Almost everyone says donor-focused fundraising is a good thing.
But look into what exactly donor-focused fundraising means, and one of your most common findings will be this:
So-called donor focused-fundraising is fundraising with a style and approach that the fundraiser feels good about.
Which isn't donor-focused at all.
In fact, it's probably donor-ignoring. Possibly even anti-donor fundraising.
When you really focus on donors, you slam straight into the truth that you aren't your donors and your donors aren't you -- thus aiming at them means missing yourself. And vice-versa.
True donor-focused fundraising will probably not appeal to you. That's one of the ways you can tell when you're getting it right: It's not tickling your fancy. It seems corny, simplistic, and old-fashioned.
Donor-focused fundraising really is the love-fest it's cracked up to be. Just not in the way many fundraisers want.
(This post first appeared on April 26 2017.)