FEATURE: OUR FAVORITE NONPROFITS AND
HOW THEY’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Money Talks
by Peter Greer and Chris Horst
Mission True organizations recruit and engage Mission True donors. For the remainder of
this chapter, we’d like to shift our attention from the organization to the donor. As donors,
you have a critical role to play in helping the organizations you love stay the course.
It is easy to assume that these principles of generosity are only applicable to the wealthiest
of philanthropists, but even grassroots givers need to be setting priorities and practices in
place now to avoid unintended outcomes in the future.
“Follow the money” is what my friend Terry Looper says. Terry would know. He serves on
several different boards, and he’s seen firsthand the influence of funding.
Donors are an accurate predictor of whether or not an organization is going to deviate off
mission. Specifically, what excites and motivates the donors who fuel the mission? Are they
moving in the same direction as the organization or have they rejected the organization’s
full mission?
Donors either center an organization on its full mission or contribute to Mission Drift.
Despite this influence, only a very small percentage recognize the role they play.
But Greg is an exception.
“Hi, Peter, this is Greg. Hey, when you get a minute, would you give me a call? I have
something I’d like to discuss with you.”
As I listened to this voice mail, I could tell Greg had something important on his mind.
It wasn’t the words he used, but his tone that concerned me. This wasn’t going to be a
conversation just to catch up and laugh again about our experiences traveling together to
the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
35