Failed fundraising program

In 2020/2021 I created and launched a new fundraising program at work. We probably invested around $120k into this program and in the end I think it has raised $40k since it launched.

After one year I stopped investing my time heavily in the program & stopped promoting it as I realised it would take lots more investment to get it to actually see a return – I decided it was better to cut our losses and move on. Ever since I have carried this failure on my back like a weight of baggage. I’ve talked to other people who don’t see it as a failure at all, which made me realise that it’s not an objective fact that it failed, that there are other ways of measuring its success than dollars raised.

I was talking with my friend recently about failure in powerlifting – doing as many reps as you can until you fail, to see how far you can go. She was celebrating reaching the point of failure because in it, she could see how far she could go. It got me thinking about the way I perceive my own failures and why I’m carrying this experience like a heavy weight and burden, instead of something to be proud of.

 

 

Answer:

When we’re talking about money, there is math and there is drama. What are the facts of what happened?  Do a thought download and don’t edit or judge yourself at all. Don’t try to coach yourself. Just let it all out. Then pick 1-3 thoughts you want to put into models to see what results your brain is creating. It sounds to me like your circumstance is

C: $120K invested in x project in 2020/21 with $40k raised by x date.

T:?

F: ?

S:?

A:?

R:?

Such interesting insights you are on the edge of. Keep exploring what failure means to you. Keep exploring what success means.  Try mixing it all up.  What I see is a smart decision that you made with confidence. That’s a win in my book. What do you think?