Living Authentic

The blur between a fund development professional's work and personal life has increased with the rise of social media. A Facebook post or Twitter tweet meant for friends or as a personal view can have a greater impact than just a Letter to the Editor because the potential viral nature. Accepting or declining a Friend request of a donor to the nonprofit you serve is fraught with decisions on how to be authentic in the online and the off-line relationship with that donor.

0 Comments

Neighborliness and Giving

This blog is the start of a multi-part series on shifting attitudes in our society and how we, as fund development professionals, continue to thrive. Recently, I got a quick car wash so that I could use the vacuums to clean up the needles from Christmas decorations. After the car wash, I pulled into the parking space in front of the vacuums. I intentionally hugged the left line so that the car on my right could continue to use "my" parking space to lay out her floor mats. Because, boy, so much dirt collects under those floor mats and I understood her predicament. As I was vacuuming the needles, I left the left passenger car door open, going back and forth. Up pulls a large truck. In spite of several empty parking spaces, the driver demanded that I close my car door so she could park next to me. I gestured to the other empty parking spaces and that I was still vacuuming. The driver parked in the spot, barely avoiding hitting my car, and came up to me, yelling at how stupid I am over and over again. I reminded that her that there were other empty spaces and that I…

0 Comments

Generosity begins with me

I have a confession to make. During this year's year-end giving season, I was worried. Really worried. Praying constantly worried. It started when a client didn't receive a gift that was well cultivated, easily solicited, joyfully committed... but not given. Next, I heard from a prospective client about their disappointing year-end giving. Then, I received an email from a national donor database company that half as many donors had given by December 31, 2018 than by December 31, 2017. Digital giving reflected the same declines according to M+R. Fewer donors were giving and those that were giving were donating larger amounts, perhaps as a bundling technique because of the new tax law or perhaps another reason. This follows a larger trend. The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy Panel Study has been tracing household giving since 1968. When we look at the percentage of households who gave year over year from 2000 to 2014, we see a downward trend and we have lost over 10% of givers. Donors to religious causes has declined by over 12% in those same years. Yet, the sheer total of giving according to Giving USA has grown. Fewer donors are giving and those that are…

0 Comments

End of content

No more pages to load