“I have raised over $50 million. . .”
No one ever raises charitable gifts by themselves. Ever.
There was a professor decades before who showed interest in that donor as a student. There was a nurse who showed compassion to a family while caring for their loved one. There was a volunteer whose winsome words struck a chord. There was a leader who had a captivating vision for the future. Or there was a designer who produced the compelling case statement.
There are always any number of other people who assisted along the gift giving path. Therefore, if a resume includes claims of how much money the individual raised personally, it goes to the bottom of the stack.
By claiming credit for big giving totals, a person actually communicates two negative professional attributes:
- They don’t appreciate/understand the fundamentals of how and why major gifts are given;
- They don’t possess the humility to share appropriate credit.
Tell me you’re not the individual I want on the team without telling me.
This article was originally posted on Jason’s Blog in November 2022. To read more, visit www.jasonmcneal.com.
