Darian Rodriguez Heyman
“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it what I can.
I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live.
I rejoice in life for its own sake.
Life is no ‘brief candle’ to me.
It is a sort of splendid torch which I have gotten hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before passing it on to future generations.”
—George Bernard Shaw
One of my best friends, Chris Portella, once shared something that will always stay with me: “When you’re in the zone, you never stop.” We may have been talking about snowboarding at the time, but I’ve found the insight equally relevant professionally.
We all wonder why we’re here at times and question our calling in this world. My hope for you is that you discover that intention and purpose, and that it involves fundraising for causes worthy of your support. And once you discover this, may you unlock even more passion for your work and follow the lead of many of our contributors, devoting your career to connecting donors and funders to nonprofits that stir your passions.
Che Guevara once shared: “A true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.” As professionals and leaders focused on social change, we are all revolutionaries. But as you read in the Foreword and Afterword, the most effective fundraisers are those whose actions and work come from a place of love. As you connect with your love for a cause, or of fundraising in general, I hope you discover a lifelong passion. After all, the world needs you. Every cause, every organization, and every movement needs funding to achieve its goals. That means they all need you, so finding work as a fundraiser won’t be difficult. So pick wisely and choose the causes and nonprofits you’re most committed to, and support them with your best work.
Love is one thing, arguably even a prerequisite for success in this work, but I’d add another key variable in the recipe for success: persistence. In my experience, in order to thrive as a nonprofit fundraiser, above all, you must be persistent. Fundraising can be tough, and for every “yes” you receive, odds are you will hear “no” even more. That means not being afraid to be turned down and, more importantly, keeping your head high and continuing on your path after every rejection. This is where the connection to that love, to your passion, comes into play. It’s the fuel that drives you to continue working, because you know the cause is worth it.
There are myriad problems in the world today, but personally, I believe that nonprofits aren’t meant to focus on those. We exist to provide solutions. This book contains a huge array of proven solutions, best practices, resources, and ideas. Put them to work as you look to unlock your full potential as a fundraiser. And remember, when you’re pursuing solutions, it’s not enough to dream; we have to act, and act strategically.
I love asking nonprofits what they think the difference is between a dreamer and a visionary. To me, it’s about the “B to the Y.” You see, I believe a dreamer can see A to Z. A is the world as it exists today, with all its flaws and imperfections. And Z is the utopian vision of tomorrow—the world where every child is fed, clothed, and educated; where we live in a thriving local green economy; or whatever it means to you. And that, in my mind, is a dream. It’s inspiring, powerful, and stirs us emotionally.
But dreaming is not enough. The visionary sees this dream, but also sees the B to the Y. These letters represent the steps involved in getting from here . . . to there. They are the plans, partners, metrics, tactics, and every other consideration needed to achieve the change you seek.
I trust this book will fill in a couple of letters in the alphabet for you, enabling you to move past the dream and into the reality of impact. And as you move along your path, remember to help others in their pursuit of a better world.
There’s a story I once heard about a young nonprofit fundraiser. She was walking along a country road when she fell into a pit. It was dark and the walls were sheer. She tried to pull herself out but couldn’t, and started calling out to anyone in earshot, to no avail. Despondent, she sat down in the pit and pondered her fate, when suddenly a policeman walked by. She could make out his hat over the brim of the pit, and she yelled out, begging for help. Sadly, he just kept walking by, ignoring her cries.
After fruitlessly continuing to yell for a while, she sat back down and started to cry. After another half hour or so, a fireman walked by. Once again, she called for help: “Mr. fireman, help me! I’m a nonprofit fundraiser, and I’ve fallen into a pit and can’t get out!” Unfortunately, the fireman ignored her cries and simply carried on his way.
This is where she lost it. If a fireman and a policeman wouldn’t help her, who would? She sat in that dark pit for what seemed like an eternity, when an old man walked by. She didn’t even bother calling to him, since if a policeman and a fireman ignored her, how could she possibly expect this elderly fellow to hoist her out? To her amazement, the man peeked over the edge of the hole and, seeing her below, jumped down without hesitation.
He greeted her briefly, saying, “Hi there. I see you’re stuck down here.” She picked her jaw up off the ground, and replied, “Yes, I’m a nonprofit fundraiser, and I’ve been stuck down in this pit for hours! Thanks for jumping down here, but why on earth would you do that?”
“Well,” he responded, “I’m a nonprofit fundraiser, too. Many years ago I fell down into this same pit. A fellow fundraiser was kind enough to jump down and show me that, back here through the darkness,” he pointed, “there’s a stairway up to the surface.”
He slowly guided her up the passage, sharing: “She led me to safety and told me that sometimes, we all fall into a pit. And as passionate, persistent fundraisers we owe it to our profession, and to the many worthy causes in the world, to help each other out when we can. So next time you walk by this pit, or any others you’ve fallen into, take a peek inside. If there’s a poor fundraiser trapped down there, jump in and help him or her out.”
The point of this story is that together we thrive, and alone, we struggle in the darkness. It is the responsibility of every fundraiser to support and help your peers. I hope the chapters and resources in this book shed light on any pitfalls you face in the coming years and that they guide you to success and impact. Remember that we’re all in this together, and it’s only in unity and solidarity that the Z—the just world we all dream of—can become real.