What Does a Donor Have to Do With My Art?

Quite a lot, actually.

I'm a fundraiser and an artist. And one of the greatest gifts of my fundraising career is getting to meet some pretty extraordinary people. People who are incredibly successful, generous, interesting, and sometimes larger than life.

But there was one donor in particular who said something to me that I will never forget.

And I honestly believe that conversation helped give me the courage to become an artist.

Here's what happened.

I had been working on a photoshoot for a very special donor. It was a little complicated, with lots of moving parts, and I wanted everything to be perfect.

When the photos finally came back, I called to share them. We were looking through the pictures together online when I started telling a personal story about someone in my family who reminded me of this donor.

I don't even remember how we got on the subject, but I remember telling the story as only I can, probably with a little too much detail.

And then there was silence.

A really long silence.

Oh my God. What did I just say?

I was convinced I had completely overstepped. Here I was, supposed to be talking about photographs, and somehow I had turned the conversation into a personal family story.

And then came the words I will never forget.

This donor told me that over the years, they had met all kinds of people. Wealthy people, highly educated people, people with important titles and impressive accomplishments.

But the people who made the greatest impression weren't necessarily any of those things.

They were the people who had the courage to be themselves. No matter who was in the room.

And then, to my complete surprise, this donor told me I was one of those people.

I was floored.

And then came the part that really stayed with me.

"If you keep telling those stories, if you keep taking risks, if you keep betting on yourself, you will have the most amazing life."

They told me I could do anything I set my mind to.

And then simply said, "Go do it."

I have thought about that conversation so many times.

You see, becoming an artist was something I had wanted to do but was absolutely terrified to try. It's one thing to admire art. It's another thing entirely to make something yourself, put it out into the world, and let people decide what they think of it.

That takes guts.

Especially when you're starting something completely new and have no idea if anyone will like what you create.

But those words stuck with me.

Keep telling stories. Take risks. Bet on yourself.

And eventually, I did.

I picked up a paintbrush and started making art. Weird art. Colorful art. Art that tells stories. Art that looks like me.

And I absolutely love it.

There's another part of this story that means just as much to me.

As a fundraiser, my job is to build relationships with donors. To listen, to understand what matters to them, and to connect their generosity to something meaningful.

But one thing I've learned over the years is that the best relationships are never just about fundraising.

They're about people.

About listening. About sharing stories. About being genuinely interested in someone's life and letting them into yours.

Sometimes those relationships lead to extraordinary gifts for an organization.

And sometimes, if you're really lucky, the person you thought you were there to inspire ends up inspiring you.

This particular donor gave me something I could never put a dollar amount on.

The courage to bet on myself.

And every time I stand in front of a blank canvas, I think a little bit about that conversation.

Because it turns out, one of the greatest gifts I've ever received as a fundraiser had absolutely nothing to do with money.

Thanks for following along.

Kerryn