The Three-Day Assumption

3-minute read

A call came in, and in my practice with unknown numbers, I let it go to voicemail. The caller sounded like she was in her 20s. I decided it could wait.

Three days passed before I called back. When I finally did, I found out she was reaching out for her family's foundation. We almost lost a $125,000 gift because I judged her age before considering her role.

This wasn't a scheduling issue; it was a screening one. I assumed before checking the facts, and that nearly cost us six figures.

What Bias Feels Like

Deloitte's research on inclusive leadership describes this clearly. They call it cognizance of bias—being aware that your instincts are not neutral, and that the times you feel most confident are often when you are most exposed.

I did not feel biased. I just felt busy. That’s how it works. Bias rarely announces itself. Instead, it quietly changes your priorities and calls it judgment.

Why It Slips Past You

As chief fundraisers, if we’re not careful, we tend to favor people who look and sound like us. A young voice on the phone did not fit my idea of a six-figure donor, so I put her at low priority without checking any facts.

Deloitte's researchers also found that some situations make leaders more likely to fall into this trap. Time pressure, fatigue, and a packed call log all play a role. Sounds like a CDO's calendar.

That day, I wasn't thinking clearly; I was just thinking quickly. Those are not the same, and the space between them is where bias creeps in.

The research encourages leaders to be specific.

Instead of: "I might have bias."

Use this: "I am most likely to rely on assumptions when my calendar is full, and my patience is short."

The Model That Works

One executive in the research explained it simply. He knows the type of person he tends to favor when hiring, so he added checks to the process to catch himself before acting on those instincts. That is the approach: create checks instead of relying only on instinct.

Here's a check to consider.

The Fair Play Screen

I ask myself three questions before I decide to deprioritize any inquiry.

Outcome: If I am wrong about this person, what could it cost us? For me, the honest answer was a six-figure gift, delayed by three days, and just one voicemail away from going to the fundraiser who called her back first.

Process: Would I have responded this quickly if the caller sounded like a major donor? I already knew the answer before I even asked. That is usually a sign the process is broken.

Communication: Could I explain this response time to the donor, out loud, without hesitation? I could not. That changed my process even more than the missed gift did.

Now I respond to every inquiry the same.

Beyond the Call

This kind of bias affects more than just who gets a quick callback. It can influence who is assigned to your top gift officers, whose proposals move forward quickly, and whose files sit at the bottom of the pile for months without review.

Deloitte's researchers connect these three questions to pay, performance ratings, and promotion decisions, not just outreach.

Your Turn

Pull your last 10 inbound inquiries. Next to each one, write your response time in hours. Circle anything over 24. For each circled name, write one honest word about why. If the same word shows up next to the same kind of caller more than once, that's your bias, confirmed by your own numbers. Run the Fair Play Screen on your next inquiry before you let it sit.

Coming Next Week

Next Sunday, the Mature Leadership series continues with Calm Leadership in a Culture of Urgency. One specific moment to choose calm over urgency and what it means to lead from stability instead of pressure.

Until next Sunday,
Christine

PS - The framework above draws on Deloitte's report on inclusive leadership, which is worth a full read if you’d like to learn more.

I’m Christine Bork, Chief Development Officer at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

I write CFW to share what I’m learning as I lead a growing team and try to do the work in a way that’s sustainable and thoughtful.