A Life of Significance
Thirty years ago today, sitting at my dining room table, I created my first invoice for a company that I, personally, owned. I didn’t have a business plan; there was no logo or letterhead, just a blank piece of paper lying in front of me. I hadn’t even taken the time to create a name for this new business venture, so I simply wrote Douglas K. Shaw Consulting Services at the top of the invoice.
The fact that my very first document, written on my very first day, was an invoice meant I had the essential construct every business needs to exist—a client who thought enough of me to pay me for my services.
Well, they say, “no risk, no reward.” The day before, I had taken the risk of resigning from a well-paying position, complete with the title of Senior Vice President and decent health benefits. That next morning, October 24, 1994, I generously gave myself the title President/CEO knowing full well I had not yet earned it. I was a staff of one in a company of one. What were my odds of success?
According to The Bureau of Labor and Statistics, 20.4% of new businesses fail in their 1st year, 49.4% in their 5th year, and 65.3% in their 10th year in business. It’s a good thing I didn’t know these figures at the time!
The figures I DID know, however, were the metrics of direct response fundraising—what they could be and how to connect donors to the causes they so dearly love.
Being my only employee, I was responsible for sales and service. When I finished a meeting with my client, I wrote the meeting reports, developed the strategies, wrote the fundraising copy, managed the creative and production processes, and even made certain I purchased the right commemorative stamps for mailings to larger donors.
By my third year, I had finally figured out what to call the company: I settled on Douglas Shaw & Associates, Incorporated. I knew I needed a logo that would stand the test of time, so I hired the great designer Dwight Wallace, who had created the covers for Christianity Today for years, to apply his creativity on our behalf—and what you see today is the result of his work.
But fundraising agencies only exist because of the trust not-for-profits have placed in them. Some organizations saw the real needs of people for food, clothing, shelter, and faith. Others saw the necessity of translating the Bible into the heart languages of every people group on Earth. Still others knew the power of broadcasting to convey the truths of Scripture to those here at home and those in countries where sharing the Good News is prohibited. Over the years, we’ve also had the privilege of serving health-related organizations, those who serve the visually impaired, and many other causes that match the values we cherish.
Today, we have a full-time staff of 50 women and men who devote their lives to helping not-for-profits accomplish amazing things in the lives of those they serve. It’s to them I give credit for raising hundreds of millions of dollars every year so those in need can lead a life of significance.
