When we mourned the passing of John Haydon, our friend and inspiration, we noted that his last act was to finish a book that distilled his life’s work and insights.

Kivi Leroux Miller of Bold and Bright Media led a team of four editors as they rushed to get John’s book, DonorCARE: How to Keep Donors Coming Back AFTER the First Gift, ready for release in March.

As Tom Ahern reported yesterday in his newsletter the book is now available on Amazon.

Frankly, while you’re home and have some time during this pandemic I sure hope you order and read John’s book. As Tom notes, the second part of the title: How to Keep Doors Coming Back AFTER the First Gift makes it a must read.

Here’s John’s Preface to his book. Give yourself the gift of John’s legacy to us all.

Roger

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Cancer Wrote This Book

I never thought it would happen to me.

I ate well, worked out three times a week, and aced my physicals. My stellar health (and babyface) belied my age, which often surprised people who asked. So you can imagine how terrified I was when one Saturday in December 2017, I discovered a small lump just above my left collarbone.

When a Roll of Cookie Dough Isn’t a Good Thing

An MRI revealed a surprisingly large tumor in my chest, the size of a roll of cookie dough. Seven oncologists from the top cancer hospitals in Boston entered the examination room (never a good sign). Their expressions revealed more curiosity than concern about how it was possible for someone with such a large tumor to be walking and talking with absolutely no symptoms. I literally had no idea that I had cancer, much less a massive tumor sandwiched between my heart and lungs.

I thought about the many dog friends I hold near and dear who have lumps and bumps — tumors on butts, shoulders, necks, all over — and they seem as happy as ever. Why would I feel any differently if there’s no pain?

My attitude was determined, almost joyful, to win no matter what. Like, “Watch me, cancer! I’m going to win.” I felt that my will to live had to be bigger than cancer’s will to kill me. So I bolstered my will to live.

I decided I had to write my cancer story; otherwise, the cancer would write it. I had to write it, direct it, and even take the leading role as me — the hero who beat cancer by not giving up no matter how bleak things looked.

I also needed my friends more than ever, so I started a Facebook Group in December of 2017 called “Watch John Beat Cancer.” This was a way for me to put a specific and wildly positive intention out into the universe (“Watch me!”) with the love and support of my friends. I knew I could beat cancer if I had friends cheering me on, sharing their cancer stories, or sharing a GIF just when I needed it most. But the best part is seeing people make new friends through this group.

At the same time, I was also terrified that I would die. Scared that my teenage son would have to grow up without a father. Terrified that I would never see him graduate high school. Terrified that I would have lived a life of “quiet desperation,” leaving nothing behind except for a fading mention in the Boston Globe obituaries.

I thought about the things that mattered, that really mattered. Of course, friends and family came first to my mind. My son; my girlfriend, Kate; my two brothers, Jim and Bill; my nephews; and other extended family and friends (see the Acknowledgements for the big list).

But there was also my professional legacy. What would I leave behind as a lasting monument that would represent my work, my experience, and my expertise? After all, while doing this work for over 12 years, I’ve received countless emails from people thanking me for changing the way they approached marketing and fundraising.

When I shared my cancer story on Facebook, colleagues also validated my contribution. I heard comments like, “You’re a name brand in this space. Orgs need you, and our field has benefited so much from all you’ve given it.” Comments like these made me realize that I had to do something to repay my debt of gratitude to so many nonprofit marketers and fundraisers. Without them, I couldn’t have contributed in such a substantive way.

So I started seriously thinking about this question day and night. How could I leave behind a record of the experiences I’ve had for the past 12 years? I pondered. I prayed.

During long days of chemo, as I wracked my brain for a way to distill all the remarkable experiences into a single record, I also thought to myself: What is the number one I’d love to solve?

One particularly vexing problem I’ve encountered over and over again is the unintentional lack of donor care, reflected in poor retention rates and lowered expectations of donors in the sector. And since building positive relationships with donors is one of the best ways to ensure sustainability for your nonprofit, I’ve sought to tackle this problem in this book.

So here you have it. If this is the last book I ever write, let it be known that Donor CARE contains the essence of what I’ve learned and taught about keeping donors happy during my brief but wonderful experience working with people who are making the world a better place.

John Haydon
January 2020

P.S.  If you haven’t already, you’ll want to read Tom Ahern’s moving tribute to John here.