Better Than Good: Becoming the Fundraiser Donors Want to Keep

Jerry offers a challenge that goes beyond techniques:

Be better than good.

He talks about SPECIAL people, charisma, and the psychology of success. The idea is simple: the most effective fundraisers bring more than skills. They bring a way of being that attracts trust and confidence.

In a field where tools and tactics are increasingly similar across organizations, who you are as a fundraiser may be your greatest differentiator.

SPECIAL people in a crowded field

Jerry uses SPECIAL as a shorthand for the qualities that set standout fundraisers apart. While he breaks it down in detail, you can think of it this way:

·         Smile when you are with a prospect.

·         Project knowledge is powerful. Talk in terms of people, not numbers,

·         Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful qualities you can exhibit.

·         Correctness. Everything you do must be done right!

·         Interest in the people you work with is vital to building lasting relationships.

·         Attitude of your prospects should not affect your attitude. Stay positive!

·         Listen 80 percent of the time and talk 20 percent.

These are not traits you either have or do not have. They are habits you can cultivate.

Charisma, grounded in substance

When many people hear “charisma,” they think of big personalities and extroverts.

In fundraising, charisma is more often about:

• Making others feel at ease.

• Listening deeply and reflecting back what you heard.

• Communicating your mission with clarity and conviction.

Some of the most effective major gift officers are quieter, thoughtful people who:

• Show up prepared.

• Follow through consistently.

• Make donors feel smart, not sold to.

That is a kind of charisma donors remember.

The psychology of success

Jerry also touches on how successful fundraisers think:

• They expect good things to happen.

• They see challenges as puzzles to solve, not signs to quit.

• They do not crumble when a prospect says no; they learn and move on.

• They own their part of the work and do not live in excuses.

In practical terms, that might look like:

• Reviewing each visit to ask, “What went well? What will I do differently next time?”

• Reframing rejections as “not yet” or “not this project,” not as never.

• Surrounding yourself with colleagues and mentors who push you and believe in you.

Better than good for your donors

When you put all of Jerry’s rules together, a picture emerges of a “better than good” fundraiser:

• Present in the moment.

• Meticulous about details.

• Fast and faithful in follow‑through.

• Flexible and thoughtful in the gray areas.

• Proactive, not reactive.

• Deeply respectful of team and support staff.

• Available and responsive to donors.

• Clear‑eyed about the importance of money and impact.

• Personally grounded, positive, and resilient.

That is the kind of person donors talk about to their friends:

“I trust them.”
“They listen.”
“They follow through.”
“They care about what I care about.”

At the end of the day, rules of the road are not about being rigid. They are about building a professional identity in this work that is sustainable, ethical, and effective.

Being better than good is not about perfection. It is about small, consistent choices that, over time, turn you into the kind of fundraiser donors are grateful to know.