Brie Aguila | ADRP President Asst. Vice Chancellor for External Relations
Office of Advancement 
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

What a broken arm and donor relations have in common…

Sadly, my five-year-old daughter broke her arm about a month ago. I've found surprising parallels between this incident and life as a donor relations professional. First, they both bring something completely unexpected and unplanned. How many times do you get something completely unplanned dropped in your lap? It’s unlikely that a day goes by where that doesn’t happen, right?

Secondly, our family experienced an outpouring of generosity and kindness during this time, with people going above and beyond to make her feel special. And what is donor relations if not being thoughtful and acknowledging the generosity of so many while making each person feel like an individual? 

While many other lessons were connected, one last one I'll share is the importance of compliance and patience. Do you know how hard it is to get a five-year-old to follow a doctor’s orders to take it easy in the middle of the summer? Of course you do. Because, managing funds and ensuring they're used appropriately demands careful oversight and persistence, too.

This experience has been a poignant reminder of how hard, yet so very important, each one of your jobs is. If you haven’t heard it yet today, THANK YOU for every single thing you do. And I hope you avoid any broken arms today. 

Thank you,
Brie