As a child I remember our family traveling a couple of times each year over the mountains to visit my grandparents. From Maryland to West Virginia, these trips weren’t short and my two sisters and I would be somewhere flip-flopping and complaining in the backseat (of course, long before child safety seats or even regularly using seat belts) while my parents were upfront, dad at the wheel.
On one particular trip, I remember my dad driving for some time with a weather-induced foggy windshield. It seemed like he could hardly see, but he kept driving, much to my mom’s unease.
Sitting in the passengers seat, I recall my mom frantically wiping her portion of the windshield with a paper towel in an attempt to clear the fog and restore her view.
Exasperated by the weather, the complaining kids in the backseat, not being able to see, my mom clearing her side of the windshield and not his (and probably a few other things that weigh on parents at any given moment), my dad not so quietly said to my mom, “I’m pretty sure you’re not the one who needs to see!”
I remember thinking that was sort of funny, but that the moment wasn’t. Dad wasn’t laughing and, now, neither was mom.
I have thought of that scene over the years when I’ve listened as a client’s Board member or an administrative colleague said something like,
“With the uncertain economy/high gas prices/stock market being down/etc., this isn’t the right time to start a campaign.”
Of course the broader environment matters to campaign success, but not nearly as much as some might think.
Instead, what matters far more is what our engaged and supportive major donors think. Is the economy uncertain for them? Are their investments down? Or, are they doing fine and believe that the campaign is needed now more than ever?
We should ask our best donors if they are ready to invest significantly in our missions, not answer for them because of our view of the world.
Sometimes we get confused and think that what we see, our perspective, is the same for everyone.
We want our side of the windshield to be clear before we continue on our journey.
But, we may not be the drivers.
