The latest “thing” out there in fundraising land is the trashing of the donor-centered concept. This is done mostly by people who don’t understand the term and/or don’t understand non-profit management.
Here’s how it often goes…
You can’t be donor-centered because:
- It services the needs of donors as a priority, rather than the beneficiaries or the organization.
- It allows donors to manage or influence the mission of the organization and causes mission creep.
- It gives donors too much power, in that their giving turns the heads and decisions of internal authority figures.
- It promotes “white savior” -ism
- It marginalizes beneficiaries, who become the means to a donor’s end
One writer, Ian MacQuillan, Director of the think tank Rogare says: “why not call it relationship fundraising” vs. donor-centered fundraising. I like how Ian thinks, but the whole effort to get off of donor-centered is, in Jeff’s and my opinion, a total waste of time and misdirected.
Here’s why.
A well-run non-profit will be led by managers who:
- Have a very clear view of the mission of the organization.
- Don’t allow any donor to change that mission or the execution of the programs pursuing the mission values no matter what the economic promise is.
- Are constantly looking for donors whose passions and interests align to the program values and objectives of the mission/organization. Notice the direction of the alignment – donors aligned to what exists in and is valued by the organization.
- Are sensitive to and promote diversity.
- Are sensitive to and protect the standing and needs of the beneficiaries.
That’s it. Any non-profit manager that cannot do these five things should not be employed by the non-profit.
This attitude and approach controls any donor who wants to “manage” things to their end. We’ve worked with many organizations whose leaders do this properly. In one situation, the donor offered $40 million if he could do “his thing.” Nope, the manager said, it wasn’t going to happen.
So this is not about being or not being donor-centered. It’s about managing correctly. THAT is the key thing. You should always be donor-centered within the context of the organization’s priorities and values, and with the right sensitivity to diversity and the beneficiaries.
Don’t fall into the discourse on this subject. It’s a red herring and a waste of time.
Richard
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This is really. good. But I would say that putting the donor at the center is not necessarily a good way to label or describe it, because donors don’t necessarily want to be at the center. But they do appreciate being heard. They are partners. And partners should certainly give input, and we do everyone a favor when that input is highly valued. This level of engagement allows them to grow into and with the organization.
I believe that “donor-centered” fundraising was a reaction to poor fundraising practices. Unfortunately, you can probably pick up your mail today and see examples of “organization-centered” fundraising. “We do great work. We work so hard. You should send us money.” No satisfaction for the donor there. Completely transactional and impersonal.
So I agree – I don’t think most donors expect to be treated as the center of our organizations’ lives. But begin treating them like they matter – on an individual level – and simple human psychology says they will respond more warmly to your organization.
Perhaps the term donor-centered is not quite right, since it seems to have spurred all sorts of misunderstandings. But donors ARE part of the community. They ARE partners in mission – and not because they get a paycheck but actually pay to be a partner.
The problems the CCF folks point to are solved by good management and sticking to the mission. Jeff and Richard are exactly right about that.
Vu Le and CCF don’t want “organization-centered” fundraising either. They want community-centered fundraising, which is the right way to go (IMHO).
Agreed, Julia! I think the things that CCF is trying to do, moving away from donor-centered and focusing more on the community, is exactly where we should be moving as a fundraising sector. And I wouldn’t say they’re “trashing” donor-centeredness either. They’re trying to envision a different, more just and equitable way to fundraise. It’s dissapointing to see resistance to this from fellow fundraisers.