The Fundraising Talent Podcast

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Great Fundraising Opportunity w/The Salvation Army Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

Are you looking for a great opportunity to work for a world-changing organization and a boss who genuinely gets fundraising? Today’s podcast conversation with Megan is a quick addition to this month’s regularly scheduled guests. Megan is the Sr. Donor Relations Director at the Salvation Army in Milwaukee, and she is excited about hiring a new fundraiser to join her team. Megan has been a fan of the Fundraising Talent Podcast for quite some time; she was a guest in 2019, and I was delighted to have her back today for what we now call the “reverse interview.” Instead of interviewing the candidate, we put the boss in the hot seat and ask them questions that we believe everyone should ask a potential employer. If you, perhaps, are interested in joining Megan’s team, download more information here.

As always, we are grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast. And, if you’d like to download Responsive’s latest edition of Carefully & Critically, just click here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

Can fundraising evolve for those who give on their own terms? Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

When I first announced that I would be having this conversation with Tyrone, I described his telling of Madam CJ Walkers story as an indictment of the wizards of contemporary fundraising and I asked how much better the fundraising experience would be if we were encouraged to engage with donors like Madam Walker in more meaningful ways. While it’s certainly admirable that so many of our organizations express a willingness and desire to engage with more diverse communities, we have to also interrogate the reasons why we haven’t done so in the past. What have we not acknowledged about history or our identity that has prevented individuals like Walker from being better represented among our constituency.

Tyrone shared with us today that he wanted to answer the question of what it meant to be a generous African American woman in the midst of Jim Crow and what it means to be a philanthropist who gives on their own terms. For Walker, giving wasn’t about what you give away late in life or as an extracurricular activity that you do with friends. Giving for Walker was a demonstration of her philanthropic agency and for causes that couldn’t wait until she had accumulated a lifetime of wealth. In a very practical sense, Tyrone’s book challenges us consider how many of today’s donors find themselves in the unseen middle, desiring meaningful engagement, and intent on contributing in meaningful ways and yet, instead of seeing them, we have pushed them into a cheap, mid-level donor program that neither recognizes nor acknowledges the opportunities such donors truly represent.

Tyrone’s book, Madam C.J. Walker's Gospel of Giving: Black Women's Philanthropy during Jim Crow was recently awarded the 2021 AFP Global Skystone Partners Research Prize on Fundraising and Philanthropy, and the Alliance for Nonprofit Management's 2021 Terry McAdam Award for best book in nonprofit management. If you like to purchase the book, you can enjoy a 30% off by using the code F20UIP at https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p085352

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

Can fundraising learn how to put the relationship ahead of the gift? Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

If you’re the shop that is all about rushing your donors into year-end gifts for the mere purpose of achieving some arbitrary goal, you need to listen to today’s conversation on The Fundraising Talent Podcast. Today’s conversation with Alex begs the question of how to genuinely put the relationship ahead of the gift and how, in doing so, does the organization sets expectations for what is raised from year to year. Alex sees the donor experience as being like a journey that, from our vantage point, isn’t especially easy to predict. Rather than always interfering, today’s conversation offers a case for why we should create cultures where we can receive gifts when the donor is ready to take the next step in their journey.

Today’s conversation reminded me that the most meaningful gifts will rarely align perfectly with our schedule. Despite the wizard’s insistence to the contrary, renewal rates are not the ultimate measure of fundraising effectiveness. Our eagerness to close gifts on our schedule is simply interfering with the donor’s journey which ultimately interferes with the long-term sustainability of their support. Study after study into why donors stop giving have always revealed this truth. Give yourself and your donors some breathing room this holiday season. They know you’re there.

