Generosity is the substrate

Generosity is never produced or created. It's within the substrate of existence itself. No matter how good you are, you can't persuade someone to be generous. You've got to remove all the obstacles and stories that get in the way of their generosity. When obstacles are removed, generosity is left behind. It's already present in everything - your job as a fundraiser is just to clear the path to it.

The old-school Greeks had a word, eudaimonia — a fullness of being in which nothing is lacking. In this state, generosity is a natural overflow of a life that is experiencing abundance. Generosity emerges the way water flows downhill — because the path is clear.

Christianity's grace overflows without being earned. Buddhism's dāna is the natural expression of a mind that has loosened its grip on attachment. Islam's zakat is purification — wealth accumulates impurities and must be released back into circulation.

The obstructions are the usual things. Greed. Fear. Confusion. Distrust. Unnecessary complexity. The sense that a gift won't matter. The feeling that the ask is transactional. The suspicion that the organization doesn't really understand the donor. A lack of belonging. The inertia of a busy life. The list is infinite.

These obstructions can be dissolved by a fundraiser who knows how to pay attention.