This just in from the world of the weird and unbelievable – -
Development Director for a small nonprofit providing housing to families in need speaks to donor who has been supporting annual golf tournament for the past several years. Man wants to give extra money this year, but wants it ALL spent on the tournament , to promote his business, and openly admits this. “Don’t spend any of the money on ‘those’ people. Man refers to clients in need of decent, affordable housing.
Development Director consults with Executive Director and Board who say dump donor. Don’t need tainted dollars.
Unbelievable!
Hmm. Unbelievable that the donor suggested that the dollars shouldn’t go to those people or Unbelievable that the organization didn’t take the money?
Unbelievable that the donor wanted to give so much money but didn’t want to help “those people”. I guess some people just don’t want to be charitable.
Sandy
Weird. If this fellow had been a loyal supporter … there must be more to the story.
I think of “tainted” dollars as coming from businesses whose policies the organization might not agree with. I have worked with a number of organizations who told me not to go after Wal-Mart funds.
Definitely more to the story… how was this person a donor in the first place, if he hates poor people? Because he loves golf that much?
I would make him a sponsor of the event and ask for a multi-year pledge. Maybe through conversations with staff, or via the recognition he gets from sponsorship, he would start to feel some compassion for ‘those people’. Either way, regardless of his feelings, his gift IS helping them, even in a less direct way.
If this man wanted “ROI” for his sponsorship dollars, I see no problem with that – I deal with that every day! Everybody has motives and just because they don’t align 100% with the organization’s doesn’t mean they don’t have certain things in common and can have a mutually beneficial relationship. That was very short-sighted of the organization – unless there is more to the story that we’re not aware of…
We have returned/refused funds when the use was strongly designated or of no value to our mission. Generally this has lead to constructive discussion.
This specific request would not meet our criteria as a donation and we would not acccept under hese terms. After years a relationship between parties should exist that and if at this stage (maybe economic conditions dictate) it is probably time to separate.
Thanks everyone for your comments.
This organization has done such a good job of fundraising and managing their resources that they didn’t “need” this donor who was causing problems and creating some negative waves in the community. It was much healthier for the nonprofit to let this one go.
This organization is ALL ABOUT respecting their clients and maintaining their dignity. Clearly this donor’s intention is crossways with that.
Sandy
Maybe they weren’t reallt listening to the donor. maybe he is worried about his business or worried aboiut the non profit or a donor who wants to help people pull themselves up by thier bootstraps.. it sounds to me like they dumped too fast. I wonder how much they built a bridge to the donr and how open they were really listening. Do you think they will engage us and tell you “the rest of the story?” Thanks, Margie
I have done fund-raising in a variety of roles for more than 30 years. Major collegiate gifts have a tendency to be “power-oriented” with the donor, typically a male, wanting recognition as much as philanthropic interest. Smaller level donors, often women, believe in the cause more than the recognition.
I once had an opportunity to talk about donations with a Catholic Church Bishop. He noted that weekly offerings were relatively modest and often donated by the female head of household. Estate gifts tended to come from men that often had not made weekly offerings. He was thankful for both types of gifts regardless of the motivations.
I think that the rejected gift will cause the prospective donor to go elsewhere for future donations.
I agree with Molly in that there must have been other ways to make the relationship work, after all tit’s as much about the relationship as it is the dollars isn’t it?
It would be even more interesting if the DoD accepted the gift knowing the donor had no interest in the cause. Case study….
I agree Dave.
Sandy
So what the donor really wanted, in effect, was to donate money to a bunch of middle-aged, middle-class people in plaid pants? (Not that I have anything against golfers–or even plaid pants.)
The real problem seems to be that the donor confused a fund-raising event for the charity itself. Perhaps the Development Director or someone else at the organization should have explained more clearly what the organization’s mission is, and that the golf tournament is solely to raise money supporting that mission. (Or maybe they did try…)
I side with the organization. If the donor’s conditions are that all the money must be spent on the golf event and none on the people the organization serves, don’t take the money.
That’s what they decided to do and I totally supported it.
Sandy