#88 | How can we welcome program and admin staff into our fundraising efforts?

It was a pleasure to check-in with Barbara and Peggy today to talk about how we can incorporate an organization’s program and admin staff into fundraising. Peggy kicked off our conversation by sharing some of the ways her organization incorporates the staff into fundraising and how this increases their understanding of what fundraisers do. Barb shared some similar examples of how her organization empowers the staff to be a part of the fundraising process.

I especially appreciated Barb’s suggestion that fundraisers should treat their colleagues like donors. I recall a mentor once giving me the same advice in regards to board members: instead of hounding members with the oft-repeated mantra of “give, get, or get off,” we should engage them as we would a donor. As Barb noted, the same advice should go for how we treat staff who are often unfamiliar with our work.

I have always enjoyed the opportunity to introduce employees who are inexperienced with fundraising to major donors. Barb and Peggy have similarly enjoyed these moments when their colleagues have experienced fundraising as meaningful work for the first time. We wrapped up with the observation that incorporating more voices ensures that the donor relationships are not solely in the care of one individual or department. 

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