My Dad was born in the early 20th century, and my kids were born in the early 21st century, and here I sit in the middle.
Dad is 98 years old and needing more help these days (which my brother so often accommodates), and just like when my kids were little, there’s no way to predict what each day will bring. Meanwhile, those kids are flying out of the nest and we’re getting texted requests, questions, and check-ins at all hours … parenting young adults long-distance is fun.
In the midst of all of this, plus COVID, plus our democracy in peril, our planet in crisis, and our bodily autonomy destroyed, plus clients and colleagues who count on me to log on every day (and be washed and fully dressed, one hopes) … I’m wasting no time these days. That means that even more than ever, I’m cutting to the chase, telling it like it is, putting it all out there.
Sometimes I think I’ve lost my filter. Or maybe I don’t need one, or never had one, because the reality is, things are tough, time is short, and I’ve run out of sugar-coating.
And maybe that’s what our donors need right now, too. They’re busy with their work and home lives, they’re bombarded with asks from nonprofits and politicians, volunteering and keeping up with the political news and/or lies (and consequently, popping blood pressure meds), they’re in the same generational squeeze that I am … so maybe they’re looking for us to meet them where they are, with some straight talk.
Let’s not beat around the bush. Tell your donors why you need the money, what you’ll spend it on, why their help is important right now, exactly how it will make a difference—DONE.