As always, we are especially grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast. And, if you’d like to download Responsive’s latest edition of Carefully & Critically, just click here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

Do we owe ourselves a new case for fundraising? Oct 31, 2021

Show notes

My conversation today with Al begs the question of whether now is the time for a new case for support which, perhaps, begins with having written one for ourselves. The bosses are calling everyone back to the office and no doubt insisting that we raise more money than we did last year, while opportunities to work elsewhere abound and donors are not giving as they did pre-pandemic. With all this movement and change, now is a great time to ask ourselves what we believe about fundraising; what motives we believe compel the decisions our donors make; and, most importantly, what will ensure that these relationships can be sustained for many gifts to come. Rather than a case for support, perhaps we owe ourselves a case for fundraising; not something one of the wizards of contemporary fundraising wrote, but something that articulates in our own words why our work matters.

These are the types of questions Al and I pondered today on The Fundraising Talent Podcast. Al insists that fundraisers have to make a stronger case for fundraising to ensure that leaders recognize and appreciate the role we play in an organization. Al points out that many of our boards and bosses expect fundraising to just be a quick fix and couldn’t care less how we raise it. Arguably, this disregard for fundraising in theory is what drives the myriad of disappointments we encounter in practice. Every fundraiser owes themselves an employer who prioritizes genuine relationships ahead of the ask and, rather than expecting us to merely sell commodities, ensures that the organization has the advantage of meaningful gifts.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

How does a fundraiser find more meaningful work? Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

The question I often want to ask any fundraiser who explains to me that they are frustrated and disappointed in their work is whether they know how to search out and identify opportunities that will ensure them an opportunity for meaningful work. Instead of discerning whether a new job will offer them the chance to shine in meaningful ways, I see far too many fundraisers gravitating toward alluring mission statements and charismatic bosses who ultimately let them down. My guest today on The Fundraising Talent Podcast is Scott Perry who has made it his business to help his clients improve these types of discernment skills. Scott wants to ensure that, rather doing work fraught with disappointment and burnout, all of us have the opportunity to flourish and thrive in our workplaces.

Scott has recognized that many of us, regardless of the professional path we have taken, were told deceptive tales of how it all works. Most of these tales originated at the beginning of the twentieth century when efficiency, predictability, and control were all that mattered. Instead of creating opportunities for employees to be creative and curious and to make genuine human connections, many of our workplaces remain steeped in industrial era virtues that leave us feeling like we are merely parts of a machine designed sap every last ounce of our value.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

What expectations should fundraising have of the board? Oct 16, 2021

Show notes

My conversation today with Gretchen reminded me of some of the observations that I have made concerning boards and fundraising. Throughout my career I have noticed two consistent yet disparate themes that I suspect those with even a brief tenure in fundraising will be familiar with. The first is what we might call “board knows best”: board members whose inclination is to always assume the existence of expertise that the fundraiser doesn’t have and therefore they must provide. The second theme, perhaps a defense mechanism in response to the first, is what we might call “blame the board” which is the tendency of nonprofit leaders and their fundraisers to scapegoat the board for all the reasons fundraising isn’t working. Neither storyline is particularly helpful, and I am hopeful that our listeners have the benefit of working for organizations that have matured beyond both of them.

Today’s deliberation of board dynamics with Gretchen was much enjoyed. Perhaps a bit uncertain of where we were going at first, we arrived at an ideal where the board is advancing rather interfering with our fundraising efforts. We compared notes on where we have seen board members contribute in meaningful ways and where all they can seem to do is get in the way. If your organization is trying to reconcile the expectations you have (and don’t have) of board members when it comes to fundraising, don’t miss today’s conversation on The Fundraising Talent Podcast.

As always, we are especially grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast. And, a special thank you to Erica Yaeger and her team at the North Texas Food Bank for hosting our roadshow earlier this week. Your partnership is very much appreciated.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

Does attending to the office do fundraising more harm than good? Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Carrie and Laura picked up on something during the pandemic that perhaps others were overlooking; while all of us were working remotely, many of us were experiencing extraordinary fundraising outcomes yet always insisting that they were eager to get back to the office. Why? What necessity is there for attending to the rituals of the office when we can achieve the same or perhaps even greater outcomes from home? When it comes to fundraising, especially for those whose focus is on major donors, do the obligations of the office do more harm than good? These were the questions I discussed with Carrie and Laura today on The Fundraising Talent Podcast. If your team has been discussing the idea of not returning to the office, you’re not going to want to miss this conversation.

