February 17, 2025 • 12 mins
Fundraising shouldn’t feel like manipulation. It shouldn’t leave donors feeling drained, guilty, or pressured into giving. Yet, so much of our industry—especially certain political campaigns—leans into fear as a motivator. And while fear might work once, it doesn’t build relationships. It doesn’t make donors want to come back.
You know what does? Joy.
In this episode, I’m sharing two unforgettable stories from my time in hospice fundraising—one about a 102-year-old who became the town’s most eligible bachelor, and another about a baby boy who taught his family the power of love in the smallest of moments. These stories prove that when we lead with joy, we don’t just raise money—we create connection, community, and generosity that lasts.
If you’re tired of fear-based fundraising… if you want donors who love giving… if you’re ready to build a mission that feels good—this episode is for you.
Let’s talk about why joy wins.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Keith Greer, CFRE (00:05):
Hey, there, hi, and welcome back ambitious
fundraisers.
I'm your host, keith Greer, andtoday I want to talk about
something that doesn't getnearly enough attention in our
field joy.
Not just the joy of seeing abig donation come in or hitting
a campaign goal, but the deeper,more meaningful joy that makes
fundraising such a powerful andtransformative force.
(00:26):
Now, we all know that somefundraisers, especially in
certain industries, lean hardinto fear.
They paint a picture ofcatastrophe, of everything
falling apart unless you giveright now.
And sure, fear can get peopleto act, but for me it doesn't
feel good.
It leaves donors feelingmanipulated, drained and, let's
(00:49):
be honest, a little used.
But what if, instead of fear,we built our fundraising around
joy, around stories that liftpeople up, that remind them why
they care, that makes them feelconnected to something bigger
than themselves?
Because I've seen firsthandthat joy fuels generosity in a
(01:11):
way that fear never could.
And today I want to prove it toyou.
I'm going to share two storiesfrom my time in hospice
fundraising One about a102-year-old man who became the
town's most eligible bachelorand another about the shortest
life I've ever had the honor offundraising for.
Two very different stories, butboth filled with moments of joy
(01:33):
and those moments, they changedeverything.
By the end of this episode, mygoal is simple I want you to
walk away believing thatfundraising built on joy isn't
just more ethical, it's moreeffective.
Ready, let's talk fundraising.
So let me tell you about Henry.
(01:57):
Henry was 102 years old, theoldest patient in our hospice's
care, and let me tell you he wascharming, the kind of guy who
always had a twinkle in his eye,quick with a joke, and never
missed a chance to make yousmile.
When we shared Henry's story,we didn't focus on grief or
sadness of a life preparing forits end.
(02:17):
We focused on his life, his joy, his laughter and the
incredible milestone he had justreached.
We splashed his joy and hissmile everywhere.
And when we told that story toour donors, something incredible
happened.
For weeks, donations cameflooding in, but it wasn't just
the number of gifts, it was thenotes that came with them.
(02:40):
Sweet women in their 80s, manyof them widows, sent in checks
along with handwritten letterssaying things like if Henry's
looking for a date, tell him I'mavailable.
Or what a handsome man Does helike women with gray hair.
It was hilarious, heartwarmingand completely unexpected.
But beyond the humor, whatstruck me was why people gave.
(03:03):
But beyond the humor, whatstruck me was why people gave.
It wasn't out of pity, itwasn't out of fear.
It was because they sawthemselves in Henry.
They saw joy, resilience andthe beauty of a life well lived.
They wanted to be part ofsomething happy.
And that joy Henry's joy becamecontagious.
When we celebrate life, peoplewant to be part of it.
(03:26):
They want to uplift, honor andsupport.
And that's why joy works infundraising.
It creates connection, it makesgiving feel really good and,
trust me, when giving feels thatgood, people keep coming back.
Now Henry's story was filledwith laughter and
(03:46):
lightheartedness.
But joy doesn't have to comefrom humor.
Sometimes it comes from thesmallest, most tender of moments
.
And that brings me to Tate.
Tate was the youngest hospicepatient we ever had.
