What If Leadership Is NOT Entirely on Board with a Donor-Centered Program?
First in a Series: What Should I Do If…? A Six-Part Series Inspired by You
In the last 5 years there have been written hundreds of articles, blog posts, conference presentations, and retreats all centered on creating a culture of philanthropy. I wonder if it’s moving the needle?
Richard and I get emails every week from frustrated major gift officers or development directors who lament that their organization doesn’t have a leader or leadership that understands that donors are also part of the mission.And… I would say they’re beyond frustrated. Many are at their wits’ end and feel so disempowered they feel that they have no alternative but to leave.
I get it. It’s one of the main reasons we see major gift officers leave organizations. Leadership doesn’t support philanthropy.
But if you’re planning to wait around for leaders to become enlightened about the need for a positive culture of philanthropy, you’ll be dead before that ever happens. I’m not trying to be fatalistic, but the reality is that there is (and probably has been in the last 20 years) a crisis of leadership in the non-profit sector.
So what do you do?
You can complain, get frustrated, and leave every two years for another organization you think has it better – which is not happening, because the resumes I see have you leaving those organizations too – or you can change yourself.
That’s really all you can do, right? Change you.
So if you believe your non-profit needs to have a culture of philanthropy and leadership isn’t leading, you be the change.
I mean, you have an idea in your head (and there’s certainly a lot of information about what a culture of philanthropy will look like), so do that.
What does “doing that” look like?
Okay, you get the idea here. You can only control one thing when it’s about changing the culture at your organization (and quite frankly with anything) and that is YOU. You control your attitude and your actions. If the organization isn’t going to have a culture of philanthropy, you can!
Be the change.
Jeff
PS — And check out our free White Paper on a culture of philanthropy! (Tweet it!)
First in a Series: What Should I Do If…? A Six-Part Series Inspired by You
You know that when a donor gives a gift, your first job is to say thank you, as quickly as possible. Amazingly, colleagues in our industry (including...
This post is part-two in a four-part series titled “Reimagining the Non-Profit Workplace”