Carrie was leading a remote team long before the pandemic forced us all to work from home, and she has found it to be an especially effective tool for attracting and retaining top tier fundraising talent. Rather than requiring their major gifts officers to locate to north central Indiana, Saint Mary’s College relies on a distributed team of fundraisers who are located around the country. Today’s conversation with Carrie and Laura begs the question of whether more organizations will begin to discover that a field approach makes it easier to attract the talent they desire and ensures that greater fundraisers will stick around a lot longer.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

What are the 3 types of donors that every fundraiser should understand? Sep 29, 2021

Show notes

This week our guest is Sybil Ackerman-Munson at Do Your Good. Sybil shared with us the three types of donors that every fundraiser should know and understand. For two decades, Sybil has been a trusted advisor and has helped give away over $45 million. Sybil has served on numerous boards, task forces, and stakeholder groups; and what I most appreciated about our conversation today was that her insights have emerged from experience with being on both sides of the charitable gift exchange.

I’m always up for a framework that helps us make more sense of ourselves and others, and that’s what Sybil had for us this morning. As she began to describe each type of donor, I immediately began to recall personalities throughout my career who fit each part perfectly. I have to say that, as someone who has spent my entire career thinking about how to better understand and relate to donors in more meaningful ways, Sybil’s three-type framework deserves to be at the top of anyone’s resource list. Sybil’s insights really knocked it out of the park this morning. If you’d like to learn more about Sybil and Do Your Good, visit their website here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

Are you a reluctant fundraiser? Sep 25, 2021

Show notes

A consistent theme in my conversations lately is that fundraisers need to be more diligent in determining who they work for and knowing whether they’re signing on for a job in which they can successful or one from which they will end up resigning in less than two years. It occurs to me that my conversation today with Cindy about her new book Raise It! The Reluctant Fundraiser's Guide to Raising Money Without Selling Your Soul may be a great place to begin improving this level of discernment. Cindy’s book raises asks whether we can effectively rewire our brains to address the reluctancies we have towards fundraising. Cindy insists that rewiring how we think about fundraising is the only way to ensure we’re getting in front of our donors in meaningful ways, enjoying the work, and securing extraordinary gifts that advance our missions.

What was perhaps most thought provoking about today’s conversation was the question of whether we should stay put when we find ourselves working for a reluctant fundraiser. Cindy challenged my thinking with the observation that some of the most reluctant CEO’s are also heads of organizations that are doing the most important work. Rather than bailing on the job, perhaps we need to ensure that the boss is willing to properly elevate our role and demonstrate a willingness to get out in the field with us where they can begin to dismantle some of their flawed assumptions.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of Cindy’s new book, visit this link and be sure to use the coupon code responsive to get ten-percent off.

As always, we are especially grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast. And if you’d like to download Responsive’s latest edition of Carefully & Critically, just click here.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

Can fundraisers create an equation that increases giving? Sep 23, 2021

Show notes

I have enjoyed getting to know Brian and am eagerly awaiting the next time I’m in Indy so that, as we did just months before the pandemic, we can enjoy great food and drinks as we banter about how to fix all of fundraising’s problems. Brian, now Vice President for Research at RNL, has been an annual giving and major gift officer and hosts the Fundraising Voices podcast. Lately, he has been asking if we can build an equation that increases giving? As Brian shared with us today, the donation equation combines six factors drawn from top industry insights that have been shown to increase the chance a donor will give to your organization.

Rather than getting too deep into the weeds on Brian’s equation, I asked whether his equation could contribute to what I believe is the emergence of a field approach to developing fundraising expertise. Because of the nature of our work, and noting where fundraisers say they have had their most valuable learning experiences, I see evidence that many of us are tossing out the early twentieth century guide to professional development and choosing alternative paths to mastering our craft. I’m routinely hearing that, rather than being enchanted by the highly-technical wizardry that is easily taught in the classroom, many young professionals would prefer a more hands-on approach that is complemented by tools like Brian’s which can facilitate learning in the field.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com

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