Selling the School Doesn't Mean the School is For Sale
As you develop a consultative relationship with your donors, your goal is to create alignment between the schools plans and the personal giving desires of each donor. You are selling the school and the return on investment it creates.
It's possible that a donor may confuse this message, thinking that by giving to the school they are buying stock or ownership in the institution. This can be expressed directly or indirectly, but the point is the same--giving correlates to influence over leadership.
Using the line from the movie, "Run, Forest, Run!"
Don't take money with those strings attached. You must look that donor square in the eyes and make it clear that your school is not for sale. No amount of money is worth sacrificing the leadership of the school. Stay strong and true to your values.
