Too often we think of the donor’s next gift as if it is their final gift.
“Don’t leave money on the table.”
“I asked for too little.”
“We could have gotten more.”
These are familiar statements we use nonchalantly but they deeply shape how we think about a donor’s current gift. It’s as if we are taking the final shot in a championship basketball game and we will win or lose based on whether or not we make it. Once the ball is in the air, there is nothing left to be done.
More helpful, I think, to view this donor’s current gift as one dribble of the basketball. One dribble (i.e., the gift) can lead to another and another. In fact, there can be many more if we do it well.
We rarely have opportunities to take (let alone make) game-winning shots.
But dribbling is something we do every time we play.
It’s probably wise to get really good at it.
