#81 | What drives fundraising professionals the most crazy?

The more I’ve talked with fundraisers like Lisa and Mary, the more aware I’ve become of how much misunderstanding there is about what fundraising is all about, how exactly it all works, and what it all looks like when it’s being done at its very best. It’s certainly a messy predicament that we’re in, with demand for fundraising talent always outpacing supply and competition for the charitable dollar continuously going up.

What I have learned is that, while the donor will occasionally frustrate us, and sometimes with very unreasonable and inappropriate behavior, more often than not it is the internal organizational culture that most interferes with a successful fundraising program. It’s unfortunate that unrealistic expectations from boards, bosses and colleagues is at the top of the list of what drives fundraising professionals most crazy.

It was a pleasure to start this conversation Lisa and Mary, and I am glad that they will be back next week. I am grateful for their invitation to be a part of Fundraising Day Wisconsin on Thursday, August 22nd in Milwaukee. For more information, go to www.fundraisingdaywi.com

If you’d like to download my four frameworks, just go to lewisfundraising.com/toolbox