This fundraising analogy is bad, not because we shouldn’t be seeking new donors (i.e., the “different pond”) but, rather, because we shouldn’t view fundraising as a fishing expedition in the first place!
We aren’t hunters. Donors aren’t prey.
We don’t “lure or hook donors.”
We don’t “extract donors” into our institutional support boats.
This kind of thinking is problematic because it warps the understanding of the actual work we are meant to do.
If we want to use an “outdoors” analogy, far better to compare our work to that of a seasoned and caring backcountry guide.
Donors may carry with them a longing to do more, to help more, or to have more meaning in their lives. But, many sit with that longing unsure about how to move forward in a way that resolves the ache. They simply don’t know how to take the journey.
Our role is not to extract anything from them.
It’s to help them arrive at a place where they see their assistance being meaningfully applied. We listen. We empathize. We understand. And, we guide them on a journey toward a peak philanthropic experience.
We don’t need to fish in different ponds.
We need to put the fishing poles away.
