{"id":1008,"date":"2013-08-06T07:02:09","date_gmt":"2013-08-06T13:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/knackfornoticing\/?p=1008"},"modified":"2013-08-06T07:06:50","modified_gmt":"2013-08-06T13:06:50","slug":"the-parable-of-the-unemployed-fundraiser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/knackfornoticing\/2013\/08\/the-parable-of-the-unemployed-fundraiser\/","title":{"rendered":"The Parable of the Unemployed Fundraiser"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Here is a story a friend of mine who works as a development officer told me recently. It\u2019s a true story that\u00a0I think could function as \u00a0a modern day parable.<\/p>\n

The President and Vice-President for Development at a prominent north eastern university scheduled a meeting with a wealthy alumnus potential donor.\u00a0The University was in the process of raising $5M to build a new\u00a0cafeteria on campus. The appointed day and time arrived for the\u00a0President and VP to meet with the donor. Their plan was to ask for a lead gift for the project.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0President made her eloquent pitch for the reason and\u00a0purpose for the new cafeteria, how it would\u00a0help the students and\u00a0recruitment into the future. Then it was the VP for Development\u2019s turn to ask for the gift. He\u00a0precisely and clearly articulated, \u201cMr. Smith, would you be willing to make the lead gift of $2.5M to name the new facility?\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr. Smith sat up in his chair, pushed back from his desk,\u00a0opened his desk drawer, reached in and pulled out a\u00a0check which he had already filled out. He began to tear up the check as he said, \u201cOh, I thought you were here to ask me for the whole $5M.\u201d After which he promptly began writing a $2.5M check, exactly the amount for which was asked.<\/p>\n

If this story \u00a0can function as a parable, that would mean it could be taken in several directions.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You never get more than you ask for.<\/li>\n
  2. Ask for what you need, not what you think you can get.<\/li>\n
  3. Don\u2019t do things halfway.<\/li>\n
  4. $2.5 million is still $2.5 million.<\/li>\n
  5. Never look a gift horse in the mouth<\/li>\n
  6. If you get one scoop of icecream, don\u2019t complain that you didn\u2019t get two.<\/li>\n
  7. Other\u2026.?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Here is a story a friend of mine who works as a development officer told me recently. It\u2019s a true story that\u00a0I think could function as \u00a0a modern day parable. The President and Vice-President for Development at a prominent north eastern university scheduled a meeting with a wealthy alumnus potential donor.\u00a0The University was in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":224,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Parable of the Unemployed Fundraiser<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here is a story a friend of mine who works as a development officer told me recently. 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