#141 | Perhaps fundraising makes more sense as an invitation rather than an ask?

A lot of us are wondering whether now is the right time to be asking for gifts, but perhaps that’s the wrong question. Perhaps the current reality should compel us to pause and think more critically about the language that we use to describe our work. Rather than seeing her work as asking, Ellen Sullivan discovered early in her career that she was actually extending an invitation. If more of embraced this shift in thinking, how might our experience and the experiences of our donor be different.

While some might argue that we’re just talking about semantics, it is worth considering what is conveyed when we ask for something versus when we extend an invitation. I wonder if in times such as these, when we are especially sensitive to the details, we might find an invitation to be much more meaningful and warmly received.

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