I’ll be blunt: You can get lucky with lust, but you get married and stay married with trust.
You’re probably thinking, “What does that have to do with marketing or fundraising?”
Everything.
The majority of fundraisers think philanthropy is about getting that one-time donation—whether it’s $10 or $10,000. They chase the gift. They celebrate the win. They move on to the next prospect. Rinse, repeat.
That’s not fundraising. That’s getting lucky.
And getting lucky is not a long-term strategy for any nonprofit. Trust is.
The Difference Between Income and Equity
Here’s a concept that will change how you think about your donors:
Annual gifts give you income. Planned gifts give you income and equity.
Think about it like a business. Income pays the bills. But equity? Equity is ownership. Equity is long-term value. Equity is what you’re building for the future.
When a donor makes a bequest commitment or names you as a beneficiary, they’re not just giving you money—they’re investing in your organization. They’re saying, “I trust you enough to make you part of my legacy.” That’s not a transaction. That’s a relationship. That’s a marriage.
Most fundraisers spend their entire careers chasing income. The smart ones? They’re building equity.
Don’t Raise Money. Raise Friends.
This may be the most important thing I ever tell you:
In philanthropy, rather than getting donors to raise cash, it is smarter to raise cash to get donors.
Read that again.
The first approach gives you a check. The second approach gives you a relationship that yields checks for years—sometimes decades—sometimes beyond the donor’s own lifetime.
The fundraisers who get this? They do exceptionally well for their organizations. And they build careers that last. The ones who don’t? They burn through donor lists, burn out, and wonder why retention rates are in the toilet.
How to Build Trust (Not Just Raise Money)
Be honest.
Donors can smell BS from a mile away. Don’t oversell. Don’t overpromise. Don’t pretend every gift will change the world. Tell them exactly what their money will do—and then do it. Establish a real relationship and the trust will follow.
Play the long game.
Stop treating every interaction as a chance to make an ask. Sometimes the best thing you can do is check in, say thank you, and shut up. Trust compounds over time. So does distrust.
Introduce planned giving early.
Don’t wait until donors are 75 to talk about legacy. Normalize estate planning conversations with donors of all ages. It’s not morbid—it’s smart. And donors respect organizations that think beyond the next fiscal year.
Earn it.
Trust isn’t given. It’s earned through consistent, honest communication over months and years. There are no shortcuts. The nonprofits that understand this will still be here in 50 years. The ones chasing quick wins? They’ll be gone.
Lust Fades. Trust Compounds.
You can spend your career chasing one-time gifts and hoping you get lucky. Or you can build something that lasts.
Trust creates donors who give again. Trust creates donors who give more. Trust creates donors who remember you in their will—the ultimate vote of confidence.
Lust fades. Trust compounds.
Which one are you building?
