Fight for Limited Resources?

I was recently asked by several community members whether I was attending a neighboring organization’s fundraising event. The event was informative in nature and it would seem harmless that I accept such an invitation. Just to be sure, I asked the executive director whether it was ok that I attend from which I received the following response; I will carefully paraphrase for clarity and to respect the author’s privacy.

Our organizations compete for limited philanthropic resources and I believe that fundraising is one area where collaboration is in neither of our best interests. I am sure that as a fellow development officer you can understand where I am coming from.

Sorry pal, I might understand where you are coming from, wonder what sort of ideas you have for me if I’d show up, but I don’t think you are correct in your thinking. Nonetheless, I can honor your request and begin to ponder the thinking process behind your response.

What we have here is a clear demonstration of scarcity thinking. The use of such words as limited and compete assure me that this individual has never read Stephen Covey’s Principle-Centered Leadership. In Covey’s book, Covey describes people with the scarcity mentality as seeing everything as win-lose. They believe the world is a big apple pie and if I get a bigger piece that means someone else gets a smaller one. And if you get two scoops of vanilla, I surely deserve three. This sort of thinking leads us to see one another as adversaries and in competition with one another. Undoubtedly, the idea that there might be enough for everyone does not cross their mind.

Covey writes:

The scarcity mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit – even with those who help in the production. They also have a very hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people.

The abundance mentality, on the other hand, flow out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity.

I have certainly encountered this attitude of scarcity elsewhere and I am admittedly not without fault here myself. I often feel as if I have territories to defend and opportunities to keep secret. Fortunately, I am confident in Gods provision for all us, that we serve a God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and that regardless of what I have to give, or receive, He will provide not from His scarcity, but from His abundance for all us.