The Power We Have

4-minute read

Hi Reader,

When a major tech partner came to the table, I thought I knew exactly who to put in the room.

Right now, a major child health initiative of ours is funded by a government grant. The money is real, but it’s not the kind you can count on for the long term. One budget cycle or policy change, and it could disappear. We had a short window to find something more stable, and not much time to do it.

When this company showed interest, I did what I always do: I asked myself which of our projects needed the most help.

Helping parents understand their kids' digital and mental health was the clear choice. It was important, lacked sufficient funding, and was just the kind of thing a tech company might want to support.

So, I introduced the company representative to the program executive.

It fell flat.

We Default to Programs. Companies Move Faster on Assets.

Here's the bias I think most of us carry without noticing: when a corporate partner shows interest, we reach for a program.

It's how we're trained to think. Programs are where the need lives.

They're what we advocate for internally, what keeps us up at night, what a partner's dollars could change.

But asking a business to fund a program is a bigger request than it seems. Supporting a program means starting a multi-year relationship, with FTEs to count, outcomes to report, and deliverables to manage. That’s a lot to ask from a company that’s still figuring out what they want to support.

An asset is different. It’s content, expertise, or a body of work that has value. Using an asset can be so much more valuable - for both of us. There’s no need to custom-build a program or commit to years of reporting before we know if there is trust.

I offered a program because that’s what I was used to doing.

The Signal, Not the Certainty

I had about ten minutes between the meeting where I saw the pairing wasn't working and the one where I needed to fix it.

Here’s what I didn’t do: I didn’t wait until I was sure. I didn’t finish the meeting, debrief, analyze what went wrong, and then return with a better version of the same pitch.

Instead, I watched the first few minutes, noticed the signs—polite but flat responses, questions that didn’t go anywhere, no follow-up energy—and acted before I had proof.

I brought in someone else, our digital strategy leader. She offered an asset: our work and ideas about helping families use media.

That pivot is now a multi-year, six-figure-plus partnership.

Two Filters, Not One

I was following two habits at once, and I didn’t notice them until they failed. I asked who needed the funding most, when I should have asked what the partner wanted to support. And I went for a program when an asset would have been an easier yes.

Now, I use a two-part decision rule.

Before the meeting, I ask myself if I’m bringing a program or an asset, and I remember that corporate partners often move faster on assets.

In the meeting, I watch the first few minutes for signs. If the energy is flat, questions don’t build, and there’s no follow-up, that’s information—not just a bad day.

Don’t wait for certainty. Reclaim your own power.

Where the Power Was

This is where Arc 3 comes full circle. We've spent this arc naming the power we don't have. We don't choose our board. We don't build trust through persuasion. It's transferred, or it isn't. We don't even get to make our own case; others make it for us, or it doesn't stick.

It would be easy to close this arc believing we're mostly along for the ride.

Here's the power we do have, and it's real: the power to notice, fast, that we got it wrong and to act before we're sure. I didn't control what the partner wanted. I didn't have time to build a better pitch. What I had was ten minutes, a signal I chose not to ignore, and someone in my building who could meet the moment.

That's not a consolation prize for the power we don't get to hold. That's the job.

The decision rule is simple: before the meeting, ask whether you're bringing a program or an asset. In the room, watch the first few minutes for the signal. Flat energy, no follow-up, questions that don't build. Don't wait for certainty.

The power isn't in getting it right the first time. It's in what you do in the next ten minutes when you don't.

Your Turn

Think of your last partner conversation that went flat. Write down whether you offered a program or an asset. If you can't tell which one it was, that's the answer.

Coming Next Week

This is the last issue of Arc 3, Power, Politics & Influence. Next Sunday, we’ll pause and look at the question I asked my team that turned one stuck metric into 25 real ideas.

Cheers,
Christine

PS — Knowing which bias you’re bringing into the room is one thing. Figuring out which system to build next so you’re not just guessing is another. I created a four-question filter for exactly that purpose: System 6, the Systems Investment Playbook. Would you like a free copy? Reply System 6.

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

Full disclosure:

Some links in CFW are affiliate links. If you click and buy, I earn a small cut or a discount — no markup to you. I only link to things I'd tell you about over coffee anyway.