"Everything is personal now" from Damian Buchman | Milwaukee, the Virus & Fundraising
We are reprinting the following blog with permission from my son, Matt Sabljak, who helps lead SRH, a Milwaukee marketing and advertising firm, and first published this. Together, Matt and I have worked with Damian Buchman, an extraordinary leader of The Ability Center, which has transformed the thinking and landscape for individuals of all abilities. (A link to the website is below….you need to go there!)
Here’s what Matt wrote:
Damian Buchman is a warrior, a friend and a client who beat “one in a billion odds” (that’s the doctors talking) to survive a double dose of childhood cancer and take up the crusade of fighting for people affected by disabilities – a community that suffers from disproportionate levels of sickness, sadness and death in part because they don’t have the same sports and recreation opportunities as everyone else.
Damian’s mission is to build The Ability Center in Milwaukee, a fitness, recreation and research Mecca where everyone can play together – including people with disabilities and their family and friends.
“I wouldn’t bet against Damian. He has more practice ignoring experts who say, “that’s impossible” than anyone else I know. Also, the man scares me with his ferocity and persistence.
Last week, I sought Damian’s counsel as I prepared for another non-profit client; I asked him, “What’s the most effective way to ask donors for funding right now?”
He listened to my usual suspect tactical ideas – a video, powerful stats, emotional stories – before finally interrupting:
Damian said, “Everything is personal now. Everything is scarier. The only way to ask anybody for anything is to look them in the eyes. And if you’re not asking for something that people truly need right now, just stay quiet.”
Everything is personal now.
Damian’s bio:
A social entrepreneur with nearly 10 years in sports facility management, along with an additional 10 years in the nonprofit sector Damian prides himself in being a problem solver and an idea generator, with the ability to envision a project from A to Z. A leader in the adaptive sports industry, Damian founded two charitable endeavors aimed at delivering a greater quality of life and valued opportunity in fitness, athletics and recreation. He delivered a vision for the future, transformed a community’s recreation, and oversaw the merger and collaboration of six charities.
After surviving bi-lateral bone cancer as a teenager and overcoming 23 knee replacements and revision, Damian has a passion for helping people realize their best self, and delivering a message of hope through the power of: positivity, possibility, passion and perseverance.
The Ability Center website: https://tacwi.org/ and a 3-minute video https://srh.wistia.com/medias/s18q8hn8te