Miss Manners: How do I stop unwanted help from an enthusiastic supporter?
A nonprofit director seeks advice on gently discouraging a well-intentioned woman who is enthusiastically recruiting supporters for a motorcycle safety organization, despite not being a motorcycle enthusiast herself and providing unwanted assistance.
Liam Carter 
As a nonprofit marketing and development director, your goal is to build relationships with donors and corporate partners. However, when an overly enthusiastic volunteer becomes a source of frustration, navigating that professional boundary requires a delicate touch.
Handling the overzealous volunteer
A reader recently contacted 205focus.com with a unique dilemma: a woman who is not a motorcycle enthusiast has become incredibly gung-ho about their nonprofit, which focuses on motorcycle safety and awareness. Despite her lack of connection to the cause, she is aggressively recruiting supporters on the organization's behalf, and the director is looking for a gentle way to decline this unwanted assistance.
Miss Manners' advice
Miss Manners notes that typically, the best approach for managing overzealous volunteers is benign neglect. By not feeding the fire, an enthusiastic supporter's interest often fades on its own.
However, if she remains undeterred, Miss Manners suggests shifting your strategy toward full donor cultivation. By engaging with her, you may discover what her true philanthropic interests are. Once you identify her genuine passions, you can gracefully redirect her energy by connecting her with professional colleagues at an institution that better aligns with her personal interests.
If you have etiquette questions, you can reach out to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, via email at dearmissmanners@gmail.com, or by mail at Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
