Don’t Skip the Squishy Part

Most fundraising conversations move too quickly. 

I think this comes from the pressure of the job, pressure to get to the goal. It’s something I’m reminded of often by Scout and the patience she teaches me.

From urgency → to strategy → to the ask.

What often gets skipped is the squishy part, the moment when belief is still forming and people aren’t quite ready to act, even if they care deeply.

This is where leaders get uncomfortable. The answers aren’t crisp yet. The language isn’t fully settled. It feels inefficient to pause here, so many teams rush past it.

But skipping the squishy part doesn’t make things clearer. It makes them fragile.

When belief hasn’t been given time to take shape, enthusiasm feels forced. Asks feel premature. Boards hesitate. Donors pause, not because they don’t care, but because something hasn’t quite clicked yet.

The Squish Factor is that middle space.

It’s where belief warms up.

It’s where conviction becomes shareable.

When you slow down long enough to notice what’s forming, rather than rushing toward resolution, belief has a chance to stick. And it’s that stickiness that carries momentum to the goal and beyond.

And when belief sticks, momentum feels easier.

One thing to try:

Before your next ask or campaign conversation, pause and ask:

What do we want people to believe before we ask them to act?

Don’t answer it perfectly. Just notice what comes up.