#40 | Are you ready for the fundraising revolution?

Every conversation that I have with someone like Marissa Madonia convinces me that nonprofits will continue to rely on cheap and shallow fundraising tactics until fundraising professionals understand what it means to be recognized and admired for meaningful work. Look, if the boards and bosses don’t get it, we’re in the wrong place. And until fundraisers are willing to take up this challenge for themselves, resisting the temptation to externalize our problems, a revolution of the sort that Marissa talks about isn’t going to happen. She recognizes that revolutions happen on the ground, at the frontline, where we can make the greatest impact.

As an aspiring fundraising leader, actively involved in the Association of Development Officers, Marissa is a great example of someone who is asking the right questions and doing her part to ensure that our profession continues to mature and thrive. Marissa knows that business as usual will not resolve what is still misunderstood about our profession nor will it remedy what’s not working.

I really appreciated hearing that it was as donor rather than as a fundraiser that everything began to click for her. Contemplating the expectations that she has for the organizations she supports allowed her to grasp what our challenges and opportunities really are.