It starts with you.
When you woke up this morning, were you excited about starting the day and working with donors? Do you have a sense of purpose and mission? Are you fulfilled and have passion for what you do? Do you have many moments of joy? Are you given praise from your colleagues and manager, for the great work you are doing?
I asked these same questions to a group of 35 MGOs from a prestigious university last week.
I also asked them these questions: Does everyone at your institution view donors as part of the mission? Do program, finance, alumni relations, admissions and development all work together? Do annual fund, planned giving and major gifts work together? Do you all know your mission and vision? Do donors trust you? Does leadership support building relationships with donors?
How would you answer these questions?
The university I spoke to is preparing for a massive campaign. In their preparation, they are asking themselves what it will take to have a true culture of philanthropy where donors and alumni are first, and where everyone sees his role as an ambassador of the university, from the President down to the maintenance crew.
Typically, when Richard and I talk to MGOs about building a culture of philanthropy at their organization, there is a lot of finger-pointing from the staff toward management. I get that. It’s easier to look outside yourself to see what is wrong with a situation than to look inward.
It’s uncomfortable to self-reflect.
In my presentation, I asked each MGO to think about how she needs to be the change she wanted to see. Don’t look outside yourself and think it will happen. Look at yourself. And as the MGOs seek change and reflect that back to their donors, colleagues and leadership, change will start to happen.
We wrote a White Paper called “Building a Culture of Philanthropy.” Please request it, and we’ll send it to you. There are six steps mentioned in that paper that Richard and I feel you need to take to help build a culture of philanthropy:

  1. Get your head and heart right. Look inward to make sure that being an MGO is really what you want to do as a career.
  2. Make donors part of your mission. Make sure your work is all about the care of donors.
  3. Get your leaders on board. It’s never easy, but we believe that if you are working on creating the culture, it will catch fire, and leaders will join you. We’ve seen it happen.
  4. Tell your story. Understand your organization’s story, know your donor’s story, and bring them together.
  5. Get everyone involved. This is where you have a plan to make sure everyone is aware of donors, that fundraising is everyone’s job.
  6. Talk boldly about need. You have to understand the need, talk about it without fear, and present the need in such a way that your donors will want to take action.

Then you have to start putting this into practice and have the persistence and patience to stay with it. Turning a culture around takes years. Don’t think this ship will turn on a dime.
What was great to see at this university was a genuine willingness and desire to work on turning it around and sticking with it. The passion and energy from these development professionals really inspired me. They all wanted to make something happen. Richard and I LOVE it when we see that kind of commitment.
My bet is that you do, too.
Jeff
P.S. To learn more about the six steps in depth, please request the FREE White Paper, “Building a Culture of Philanthropy.” I hope it will inspire you to be the change you want to see.

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  3. Donors Are Your Mission, Too: Creating a Radical Culture of Philanthropy Part 2

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