Philanthropy at Core
What makes philanthropic work successful? What a good question. What an important question. Is it calendars, data and lists? Well, yes that’s part of it. Is it a really great marketing pitch? Yes, that too is part of it.
But, what I like to focus on when I look at the “health” of a fundraising organization are the many layers that comprise organizational excellence.
While the nonprofit community may yearn for the “glory” of a big-dollar campaign, the wise leader knows the organization must walk before it can run.
At ABW Partners, our philosophy is that organizations must have the discipline to engage in priming, a series of preliminary, foundation-building advancement activities and strategies designed to achieve robust growth-oriented and sustainable fundraising.
We developed a model that we use as our true north in our consulting practice. It’s Philanthropy at Core.
Too often, nonprofit leaders and development practitioners approach fundraising in a transactional way and view development as a functional area as opposed to a strategic lever for sustainable, growth-oriented institutional development and impact.
Philanthropy at Core asks the nonprofit to embrace its advancement program at the center of its efforts and throughout its culture. That is a mindset shift for many organizations.
Action-oriented major donor fundraising practice will always ask CEOs, Board members, and development professionals to be in the field as much as possible developing effective relationships with donor and prospects. While that’s important, Philanthropy at Core asks that the entire organization prepare for, support and nurture this effort. When the entire organization aligns along this systems-thinking approach, the groundwork is laid for transformational giving.
Want to learn more about the principles Philanthropy at Core? We’ve developed a special resource to help guide you, your colleagues, Board and other stakeholders in your efforts. To download the guide, sign up for our email updates, here.
