“Let’s be honest. What we do is sales.” Ugh. How many times have philanthropy professionals heard this, from our own ranks, nonetheless? Just recently, at a professional development luncheon, this very statement was exclaimed. To my dismay, many nodded their heads in agreement. While I certainly recognize the foundation our noble profession has in sales, marketing, and other fields, we have evolved to be so much more than “sales.” Let me be clear. There is nothing wrong with sales, but we know our profession—philanthropy—is about the betterment of humankind, not the benefit of a bottom line. Our profession has seen a great evolution over the last 30+ ...