Welcome to the Sharpe Book Club!!
Mindfulness and meditation have become popular over the last decade or so, with classes available online. Apps and products to help focus the mind and calm the spirit are being introduced seemingly daily. However, I hadn’t connected the practice of meditation to gift planning until I read Alexandra Brovey’s book, “Zen and the Art of Fundraising.”
After reading the book, I’ve decided it should be required reading for all gift planners. It has valuable advice, tips and uplifting and poignant stories. “Zen” is actually the first book of a trilogy (I look forward to reading the next two). In it, Alex defines eight pillars of fundraising success:
- The First Pillar: Being in the Moment
- The Second Pillar: Listening
- The Third Pillar: Compassion
- The Fourth Pillar: Curiosity
- The Fifth Pillar: Humility
- The Sixth Pillar: Patience
- The Seventh Pillar: A Sense of Humor
- The Eighth Pillar: Being a Mentor
Her approach really echoes the Sharpe Group philosophy and one we teach in our training—it’s not technical and legal expertise that make a great gift planner. One of the most-often requested sessions in our planned giving seminars is role-playing gift planning conversations with donors. Fundraisers are hungry for help in building relationships and feeling comfortable with discussions of legacy gifts.
In “Zen,” Alex skillfully connects fundraising with the practice of mindfulness, providing advice and practical tips to strengthen the muscles of active listening and relationship building. She encourages gift planners to be present with the donors, meet them where they are, help them identify tax-efficient ways to give they may not have considered and celebrate their role in your mission.
As Alex says, “the essence of a fundraiser’s job is determining why someone wishes to give, matching those intentions to the nonprofit’s goals, helping the donor structure the gift, accepting the gift, and then thanking the donor for the gift both in word and deed.”
Bearing witness
One of the most poignant stories in the book happened on Sept. 11, 2001, when Alex was in DC to visit with donors. Instead of discussing gifts, she and the donors grieved together while watching the news footage. They shared shock, fear and sadness as fellow Americans and compassionate human beings. It was a moment to honor life and bear witness to tragedy, and by being in the moment (Pillar One), she was able to transcend her agenda to comfort (and be comforted by) her fellow human beings.
As she explains in the book, the relationship between the donor and the organization should be at the forefront of all conversations. While you may have a gift amount or vehicle in mind when approaching a donor, successful gift planners lead with the donor, not the gift, being curious and actively listening.
First in a series
Building on the success of “Zen,” Alex also published two more books for a trilogy: “8 More Pillars of Success” and “The Pillars in Practice.”
Successful gift planners build relationships, not just portfolios. They put the needs of the donor first and provide giving options that will benefit the donor, only AFTER getting to know that donor and their passions, goals and needs. What “Zen and the Art of Fundraising” suggests is that every conversation lead with curiosity and listening. It’s a good skill to practice for any relationship.
As Roy T. Bennett says in the 2020 book “The Light in the Heart”:
Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is that we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.
For planned giving fundraising, this means we listen for the gift behind the donor’s concerns.
Listen to our conversation with Alex on our podcast, Sharpe Insights: Conversations With Your Planned Giving Experts.
Teri Sullivan is vice president of marketing for Sharpe Group and serves as co-producer of the Sharpe Insights podcast. You can connect with Teri via email or on LinkedIn.
