My recent conversation with Julie Buck aligns with this change in my perspective. Julie wants to ensure that local nonprofits in rural Grundy County, Illinois have as many advantages as those located in the big city of Chicago just 65 miles away. Instead of being a barrier to funding, Julie wants her local organizations to recognize that she can play a strategic role in significant giving decisions and that she can assist them in meeting the expectations of major donors who are inclined to make very siginficant and often complex gifts.

In this quick podcast conversation, Chris shared with me what makes fundraising in Philadelphia different and the unique opportunity that the YMCA affords the  philanthropic community. In more ways than one, Chris describes the YMCA as being all about community health and helping in ways that keep it vibrant.

But the opportunities and challenges we have similarly encountered in my hometown were not the focus of our conversation for this podcast. Instead, we compared notes on what we believe are some of the tyrannies that are undermining the effectiveness of many fundraising efforts. Interestingly, all three suggest that our impulse to sell may be undermining our fundraising efforts.

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.

My recent podcast conversation with Jennifer Cherney left me wondering why so many nonprofit organizations have allowed fundraising to hijack their commitment to community. Referring to the independent school world that the two of us are very familiar with, were it not for the galas and golf tournaments that so many schools organize every year, most in these communities would be without a way to maintain meaningful connections with the people they care about.

As someone who has not once but twice earned the CFRE and routinely presents CFRE-approved seminars around the country, I was eager to hear David King’s thoughts about the CFRE and ACFRE. Whereas he maintained his CFRE early in his career, and his firm required all consultants to earn the credential as well, neither is the case any longer.

Maryann Kerr will tell you that she’s on a mission to create well-led, kinder, collaborative, inclusive and diverse workplaces where productivity is high and turnover is low. My recent podcast conversation with Maryann left me with a list of difficult questions to further contemplate. At the top of the list: Are patriarchy and the pedestals that we often afford each other to blame for many of fundraising’s bad behaviors?

Critics are encouraging us to ask whether the advantages of social media come at the cost of meaningful relationships. This critique was the focus of my recent podcast conversation with Hayley and raises important questions for fundraising professionals who find it difficult to have meaningful conversations with their donors; conversations that are often the prerequisite to greater levels of support.

Brad Dunn wanted to increase his confidence as a fundraising CEO and keep pace with the evolving job description for Heads of School today. Without proven methods for accomplishing this, Brad’s board gave us the green light to pioneer a unique approach. 

Those who have been around as fundraising professionals as long as Jack and I have know well the usual cliches that donors are not ATM’s, special events don’t work, fundraisers quit every eighteen months, and board members give of their time rather than their money.

My conversation with Alyson begs the question of whether conference organizers will continue to provide the go-to venue for professional development; and, at a time when nonprofits are struggling to keep their financial heads above water, how many different conferences we really can expect them to afford every year.