Building a Culture of Fundraising with The Chronicle of Philanthropy

In October, I was honored to be invited to participate in The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s webinar Building a Culture of Fundraising along with Jennifer Bing, Director of Philanthropy at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. Together, our panel explored guidelines and best practices to build and foster a culture of fundraising at organizations, both on Development teams and outside of them as well. During the webinar, Jennifer and I emphasize the importance of being engaged with individual team members and providing opportunities for engagement, as well as being adaptable to the needs of the organization.

Fundraising is not just about securing large gifts, but also celebrating smaller wins and building a culture of fundraising and cross-organization relationship building. Involving non-fundraising staff in fundraising efforts, telling the story of the organization's mission and clients, and being transparent about the organization's goals is the first step in inspiring support, and sharing ideas with the entire team and involving them in the process can help to create a collaborative relationship between development and program staff, removing power dynamic issues and resentment that may cause misalignment in the organization.

Elevating your outlook and building a cohesive team with shared, aligned values, organizations can create fulfilling and inspiring experiences while making a positive impact in the world. I encourage all development professionals to examine the culture of fundraising at their organization, and determine how collaboration and communication can expand the reach of the organization’s mission beyond its’ current footprint.