This or that vs. yes or no
It's much easier to persuade a philanthropist to fund your project than it is to persuade a rich person to become a philanthropist.
Encouraging someone to shift slightly, to pick this instead of that, is a totally different endeavor than working to turn a no into a yes, to change an entire pattern of behavior.
When looking to grow, start with people who already believe that they have a problem you can help them solve.