Donor Motivation and Donor Intent | Wise Philanthropy

It happened again.

On the flight back from last week?s Council on Foundations Family Foundations conference in Miami Beach, I found myself sitting next to a financially successful real estate person. When he found out what I do, he lost no time in indulging 2 predictable topics familiar to those of us on the giving side of the philanthropy table: first, and not the topic for this posting, he solicited me for a pet charity. At least twice.
Second, he expressed his cynicism that people really ever give for altruistic reasons. He told me the story of a recent solicitation for a well known public charity which totally turned him off. [Admittedly, there was a generational disconnect which explained the story but that was more evident to me than to him, and also not the subject of this post] He then launched into a challenge about why, really, do people give to charity. Ego, taxes, public recognition were high on his list; doing good was pretty low.

What i find is that those who ask that question are rarely active or generous funders themselves. They, at least many, indulge that line of reasoning, i suspect, to create a self justifying smokescreen for their own reluctance to give. Or they are finance related folks who measure success by the bottom line of what one has, not by what one gives.

Thanks to many of my colleagues in the academic and advisory world, a lot is known about donor motivation. What is certainly clear is that almost no one gives for only one reason. Those who would dismiss altruistic intent by referring to named gifts as ego driven may be overlooking the authentic wish to leverage their giving by going public with their philanthropic priority. Those who wish to dismiss philanthropic intent by referring to tax benefits may be forgetting that in philanthropy, money is being given away, not protected for oneself by other equally accessible vehicles.

Frankly, from my perspective, it is largely irrelevant why someone chooses to become philanthropic. Who am I to question if their motivations are pure? And what if they aren?t? As long as it is not a matter of money or reputation laundering, so what? If people choose to give of their resources for the public good, let that be applauded for its accomplishment, not questioned for its motivation.? And most telling, over the years of advising or teaching literally 100?s of funders and philanthropists, this is never a question which comes from them.

Of course, donor motivation is not the same as donor intent. Unlike the question of funder motivation, donor intent is worthy of a good deal of thought and self awareness. What someone wishes to accomplish with or by his or her gift matters a lot. If well thought-through and carefully articulated, donor intent makes the difference between a gratified funder who makes a thoughtful gift and a dissatisfied donor with a marginally successful grant.? It can make the difference between an engaged, empowered family and one adrift with internal strife and competition.?? Donor intent can inform future generations? ability to steward values from generation to generation, or become an albatross over their decision making.

Any of us who work in this field know full well that donor intent is usually nuanced and often complex.? Understanding, intuiting, and articulating this intent matters.? Often a lot.

Questioning why someone might choose to give is a dead-end exercise; understanding what one wishes to do with one?s commitment to give is worthy of care and thought.? There is a big difference.

Source: http://wisephilanthropy.com/donor-motivation-and-donor-intent/598

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