I’ve always believed that authenticity is second only to showing up, when it comes to achieving success in fundraising (with apologies to Woody Allen and many others…!).

Authenticity is a hot word right now, but what does it have to do with fundraising?

As fundraising professionals or volunteers, when we approach donors for a gift, we are appealing to their altruism, their sense of gratitude, their public-spiritedness, sometimes their humility – usually deeply-held values and characteristics of the person we are approaching. They are allowing us to tap into their most authentically human values and beliefs, and in return we owe them the same, in ourselves.

I learned fundraising as a staffer at Reed College, where intellectual integrity and the value of inquiry were stressed highly. The people I needed to meet and engage in the College’s future vision were almost entirely Reed alumni, and for the most part they still valued Reed’s ethos and carried it forward into their fascinating post-Reed lives. Working with Reed alumni, I became more aware of my own authenticity (or genuineness) and the impact it had on developing good communication and mutual respect with our donors, who were also genuine.

What does authenticity look like?

It’s hard to say what it looks like for you, but for me it has been about humility, connection, listening carefully, and being willing to tell the truth about challenges or problems my organization faces, even if it feels negative. After all, if your organization didn’t face challenges, you might not be here asking for their help. Of course, it’s important that you talk about challenges in a way that lets the donor know that your group is working on them (if you are) and have found some effective approaches (if you have). Bottom line, hiding challenges is a poor way to build trust, especially if those challenges are large, looming, and/or already publicly known. Authenticity builds trust.

For me, genuineness also involves sharing something about my own belief in the cause or the organization – why it’s important to me. When I was with Reed, I often shared the fact that I grew up on a family farm in rural Missouri, and I didn’t even know liberal arts colleges existed. I felt fortunate to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia on scholarship, but looking back I now realize that a small liberal arts college might have fit my needs much better. I am a strong believer in the need to develop critical thinking skills, which is at the core of what liberal arts colleges do. I shared this experience and belief of my own briefly with most Reed donors I met, and it served to connect us in our appreciation of Reed, liberal arts, and critical thinking skills. Authenticity builds connection.

Finally, being genuine throughout your interactions makes it much easier to ask your donor for a gift, when the right time comes. You have already said to the donor, “We want to come by to talk with you about making a gift.” They are expecting it, so there’s no surprise to the donor when you say, “Would you consider making a gift of $X to help make this [new initiative] happen?” Authenticity makes the ask a natural part of the conversation.

Authenticity doesn’t substitute for preparation, listening, or doing what you say you will do as a fundraiser. But it makes the relationship between you and your donor much more natural, comfortable, and leads to better outcomes for everyone involved.