He was born with a congenitalheart defect and, despite every
effort, his doctors could notoffer a cure.
His parents were devastated.
(04:08):
Hospice had never even crossedtheir minds before.
It was something forgrandparents, not for newborns.
But when they were introducedto our team, they realized
hospice wasn't about dying.
It was about living, livingfully in whatever time you have
left, surrounded by love, bycomfort and moments that matter.
(04:29):
And that's exactly what theydid for Tate One night.
After dinner they looked attheir tiny baby boy and asked a
simple question Can we give himsome ice cream Now?
Typically you're not going togive a baby ice cream Too much
sugar, too soon.
But the hospice nurse justsmiled and said he's on hospice
care.
Give him what makes him happy.
(04:50):
So they did.
And in that moment they sawsomething they would never
forget Tate's eyes, big andround, locked onto that spoon.
He grabbed it with both hands.
The second that ice creamtouched his lips and he held
onto it with everything he had,like he was staking his claim on
(05:11):
joy itself.
His little face lit up withpure delight.
It was one spoonful of icecream, but it was a lifetime's
worth of love and joy all packedinto a single moment.
That's the story we told, andwhile, yes, there was sadness in
it, the overwhelming messagewas one of love, connection and
(05:32):
the beauty of cherishing what wehave while we have it.
And the response?
Unbelievable Donations pouredin, not just money, but letters,
hugs and stories from strangerswho had lost children, from
parents who held their babies alittle tighter that night, from
people who simply wanted to bepart of the love that surrounded
(05:53):
Tate and his family.
Because that's what joy does.
It doesn't just inspiregenerosity, it creates belonging
.
People don't just give, theyjoin, they step into the story
with you.
And isn't that exactly whatfundraising should be?
So why does joy work infundraising?
Why did people rally aroundHenry's birthday or Tate's ice
(06:17):
cream moment with suchgenerosity?
Because joy creates connection.
When people give out a joy, it'snot just about solving a
problem, it's about being partof something beautiful,
something uplifting, somethingthat reminds them of the good in
the world.
And when donors feel that theydon't just give once, they give
(06:40):
again and again and againbecause they want to keep
feeling that connection.
Joy also fosters genuinegratitude on both sides.
Think about it when a donorgives and they feel appreciated,
inspired and connected, theywalk away grateful for the
opportunity to help.
That's why I'm still shocked,even after almost 15 years in
(07:03):
this profession, when donorsthank me for letting them give
us money.
But it makes sense.
Giving with joy validates whothey are.
It allows them to be the verybest version of themselves.
And, beyond that, joy buildscommunity.
When you tell a joyful story,people don't just donate, they
(07:27):
share, they talk about it withtheir friends, they post about
it online.
They spread the love andsuddenly your mission isn't just
yours anymore.
It belongs to everyone who'stouched by that story.
Now contrast that withfear-based fundraising.
Sure, fear gets a quickreaction, it creates urgency,
(07:49):
but it also leaves peoplefeeling tense, exhausted and
manipulated.
It's a short-term game anddonors might give once, they
might give twice or even threetimes, but they're less likely
to stay for the long haul,because no one wants to feel
emotionally drained every timethey open their wallet.
So let me ask you, which kindof fundraising would you rather
(08:13):
be?
A part of the kind that fillspeople with anxiety, dread and
despair We've got enough of thatin our world or do you want the
kind that makes them feelhopeful, connected and grateful?
Exactly, and that's why joyisn't just a nice approach to
fundraising, it's the betterapproach.
(08:36):
So let's talk about fear-basedfundraising for a second.
I mean, we've all seen it thedesperate, panicked appeals If
you don't give right now,disaster will strike.
We're on the verge of collapse,everything you care about is at
risk unless you donate today.
And look, I get it.
Fear works In the short term.
(08:58):
It triggers an immediateresponse because it preys on our
anxiety.
Preys on our anxiety.
But let's be real, it feelsawful.
It feels awful to write thoseappeals.
It feels awful to send them and, honestly, it feels really
awful to receive them.
