As chief development officer for American Baptist Home Mission Societies (ABHMS), Vincent W. Dent Sr. says that his firm belief in ABHMS’ mission and impact means that he need not hesitate when engaging a potential donor for the first time.
“It is never about me,” he says. “It is always about the mission.”
While philanthropy, he maintains, is a labor of love, it is also a science driven by processes, policies, governance, infrastructure, law and ethics. Thus, Dent—who has served in fundraising for more than 20 years—is intentional about approaching his craft in the appropriate manner.
“There is right way to solicit support, a right way to acknowledge gifts, a right way to record gift activity, a right way to report giving, a right way to tell our story and a right way to lift up our donors and encourage others to join us in mission work,” he says. “Doing things the right way is respecting the giver, the gift, the grace from which the gift flows and the mercy that allows us the privilege of doing this work.”
