From Commitment to Action: Applying an Inclusive Lens to Advancement
As fundraisers, we are well practiced in repeating specific actions to raise money successfully each year. These practices work well – we raise billions. As a result, we have reinforcement of our behaviors and keep turning to them. However, what happens when our world changes and our practices no longer fit? How do we cultivate […]
Don’t Unconsciously Overlook Women
As the pandemic continues and many inequities are revealed, I want to shine a light on the importance of staying focused on intentionally and consistently connecting to women in our fundraising. As during other crises, women donors want to help now and are ready to commit to meaningful action. Are you holding back on having […]
Purpose and Power Will Emerge from a Pause
We are one month in facing the realities of this global pandemic across our country and the swift changes it has wrought on all of our lives. Even as we’ve been beset with worries and concerns, and scrambled with social distancing, limited supplies, virtual teams, home schooling and elder care, we’ve begun to see a […]
What Do Women See When They Look At Your Organization?
Imagine the following scenario: A woman just heard about your organization for the first time. Perhaps a friend mentioned your work to her, or a piece from your recent marketing campaign made an impression. Your mission intrigues her. She wants to know more and – maybe – get involved. Like most of us these days, […]
AFP Reports on Engaging Women Donors
To unlock the full potential of women’s philanthropy, fundraisers must understand how gender shapes giving behavior. Women and men give differently, and the Women’s Philanthropy Institute (WPI) has developed research that explores unique questions about the factors that shape gender-based giving patterns – including age, religion, income, marital status, and more. “Fundraisers who adapt their practices to […]
How To Change The Unconscious Stories You Are Telling About Women in Philanthropy
In my last post, we unpacked the story that “women are harder” to fundraise from. Working with women donors can feel hard because our fundraising best practices don’t always work. Why? Because these approaches were created in the male-centric fundraising landscape of the 1950s and 1960s. Women aren’t harder, just different in how they prefer […]
Is It Harder to Fundraise from Women?
I recently asked a leader of advancement at a state college if she used different approaches in working with women versus men donors on her campus. This was not meant to be a trick question. I was very curious, as she had been a leader in sorority fundraising and had demonstrated an understanding of how […]
It’s Time to Question Fundraising “Best Practices”
When you started your nonprofit career, you probably heard things like: “If you want a major gift, make sure you mention who else is giving what.” “Competition and recognition work; identify who wants to lead the campaign and give the top gift.” “Access to leadership will incentivize donors.” “This is how you ask for an […]
The “Traditional” Donor Life Cycle May Not Apply to Women
In your work as a fundraiser, you may use the term “donor life cycle.” This model charts the path of a donor through several sequential phases of engagement and giving to causes they care about: first gift, occasional gifts, consistent annual gifts, major or stretch gifts, leadership role and accompanying giving, and finally, a planned […]
We Won’t Raise More Money Unless We Stop Acting Like All Donors Are White Men
Worrisome trends are emerging in U.S. philanthropy. Although overall charitable giving is growing, the share of Americans who give is declining, and the incidence of giving is down in most every age group. This giving gap opened because of complex reasons, but one thing is clear: We are seeing fewer Americans give because we are applying the […]