(09:21):
Because here's what happens whenyou fundraise with fear.
You guilt people into giving,but guilt is not a sustainable
emotion.
You pressure them into atransaction instead of inviting
them into a relationship.
You might get their money once,but they'll remember how you
made them feel and are theygoing to come back.
And then there's donor burnout.
People can only handle so muchpanic.
Before they decide to tune out,they start seeing every email,
(09:46):
every letter, every call asanother alarm bell and
eventually they stop respondingaltogether.
Now think about what kind oforganization you want to build.
Do you want donors who givebecause they're scared or
because they believe in yourmission, because they want to be
a part of something good, orbecause they believe in your
mission because they want to bea part of something good?
Nonprofits are filled withheroes, not villains.
(10:10):
So why would we want to coercepeople into giving?
Why would we manipulate theminto action when we have
something so much better tooffer?
If fear is the only tool inyour fundraising toolkit, get
some new tools.
And, frankly, we've seen whathappens when fear is the
foundation of fundraising.
Political campaigns have beenrunning that playbook for years
(10:33):
whipping people into a frenzy,making them feel like everything
is on fire, keeping them lockedin a constant state of panic.
And sure, they raise a lot ofmoney, but at what cost?
That's not who we are.
That's not what our sector isabout.
We don't scare people intogiving.
We inspire them, and that'sexactly what we're going to do.
(10:57):
So here's my challenge for youTake a look at your fundraising
strategy.
Your emails, your letters, yourcampaigns.
Are they built on joy?
Are they inviting people intosomething really beautiful, or
are they relying on pressure,guilt or panic?
Because I promise you this whenyou lean into joy, everything
(11:19):
changes.
Your donors feel good aboutgiving, they come back, they
share your mission with theirfriends and you.
You get to build relationshipsthat last, instead of chasing
one-time transactions.
Joy isn't just a fundraisingtactic, it's a movement, one
that brings people together,reminds them of the good in the
(11:42):
world and makes generositysomething they're grateful to be
a part of.
So let's make that the standard.
Let's lead with joy, invitepeople in and give them stories
worth celebrating.
And hey, I would love to hearfrom you.
Have you seen the power of joyin your own fundraising?
Send me a message, share yourfavorite joyful fundraising
(12:04):
stories and let's keep thisconversation going.
Thank you for being here today,thanks for the work that you do
and thank you for bringing alittle more joy into the world.
This has been let's TalkFundraising.
I'm still Keith Greer and I'llsee you again real soon.
Hey, there, hi, and welcome back ambitious
fundraisers.
I'm your host, keith Greer, andtoday I want to talk about
something that doesn't getnearly enough attention in our
field joy.
Not just the joy of seeing abig donation come in or hitting
a campaign goal, but the deeper,more meaningful joy that makes
fundraising such a powerful andtransformative force.
(00:26):
Now, we all know that somefundraisers, especially in
certain industries, lean hardinto fear.
They paint a picture ofcatastrophe, of everything
falling apart unless you giveright now.
And sure, fear can get peopleto act, but for me it doesn't
feel good.
It leaves donors feelingmanipulated, drained and, let's
(00:49):
be honest, a little used.
But what if, instead of fear,we built our fundraising around
joy, around stories that liftpeople up, that remind them why
they care, that makes them feelconnected to something bigger
than themselves?
Because I've seen firsthandthat joy fuels generosity in a
(01:11):
way that fear never could.
And today I want to prove it toyou.
I'm going to share two storiesfrom my time in hospice
fundraising One about a102-year-old man who became the
town's most eligible bachelorand another about the shortest
life I've ever had the honor offundraising for.
Two very different stories, butboth filled with moments of joy
(01:33):
and those moments, they changedeverything.
By the end of this episode, mygoal is simple I want you to
walk away believing thatfundraising built on joy isn't
just more ethical, it's moreeffective.
Ready, let's talk fundraising.
So let me tell you about Henry.
(01:57):
Henry was 102 years old, theoldest patient in our hospice's
care, and let me tell you he wascharming, the kind of guy who
always had a twinkle in his eye,quick with a joke, and never
missed a chance to make yousmile.
