From Giver to Securer of Resources: My First Impressions of Fundraising
Before taking my current position as director of development, much of my experience in the non-profit sector was as an educator–working directly with young people in disadvantaged neighborhoods. It was fulfilling and challenging but my experiences ultimately led me to development. Now, I have a larger view of the organization and the issues affecting it and I can get more support (monetary and otherwise) for resources that young people that need it.
My experiences as an educator have some what prepared me for the shift in the sense that I am more aware of what kinds of programs work, what kinds of environments are best, and how to get students and parents to be more excited about learning. So when looking for money and other resources, I think in terms of what will be most beneficial for the students.
What has been most difficult in moving from giver of resources to securer of resources is the shift in perspective of the students. From my personal experiences being one of those underserved-inner-city- youths to my professional experiences as an educator, I learned to work with kids keeping what they DID have in mind and working with them to make them stronger students. As a fundraiser I often feel as though I am emphasizing what they DONT have, their joys and successes followed by how unfortunate their circumstances are and how needy they are. The kids dont see themselves as poor, but thats often what I am talking about.
Of course I was never naive about what students may be experiencing, but kids dont want to talk about how difficult their lives were. They want to talk about meeting other kids, learning, going on field trips, being leaders, and looking good. Maybe as I spend more time in the field, I'll see there's more than just pimping misery.
Essentially, there is a disconnect that I have to further explore and reconcile. I would love to hear the experiences of other people in fundraising–have you dealt with this? Am I exaggerating or totally off? How do you go about setting standards of dedication to the larger cause of inequality while not portraying the people affected as lacking agency?
Hey Allison,
Thank you for this great post.
How did you make that transition from education to development director?
Cheers,
Kathrin
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My fundraising experience is a little different from yours, I think — I’ve worked mostly in arts orgs whilst I’ve been exploring development. But it’s been really uplifting for me to be in development, because before the last few jobs, I was in social justice on the activism side, and I felt as if I was always saying, “The system is broken, the world is hurting, don’t [pass that legislation, close that window of opportunity, hurt people like that].” But now, I get to point to the good work we’re doing: “This year, we doubled our membership and helped our community communicate effectively with outsiders and created this amazing service. Help us continue doing this work!” I’m trying to perpetuate something I believe in, rather than trying to resist something and convince other people to resist as well.
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Fundraising is really tough for exactly that disconnect you’re describing: you want to describe a need without it reflecting negatively upon those who it affects (stigmatization). You have to explain the internal and relative issues of your community to outsiders in a simple way that they can understand; and that’s dicey.
Back in April I put a similar issue about describing “poverty” out to a nonprofit listserv in Massachusetts and collected some of the replies and strategies. I think it might be useful to helping frame some of your needs:
http://island94.org/articles/progressive-terminology-discussing-poverty
Some of the best strategies I liked was using prepositions “children living in poverty” rather than “poor children”, putting a positive quantifier into the phrase “working poor” rather than just “poor”, and reusing the grantmaker’s/audience’s language. I would also try describing your vision for what the community looks when the need is fulfilled and how those funds will “build” that future (rather than “fill” a hole).
Most importantly, bringing your questions to the community you are serving and beginning a dialogue is probably the best thing you can do!
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@Kathrin: I became friends with the development associate at my job and did some research on various positions in the nonprofit field. I took some classes on fundraising at LaSalle and found myself really excited about what goes into fundraising so I applied for a development fellowship position in nyc!
@Elizabeth: I spoke to you a bit about this on facebook but I agree about development allowing you to step back and see the good instead of just the bad. At the same time, as a former “frontliner” it wasnt all bad and being so removed can sometimes lead to a greater disconnect. We act on behalf of people making informed decisions about their needs, not what we perceive the need to be.
Also, I’m still activist! It may seem weird but our ultimate goal should be to put ourselves out of business.
@Ben: Thank you! You summarized the point that I was trying to make perfectly. Simplifying a complex issue too easily leads to stigmatization. I looked at your site and there are some great points there–the language issue is particularly important.
I also think it’s important for behind the scenes people to pay attention to general trends in their field (from research and their constituents) not just in terms of crafting grants, but also in terms of what the needs are and what ways are best to address them. But to be honest, getting the community in on the big bad world of fundraising is easier said than done!
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I find this to be true, also, especially when it comes to international development. The reality and experiences of people in the “donor world” are often radically different from people in developing countries where physical needs are so much greater. But I’m cynical about the appropriateness of dealing with the tension by highlighting the disparity between the two worlds.
There isn’t an easy answer, but I’m more inclined to appeal with (and respond to) efforts to bridge this gap with a more hopeful voice. To this end, I have a fundraising page on Firstgiving.com (www.firstgiving.com/bapbwm) and make loans via Kiva. I also sponsor a child through Compassion International because I like the idea of having a more personal connection and a long-term investment in someone’s life.
Thanks for bringing this thought into the blogosphere; you articulate it well.
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[...] While my first few months in fundraising were difficult, I must admit that I don’t think there is another profession that could have prepared me so well [...]