Learning from a Lemon Tree

Last June I bought a lemon tree for my living room. This was not just any lemon tree. This lemon tree represented a big step in my houseplant journey. My pothos were thriving; my fiddle-leaf fig was looking great. I knew I could handle this new tree and that it would flourish under my expert care. So, I slapped it in my living room and treated it exactly like I treat my other plants. For a few months, it was fine. In fact, it started blooming like crazy! I was nailing it. Then, all of a sudden, it changed. The leaves started falling off, and it no longer looked like the lemon tree of my dreams. It looked awful. My husband started asking when we were getting rid of the bare, sad tree in the middle of our house.

I considered that for a moment, and then I realized something. Lemon trees are NOT pothos. Lemon trees are NOT fiddle-leaf figs, or rubber trees, or monstera. I should have learned what a lemon tree needs, and not just assume I know. Better late than never, I started researching. First I looked online, but when that gave me conflicting answers, I went to the nursery where I bought it and badgered the lemon tree guy with questions. And then, for good measure, I talked to a landscaper.

I asked experts how to get back on track, and back on track I am! It took about five months, but this past weekend I spotted growth. I just needed to be patient. Part of that was timing (yay spring!), but most of it was learning how to solve the problems I had needlessly created for my little lemon tree.  Soon there will be leaves, blossoms, and maybe even lemons.

What does this have to do with planned giving? So often nonprofits slap a planned giving page on their website, send a few marketing emails, and expect a program to naturally grow itself. They put it to the side as they actively pursue the other aspects of their fundraising plan. At first, a few donors may raise their hands and say “I’ve done that!” and it will look like success. But soon the dormant period comes, and you realize that your planned giving approach isn’t working. That’s when you need to make a change. The fixes are likely simple, but they’re not obvious until the guy in the lemon tree aisle lays them out for you.

If this resonates with you and how your organization has approached planned giving, I’d love to chat. I likely have some simple fixes that might just get you back on track.