When we shared Henry's story,we didn't focus on grief or
sadness of a life preparing forits end.
(02:17):
We focused on his life, his joy, his laughter and the
incredible milestone he had justreached.
We splashed his joy and hissmile everywhere.
And when we told that story toour donors, something incredible
happened.
For weeks, donations cameflooding in, but it wasn't just
the number of gifts, it was thenotes that came with them.
(02:40):
Sweet women in their 80s, manyof them widows, sent in checks
along with handwritten letterssaying things like if Henry's
looking for a date, tell him I'mavailable.
Or what a handsome man Does helike women with gray hair.
It was hilarious, heartwarmingand completely unexpected.
But beyond the humor, whatstruck me was why people gave.
(03:03):
But beyond the humor, whatstruck me was why people gave.
It wasn't out of pity, itwasn't out of fear.
It was because they sawthemselves in Henry.
They saw joy, resilience andthe beauty of a life well lived.
They wanted to be part ofsomething happy.
And that joy Henry's joy becamecontagious.
When we celebrate life, peoplewant to be part of it.
(03:26):
They want to uplift, honor andsupport.
And that's why joy works infundraising.
It creates connection, it makesgiving feel really good and,
trust me, when giving feels thatgood, people keep coming back.
Now Henry's story was filledwith laughter and
(03:46):
lightheartedness.
But joy doesn't have to comefrom humor.
Sometimes it comes from thesmallest, most tender of moments
.
And that brings me to Tate.
Tate was the youngest hospicepatient we ever had.
He was born with a congenitalheart defect and, despite every
effort, his doctors could notoffer a cure.
His parents were devastated.
(04:08):
Hospice had never even crossedtheir minds before.
It was something forgrandparents, not for newborns.
But when they were introducedto our team, they realized
hospice wasn't about dying.
It was about living, livingfully in whatever time you have
left, surrounded by love, bycomfort and moments that matter.
(04:29):
And that's exactly what theydid for Tate One night.
After dinner they looked attheir tiny baby boy and asked a
simple question Can we give himsome ice cream Now?
Typically you're not going togive a baby ice cream Too much
sugar, too soon.
But the hospice nurse justsmiled and said he's on hospice
care.
Give him what makes him happy.
(04:50):
So they did.
And in that moment they sawsomething they would never
forget Tate's eyes, big andround, locked onto that spoon.
He grabbed it with both hands.
The second that ice creamtouched his lips and he held
onto it with everything he had,like he was staking his claim on
(05:11):
joy itself.
His little face lit up withpure delight.
It was one spoonful of icecream, but it was a lifetime's
worth of love and joy all packedinto a single moment.
That's the story we told, andwhile, yes, there was sadness in
it, the overwhelming messagewas one of love, connection and
(05:32):
the beauty of cherishing what wehave while we have it.
And the response?
Unbelievable Donations pouredin, not just money, but letters,
hugs and stories from strangerswho had lost children, from
parents who held their babies alittle tighter that night, from
people who simply wanted to bepart of the love that surrounded
(05:53):
Tate and his family.
Because that's what joy does.
It doesn't just inspiregenerosity, it creates belonging
.
People don't just give, theyjoin, they step into the story
with you.
And isn't that exactly whatfundraising should be?
So why does joy work infundraising?
Why did people rally aroundHenry's birthday or Tate's ice
(06:17):
cream moment with suchgenerosity?
Because joy creates connection.
When people give out a joy, it'snot just about solving a
problem, it's about being partof something beautiful,
something uplifting, somethingthat reminds them of the good in
the world.
And when donors feel that theydon't just give once, they give
(06:40):
again and again and againbecause they want to keep
feeling that connection.
Joy also fosters genuinegratitude on both sides.
Think about it when a donorgives and they feel appreciated,
inspired and connected, theywalk away grateful for the
opportunity to help.
That's why I'm still shocked,even after almost 15 years in
(07:03):
this profession, when donorsthank me for letting them give
us money.
But it makes sense.
