Hi everyone, as I’m getting older, I start reflecting on my work, and there are a few things for which I’m proud of having accomplished. One was coming up with the acronym MYGOD—which stands for Multi-Year General Operating Dollars. Another was when I was able to stop myself from eating the remainder of a bar of Theo chocolate that had been lightly chewed on by rats, which I found after cleaning out my office, which showed an astounding amount of self-restraint, you must admit.
Above these accomplishments though, has been my involvement in founding and advancing Community-Centric Fundraising, a movement to ground fundraising in equity and justice. CCF has come a long way, spreading across the US and gaining footholds on other countries as well.
This spring, on April 25th in San Diego, California, CCF is having its Family Reunion. It’s a day of relationship- and community-building and educational opportunities not available elsewhere. Think of a conference, but cooler. Whether you’re new or true to the CCF movement, this event is for you. Register here to lock in your spot before they sell out. Tickets are offered on a sliding scale with suggested levels, so everyone can participate.
I’ll be there. Lurking in the shadows. Eating chocolate. Like a hawk.
While we’re on the topic of fundraising, let’s talk about many of the assumptions people make about fundraising that have been holding the sector back. Over the past few years, as I talk to people about CCF and how fundraising needs to evolve—to address white supremacy, capitalism, wealth hoarding, tax avoidance, reparation for slavery and stolen land, and so on—I get tons of push back from people. A lot of the pushback, however, is based on several assumptions, which often don’t prove to be true at all:
Questionable Assumption 1: If we don’t fawn over donors, they won’t give. Fundraisers have been trained for decades to fawn over donors, manifesting in things like handwritten thank-you notes, donors-as-“heroes” narratives, donor walls and other public forms of recognition, and a general “attitude of gratitude” (which makes me want to throw up). Having talked to a lot of donors, and being one myself, I know many donors don’t need to be constantly sucked up to. They will still donate as long as you’re doing good work.
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