Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only way to have a friend is to be one." But what it means to be a good friend from a donor's perspective is changing. Today's donors have more options for their philanthropic interests than ever before, and they want deep connections with institutions that matter to them and share their values. If an institution is engaging constituents just to ask for money, it may be missing out on true friendship with donors who want to be engaged in everything the institution does. It also risks losing donors who have very different expectations of what it means to be a friend. Since today's donors have the inclination and the tools to speak for the institutions they support, the author suggests that institutions need to tap into this network of friends. Regardless of the technologies available or the economic climate, building meaningful relationships with donors is always important. In fact, while the first definition of friendship one can find in the dictionary is "a person attached by feelings of affection and personal regard," the second is "a patron or supporter."