Without a point of view, any strategy that sounds good is worth trying.
Without a point of view, it becomes exceptionally difficult to choose what to do and, (more) importantly, what not to do.
Without a point of view, the annual calendar quickly devolves into a hodge-podge of activities without a general theme or purpose.
Without a point of view, its easy to believe the myth that, somewhere, there is a silver-bullet fix for our program’s problems.
Without a point of view, we will burn out.
Our point of view is how we see this good work of advancement. It’s the broad but clarifying lens that helps bring meaning and understanding to our efforts.
Our point of view helps us set strategy. It helps organize our work. It helps us stay focused on what matters. And, it helps us treat other options, ideas, tactics as the unhelpful distractions they are.
If you are unsure about (or want to strengthen) your point of view, ask yourself this fundamental question:
What are the primary motivating factors most likely to encourage human generosity?
Once we address this question deeply, our communications, our events, our direct mail appeals, our constituent relations, our major gifts proposals, our stewardship activities – everything in our advancement world – become more meaningful, focused, clear, and integrated.
When we don’t have a thoughtfully-crafted point of view, we are simply being busy.
This article was originally posted on Jason’s Blog in August 2022. To read more, visit www.jasonmcneal.com.