Giving with joy validates whothey are.
It allows them to be the verybest version of themselves.
And, beyond that, joy buildscommunity.
When you tell a joyful story,people don't just donate, they
(07:27):
share, they talk about it withtheir friends, they post about
it online.
They spread the love andsuddenly your mission isn't just
yours anymore.
It belongs to everyone who'stouched by that story.
Now contrast that withfear-based fundraising.
Sure, fear gets a quickreaction, it creates urgency,
(07:49):
but it also leaves peoplefeeling tense, exhausted and
manipulated.
It's a short-term game anddonors might give once, they
might give twice or even threetimes, but they're less likely
to stay for the long haul,because no one wants to feel
emotionally drained every timethey open their wallet.
So let me ask you, which kindof fundraising would you rather
(08:13):
be?
A part of the kind that fillspeople with anxiety, dread and
despair We've got enough of thatin our world or do you want the
kind that makes them feelhopeful, connected and grateful?
Exactly, and that's why joyisn't just a nice approach to
fundraising, it's the betterapproach.
(08:36):
So let's talk about fear-basedfundraising for a second.
I mean, we've all seen it thedesperate, panicked appeals If
you don't give right now,disaster will strike.
We're on the verge of collapse,everything you care about is at
risk unless you donate today.
And look, I get it.
Fear works In the short term.
(08:58):
It triggers an immediateresponse because it preys on our
anxiety.
Preys on our anxiety.
But let's be real, it feelsawful.
It feels awful to write thoseappeals.
It feels awful to send them and, honestly, it feels really
awful to receive them.
(09:21):
Because here's what happens whenyou fundraise with fear.
You guilt people into giving,but guilt is not a sustainable
emotion.
You pressure them into atransaction instead of inviting
them into a relationship.
You might get their money once,but they'll remember how you
made them feel and are theygoing to come back.
And then there's donor burnout.
People can only handle so muchpanic.
Before they decide to tune out,they start seeing every email,
(09:46):
every letter, every call asanother alarm bell and
eventually they stop respondingaltogether.
Now think about what kind oforganization you want to build.
Do you want donors who givebecause they're scared or
because they believe in yourmission, because they want to be
a part of something good, orbecause they believe in your
mission because they want to bea part of something good?
Nonprofits are filled withheroes, not villains.
(10:10):
So why would we want to coercepeople into giving?
Why would we manipulate theminto action when we have
something so much better tooffer?
If fear is the only tool inyour fundraising toolkit, get
some new tools.
And, frankly, we've seen whathappens when fear is the
foundation of fundraising.
Political campaigns have beenrunning that playbook for years
(10:33):
whipping people into a frenzy,making them feel like everything
is on fire, keeping them lockedin a constant state of panic.
And sure, they raise a lot ofmoney, but at what cost?
That's not who we are.
That's not what our sector isabout.
We don't scare people intogiving.
We inspire them, and that'sexactly what we're going to do.
(10:57):
So here's my challenge for youTake a look at your fundraising
strategy.
Your emails, your letters, yourcampaigns.
Are they built on joy?
Are they inviting people intosomething really beautiful, or
are they relying on pressure,guilt or panic?
Because I promise you this whenyou lean into joy, everything
(11:19):
changes.
Your donors feel good aboutgiving, they come back, they
share your mission with theirfriends and you.
You get to build relationshipsthat last, instead of chasing
one-time transactions.
Joy isn't just a fundraisingtactic, it's a movement, one
that brings people together,reminds them of the good in the
(11:42):
world and makes generositysomething they're grateful to be
a part of.
So let's make that the standard.
Let's lead with joy, invitepeople in and give them stories
worth celebrating.
And hey, I would love to hearfrom you.
Have you seen the power of joyin your own fundraising?
Send me a message, share yourfavorite joyful fundraising
(12:04):
stories and let's keep thisconversation going.
Thank you for being here today,thanks for the work that you do
and thank you for bringing alittle more joy into the world.
This has been let's TalkFundraising.
I'm still Keith Greer and I'llsee you again real soon.
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