Authenticity has it’s own ROI

Will you join me in a little thought experiment? What makes something authentic for you?

For me, authenticity is something I feel. It’s a momentary rupture in a world that often feels overly sanitized, perfected and polished.

Something lights up in me when I encounter something that feels genuine, not carefully packaged. It might be in writing, in conversation or in a fleeting moment of connection. There’s a spark. Something human.

Sometimes it’s raw and vulnerable. Other times it’s blunt. Sometimes it’s in unapologetic laughter. Other times it’s an acknowledgement of fear or uncertainty. It’s always honest.

Whenever it happens, I wake up a little. Something is different here. This isn’t trying to sell me something. This is real. This is special. I can let my guard down.

I just returned from the Nonprofit Alliance Fundraising Symposium, and what struck me most wasn’t a tactic or a trend, it was the tone. Senior leaders in fundraising and marketing connecting in a way that felt unusually open. People admitting what isn’t working. Sharing uncertainty. Laughing about mistakes. Listening closely.

I see the same thing in our work when we listen to donors. When we launch Insight Panels (a service that helps non profit teams listen to donors at scale) and a donor shares why they care about the issue — or that they’ve recently lost a pet, or that they’re struggling to get through these troubling times — and we respond with genuine attention, they’re wowed. My sense is that they feel the spark of authenticity.

Fundraisers are always asking about ROI. What’s the return?

I argue that authenticity has its own built-in return on investment. It builds trust. It deepens relationships. It turns communication into connection. In a world full of polished messaging, the real thing feels electric.

It might not be measured easily. But you can feel it and it matters.