I cite our family’s own proclivity to give for three reasons. First, it is virtually impossible to ask others to behave in a way contrary to your own conduct. Asking well works when the solicitor is a true believer, a missionary of sorts. The test of that conviction is more than moving prose or spirited rhetoric. You can open the mind of the prospect wider if you have opened your own wallet or pocketbook before your visit. Giving is infectious. The virus of philanthropy starts with the solicitor.
