The Fundraising Talent Podcast
Business:Non-Profit
Alex isn’t kidding when he says it seems like The Chronicle of Philanthropy has been retelling the same story about disillusioned fundraisers for a long time. Those of us who have been around for a while are well aware of the fact that, at any given time, at least half of the fundraisers out there are looking for another job and that very few boards and bosses have come to a consensus about how fundraising really works. As of late this familiar story has zeroed in on how poorly prepared some employers are with making hiring decisions and how often they miss opportunities by relying on an arduous interview process.
Alex believes hiring managers need a wake up call; and, on the flip side, he insists that candidates need to know how to see the red flags that distinguish between an job where you’re being set up to fail rather than given an opportunity to thrive. For example, Alex wants fundraisers to listen more closely to whether an employer characterizes the work as exchanging gifts with those who share a genuine and meaningful relationship with our organization; or does the employer believe that the donor is merely a passive consumer and an opportunity to close a quick deal.
I was grateful to hear that Alex had taken my recent recommendation to read Benjamin Barber’s Consumed which likens our consumer society to that of a child whose impulsive behavior prevents them from achieving their full potential. As I have said many times before, this is where I believe fundraising finds itself today: in the midst of its messy adolescence and unable to discern between what’s really working in its favor versus getting in its way. I am confident that as we develop a collective willingness to wrestle with tough questions of the sort that Alex and I did today, and as donors are afforded opportunities to play active, citizen-like roles with the organizations they support, our sector and society as a whole will reap the benefits that accompany mature, sustainable relationships.
As always, we are grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast.
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We’re trying something new. The Butterfly Effect, our new publication on Substack, is where we make sense of the ideas and opinions that inform our consulting practices at Responsive Fundraising. Every week we will guarantee for our subscribers a thoughtful, long form article that will challenge how we think about contemporary fundraising practices. We would be delighted if you would subscribe.
246 | Is the fundraising community reaching for aspirations higher than the dollars raised?
245 | Did the pandemic give our donors an opportunity to up their game as well?
244 | Will creativity drive fundraising’s post-pandemic recovery?
243 | Does your boss know how to create an environment where fundraising can thrive?
242 | Why do the wizards of fundraising have so many hang ups with Charity: Water?
241 | Can fundraisers play a more radical role in the redistribution of money?
240 | How can fundraising get donors closer to those whom the organization serves?
239 | Is it time to shine the spotlight on fundraising in the hard places?
238 | Should we expect more long-term thinking of our fundraising experts?
237 | Are fundraisers ready and willing to allow their data to do the storytelling for them?
236 | Does the centricity-effect get in the way of grit when fundraising becomes really difficult?
235 | Are nonprofits itching for a different kind of fundraising expert?
234 | Will fundraising professionals ever stop selling perks and premiums?
233 | Should fundraising be more aware of the faith traditions that inform giving decisions?
232 | Will fundraising take a qualitative turn in the post-pandemic economy?
231 | Is fundraising guilty of over-complicating planned giving?
230 | What practices are fundraising leaders relying on to bring about sustainable change?
229 | Does fundraising need more curious chameleons?
#228 | Should fundraising be more skeptical of those who are privileged with telling the story?
227 | How many easily overlooked questions has the pandemic forced us to reckon with?
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