The Fundraising Talent Podcast
Business:Non-Profit
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.
How can sector leaders improve the donor experience?
Are fundraisers becoming more discerning about where they can thrive?
Are nonprofit leaders designing resilience into their organizations?
What effect will the FTX Bankman-Fried fiasco have on fundraising?
Are fundraisers creating better roles for their donors to play?
Why are nonprofits afraid of their own obsolescence?
How does unseen diversity impact a fundraiser’s journey?
What if the gift economy informed more of our fundraising practices?
Should fundraisers let their board members off the hook?
Conversation w/ the editors of Collecting Courage: Part Two
Conversation w/ the editors of Collecting Courage: Part One
Are nonprofits underestimating the value they afford their corporate sponsors?
Can fundraising learn how to have higher expectations of relationships?
Are donors deliberately hoarding money in donor-advised funds?
How can fundraisers improve their outcomes by embracing the obvious?
Will the next generation of non-profiteers go about fundraising differently?
How can fundraisers ensure their organizations more than transactions?
Do our board recruitment strategies align with our DEI aspirations?
What if more nonprofits accurately reflected the communities they serve?
Does fundraising have a bad case of shiny new toy syndrome?
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Nonprofits Are Messy: Lessons in Leadership | Fundraising | Board Development | Communications