You’re probably thinking … “Are you kidding? In this economy, the largest contribution ever?”
But wait a minute. Just imagine what it could do for you if this bold goal were on your horizon right now.
How important could this idea be to your future?
Here’s what I mean …
In and around every organization there’s a tacit agreement about how much money is appropriate for people to invest in it.
Some organizations routinely attract multi-million-dollar investments. For others, a hundred thousand dollars might be the largest they ever see. (And still others see much less.)
Whatever the number is, it becomes the worth of the organization.
Yes, the number of zeros translates to how people hold the importance of your cause, your prestige and scope — and the capabilities of your people.
Unfair as it may seem, a low number sets a ceiling. It often symbolizes a general sense of limitation and lack, which in turn restricts the possibilities that are available.
To break out of those restrictions — which I say are entirely arbitrary and self-imposed — you want to create a new understanding of your organization’s worth.
What does that most effectively?
The largest philanthropic investment the organization has ever received, that will do it.
And you can shape it to be even more — to be a transformative commitment.
When you give the donor a chance to articulate the message to be conveyed along with the money, the investment is filled with meaning. It becomes an explicit, tangible declaration of the donor’s values — who the donor is and what they stand for.
That’s the investment that publicly redefines the worth of the organization, raising the sights of all.
In these times, this kind of an act — a bold number combined with meaning — is even more potent than it would have been a couple of years ago. Its candlepower is intensified against a darker background.
See how this works in a 3-minute video interview with Bob Rogers, philanthropist and former Chairman of the Kauffman Foundation and Americorps.
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