The Fundraising Talent Podcast
Business:Non-Profit
The pandemic has been a reminder that our world is not predictable; that most of what happens is beyond our control; and that, if you really want to accomplish your goals, the best you can do is remain self-aware and highly adaptable. For our team at Responsive, it’s been a challenging two years trying to keep a vision alive while managing the expectations of those who wanted to be a part of something new at one of the messiest times in human history. In today’s podcast conversation, I am pleased to introduce Mike Dixon, a long-time friend and now business partner, who genuinely believes in what we aim to achieve for the nonprofit sector and brings a number of strengths that I admittedly don’t have. Despite the myriad of challenges that we have encountered, Michael shares an appreciation for what has been accomplished in the last two years and looks forward to providing leadership to our consulting team in the years ahead.
In many ways, today’s podcast conversation follows the theme of managing our own expectations and those of others in order create environments where fundraising can thrive. We talked about whether employers are creating unreasonable expectations for their fundraisers that decrease the likelihood of genuine and authentic relationships. We suggest that a large number of today’s fundraisers are deliberately avoiding meaningful engagement, not out of fear of rejection or lack of experience, but because such interactions are often accompanied by expectations from boards and bosses that are beyond the fundraisers’ control. The oft-cited “culture of metrics” creates the illusion that one can control more than they actually can and compels fundraisers to rely on strategies that avoid rather than advance meaningful engagement.
As always, we are especially grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast. If you’d like to learn more about hosting the Responsive Fundraising roadshow in your local community, email me for more information. And, if you’d like to download Responsive’s latest edition of Carefully & Critically, just click here.
206 | What important lessons do two decades in fundraising have to offer?
205 | Will fundraisers mail their year-end appeals to a more diverse and inclusive audience this year?
Has contemporary fundraising become too much form over substance?
What do we do when the CEO insists on changing the name of our nonprofit?
Will discernment be among the most desirable skills for future fundraising professionals?
Why are some fundraisers so bad at scheduling meetings with their donors?
Is now a good time for nonprofits to hire (or fire) a fundraising professional?
How might agencies play a more strategic rather than tactical role in fundraising?
What can a brand say about an organization in such uncertain times?
Is the rising generation of fundraising professionals more thoughtful about their work?
Are fundraising professionals telling themselves and their donors the wrong story?
Is fundraising really ready for the Baby Boom generation of major donors?
Will fundraising part ways with some of its sacred practices in order to be a truly inclusive endeavor?
Is "keep asking" the only advice that fundraising experts really know how to give?
What lessons have AFP leaders learned about keeping their community vibrant and in tact?
Do feasbility studies curate a flawed sensibiity about how fundraising really works?
#190 | How do we get technology in the right place for higher ed fundraising?
#189 | Perhaps consumerism is not the right framework for fundraising?
#188 | Is now a great time to retool what has worked for fundraising the past?
#187 | Are fundraising professionals forgetting about their volunteers?
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