How to make values-based decisions instead of fear-based

As a leader serving the community you care about, it can be tempting to overextend yourself and your team.

You are a leader led by compassion to give your life away on behalf of others.

But where do you draw the line? How do you avoid being distracted? You see the strategies that you know are great to implement, but how to prioritize?

We all know businesses and nonprofits that have stated values on their website, but what they actually value in practice looks entirely different.

My greatest tip in making any decision as a leader is to ask yourself:

“Does this affirm our values or my fear?”

I firmly believe that the strategies we prioritize and implement are a result of the boundaries of our fears.

The nonprofit sector at large prioritizes grant writing and corporate engagement because it’s less personal, less intimidating and less risky than asking someone 1:1 straight up to support our organization.

Yet, 70% of giving in the U.S. comes from individuals, according to Giving USA.

It’s not more strategic to hire a Corporate Engagement Manager over a Major Gifts Officer when corporations give 7% of the total giving in the U.S., it just feels safer.

Unless you are based in Atlanta and one of your board members is a C-Suite executive from UPS, then I would suggest hiring someone to engage individuals (who will also end up engaging corporations, but that’s a different blog post).

What is this bringing up for you?

What strategies might you be prioritizing because it’s in your comfort zone, not because it raises the most money?

How can you honor your values in the ways in which you fundraise?