What an awkward experience I had yesterday. Earlier this year, a financial institution agreed to donate $1,000 to an organization with whom I am associated. The point person with whom we were dealing instructed us to complete an online application to mobilize the transaction. We were told we would receive the funds within 4-6 weeks. But several months later we still had not heard from them.
When we finally heard from our point person, they were deeply apologetic. Although we were surprised by the delay, we certainly were not taken aback and assured them we totally understand that such things happen. However, they proceeded with a gift of $700 which is well short of the amount of their original pledge.
In fact, in our recent conversations, they never referenced the original amount of $1,000 which we thought was strange. At that moment we pondered whether it would be tactful to mention the initial gift amount. Ultimately, we decided it was best to chalk the incident up to memory loss on their part and stay quiet.
Don’t get me wrong. We are deeply grateful for their generosity. Yet as a small organization, we could have used the extra $300. A couple of people with whom I’ve shared this story yesterday said I should have reminded the point person of the original amount. They believe we should have been more assertive.
My reply was that our primary objective was solidifying the relationship – not “nickel-and-diming” the donor. My feeling is it would have been extraordinarily crass to question the reduced figure. In addition to this donation, the point person has repeatedly indicated the financial institution is very interested in committing to a major sponsorship of a new program this organization is implementing. The program aligns very closely with one of their key social responsibility objectives.
Our conclusion is it was better to swallow a tiny loss than jeopardize a huge gain. In the fundraising world, relationship cultivation is the name of the game. Forging ties with long-term donors is what sustains a charity and enables it to create meaningful positive change in the community. Few things can destroy a meticulously constructed relationship than fixating on trivial matters such as the focal point of yesterday’s encounter.
