Beyond the Bottom Line: Rebuilding trust and unlocking generosity

Working in philanthropy is never just about money. At its core, fundraising is about building connective tissue, people wanting to impact their communities, and finding ways to do that through giving.

But, somewhere along the way, our sector has become obsessed with metrics… and worse, the wrong metrics.

Don’t misinterpret what I am saying. MEASURING IMPACT DOES MATTER (I said it in caps, so you’d hear me).

But oftentimes, the way we measure fundraising “success” only tells a piece of the story.

• Amount raised.
• Total number of gifts.
• Average donation size.
• Time since last gift.

PLEASE, TRACK THESE NUMBERS (there I go again with the caps lock).

But know, these metrics are incomplete. They measure transactions, not trust. Show outcomes, not relational equity, moments, or donor motivations.

You see, many donors don’t trust your nonprofit. They probably worry about how their dollars will be used. They wonder whether their gift makes a difference. And… if we are honest… just between us… They aren’t wrong to ask these questions… because we haven’t done the best of job bringing them into our story.

So often, we as nonprofits are operating under a TRUST DEFICIT.

It isn’t just a PR problem. It’s a relationship problem. When donors feel like cash cows instead of partners, trust erodes. When donors aren’t sure who to contact with questions, trust erodes. When your organization can’t keep development staff more than five minutes (oof), trust erodes. And when trust erodes, generosity stalls. And rightly so.

If we truly want to make a difference in our community and unlock the full philanthropic potential of our neighbors, we have to start rebuilding trust. Brick by brick. Donor by donor.

One way we can begin to rebuild trust is by shifting our focus. Stop, focusing on what someone gave, and start telling us why they gave. How do we approach donors with a genuine curiosity? Not asking for their dollars but understanding their hearts. What has shaped their perspective, what lights up their world, what type of impact do they want to see?

Debra Jacobs shared the story with me of how she once told a donor “I know you don’t want to give to us right now, but who would you want to give to? What are you passionate about and how can I connect you?”

Try to tell me that approach doesn’t build trust with your organization. It may not translate into immediate dollars in the door. But it stashed relational equity for a rainy day.

This shifts our fundraising approach from being about our organizational needs, to being about the aspirations of donors.

Another shift we need to make is how we think about (and even define) stewardship.

“We sent them an annual report!”

“They got a thank you note.”

Both are great things. But stewardship isn’t a task, it’s an organizational mindset.

From the beginning, how are we treating donors like partners, inviting them into the story and the impact. I am not saying we bombard them with information overload. Rather, ask better questions, listen more than we talk, and operate with radical transparency. It’s not just a good practice; transparency is essential for rebuilding trust.

Each donor we have the chance to interact with has a “generosity gene.” It’s what makes them tick philanthropically. Our job as fundraisers isn’t about opening wallets. It’s about opening the generosity gene in others. And it’s the key to unlocking trust.

When a donor knows they are valued for more than their cash – valued for their story, perspective, and life experience – that’s when we transform from transactions into the pursuit of something so much grander.

Cool! How do we measure all this?

Great question. What we choose to measure sends a message. If we only focus on dollars raised, that’s the message our staff, board, and partners get. If we measure relational growth, trust built, and generosity genes unlocked, we send a different message. That process is just as important as the outcome.

Again, cool. Still don’t know how to measure that.

What if it isn’t something to be measured, maybe it is simply a way of being.

The future of fundraising isn’t about pitches or campaigns. Fundraising is about better relationships. Learning together and discovering intentionally.

It isn’t easy work. But if we embrace these ideas with humility and commitment, I think we can usher in a new era of generosity within our organizations.

And if that’s not worth measuring, I don’t know what that is.