Disconnection

It's no secret that understanding, creating, and maintaining connection in nonprofit fundraising is a primary focus in my work.

To highlight how important connection is in fundraising let's look at it from an opposite angle - disconnection.

When go through times when we are experiencing disconnection, we can feel isolated, alone, fearful. Feeling disconnected can be triggered by different things for different people and the feeling is different for everyone. You can feel like you’ve lost your passion. You can feel stuck. You can feel like you're constantly searching for meaning and purpose. You can feel like you’re just going through the motions.

These of course are states of mind not conducive to asking or working with prospects and can lead you to feel like you're in a rut that will never end.

Here are three actions you can take to reconnect to your work and the mission of your organization when you've had an injection of disconnection.

1. Study the history of your organization. If you've already done this, do it again and try to experience it through the eyes of the people your organization serves.
2. Reach out to one or two of your loyal supporters. Ask them what keeps them connected to your organization.
3. Write your story. Focus on the point at which your personal narrative intersects with the narrative of your organization.

Are you connecting or disconnecting? Attracting or repelling? Engaging or disengaging? Important questions to answer as you promote your organization's mission.