas sun.
What a blessing to have witnessed that scene! Acts of kindness flowing from all directions — human to human, human to canine, human to nature, etc. This is a much more direct example of philanthropy than is at work in most of the fundraising sector, but it does underscore some very important lessons for fundraisers: 1) If you want someone to give, you have to engage. Is there anything in your messaging that is the equivalent of this attention-getting pup? 2) Show gratitude. Always. 3) Stewardship is key. We impromptu donors saw exactly where our money went that day — and that it wasn’t squandered. Our intentions certainly are not to judge the people we choose to help, but it’s human nature to want to know our donations are being used judiciously.
