Self-Aspects, Authenticity, & Nonprofit Askers

Brining a sense of authenticity to our work with fundraising prospects, I think we can agree, is a good thing. Authenticity begets trust, trust begets connection, connection begets support for your organization's mission.

We all have many different aspects of self. We let different self-aspects bubble up to the surface depending on the individual or group we are with at any given moment. Nonprofit askers, by becoming better acquainted with which self-aspects serve each of their individual fundraising prospects best, can become more effective and efficient in their work.

We develop sets of aspects, accentuating specific ones accordingly in different environments, to accomplish something with this person or that group. Our self-aspects represent various tactics we use to accomplish our goals, to reach our objectives. They are a different side of you, a truth about you, a belief you hold.

Think of it like this. You present one way with your parents, another way with your partner, still another way with your close friends, and yet a different way with your coworkers. None of these self-aspects are inauthentic nor set in stone, they are simply the parts of you that serve you best in that moment with that person or group to accomplish your objectives whatever they may be. It's human nature. We do it intuitively.

In our fundraising work, we're brining our best most appropriate self to prospect visits. The part of ourself that best serves the needs of our prospect in that moment, to keep things moving forward, to get things done.

Learning to blend the best of your personal aspects together, role them into one package to work with a wide and varied portfolio of prospects is a big part of brining authenticity to your work as a nonprofit asker.

How do you connect with aspects of yourself to serve your prospects and your organization's mission?