Is patience a fundraising virtue? Absolutely! 

Patience, however, is not the lackadaisical approach of cultivation meeting after cultivation meeting with a donor while not moving the relationship deeper. It is not timidness or reluctance to make an appropriate ask for the appropriate amount at the appropriate time. Patience is not standing still or treading water.

Patience is following a well-constructed plan and staying focused even when the organization’s leadership, both staff and volunteer, is clamoring for quick results.

Patience is knowing that relationship building takes time. Patience is using a systemic approach to gain insight into a donor’s true interest and motivation. 

Patience is knowing that trust is not built quickly. It is a commitment of time by the development officer to assure a donor that you are there to assist in the realization of their philanthropic objectives while advancing the mission of the organization.   

It is the quiet ability to actively listen to the donor following a penetrating question. Only through listening will you understand the prospective donor and their desires.  

A well-thought-out cultivation plan is a step-by-step approach that cannot be rushed simply to meet immediate needs of the organization. Other than in a true emergency fundraising effort such as after a natural disaster, a rushed approach will result in no gift or a smaller gift from a less-than-fulfilled donor. The short-term gain is a disservice to both the donor and the organization in the long term.

Just as patience is needed in the cultivation efforts to secure a major or planned gift, it is also needed in the carrying out of a campaign plan. All campaigns — whether an annual support campaign or a major capital campaign — require a systematic, sequential approach. Failure to follow such an approach will result in prolonging the campaign timeline, volunteer burnout, stressed-out staff and often failure to meet the goal of the campaign.   

All too often, organizational leadership will not want to invest the time and resources in donor research and a campaign feasibility study, wanting instead to jump into campaign mode and start asking for gifts at random. This is a recipe for disaster! It is the professional development officer’s responsibility to resist the pressure and clearly articulate why asking in such a manner is inappropriate and will not result in the organization’s desired goal.  

Exercising patience in development and execution of a well-developed plan, whether for the cultivation of an individual donor or a major campaign, will result in a greater likelihood of success.