Only the lonely: Is your fundraising team undervalued?

For a profession that’s all about relationships, fundraising can be solitary work — especially when an organization considers fundraising as a standalone function, not as fully valued and integral component to everything the organization does.

This leads to fundraisers working as a silo-ed team. They are disconnected from strategic choices in program development. They are pressured to hit large goals without support from other departments. They don’t have access to board members and other volunteer champions.

When fundraising is an “add on” it only leads to frustration — for fundraisers, for program staff, for donors, for everyone…

That’s why I’m so excited to see this thought leadership piece by the Hass Jr. Foundation: Beyond Fundraising: Creating a Culture of Philanthropy.

What does a culture of philanthropy look like? It stars with four steps:

1. Shared responsibility for development
2. Integration and alignment with mission
3. A focus on fundraising as engagement
4. Strong donor relationships

Explore these principles more deeply in the report and see how you can begin to shift from a silo-ed fundraising culture to a “culture of philanthropy.”