I often run across people who offer to volunteer but it always comes with the caveat “I’ll do anything I just won’t ask for money.” As a fundraiser I find this really quite surprising. I have only been a professional fundraiser for 4 years but I think I was always a fundraiser. I have never had a problem asking for money for a cause I believed in. (Good thing considering my current line of work)
Fundraisers have to be willing to take rejection. It goes with the territory. Everyone has a favourite cause or charity that they support and it may not be the same as yours. When people say to me “sorry I support xyz charity instead” I always think that’s a good thing for us because they believe in philanthropy and giving. My job then becomes how to make the Health Services Foundation the charity of choice.
When I first started to consider the not for profit sector for my career I looked at a number of different charities. To me working for the Health Services Foundation was a “no brainer”. Everyone, no matter how healthy, will use our facilities at some point. Therefore to me it was an easy sell. Communities need good health care in order to grow, we are lucky on the South Shore to have 3 wonderful hospitals that deliver top notch care. I have no problem asking people to support the work we do.
Financially I support other groups than the hospital. My university will always hold a special place for me so I give to them annually. The United Way also gets my support because they support so much in our community. And let’s not forget all the 50/50 tickets, raffle tickets, bake sales, and sponsorships in the run of a year! It all adds up. But for me our local hospitals are there 24/7 – they have delivered my babies, looked after me when I was too sick to look after myself, taken care of my kids when they were sick and been there for regular every day things like blood work, x-rays and stitches (did I mention I have 3 kids!). How can I not support them?
Every time I ask someone to make a donation to our hospitals I think of the amount of people who use our services every day. It makes it a lot easier to ask. And if they say “no” I just smile and say “thank you for your time” – knowing that even if they don’t have the ability or the desire to give, the hospital will still be here to look after them when they need it.
