Mahatma Gandhi said “you must be the change you wish to see in the world”. Nowhere is this clearer than in nonprofit organizations. For a nonprofit organization, in order to turn vision into reality, its staff, volunteers, and donors must act first and lead by example, demonstrating their own commitment.
This commitment is the foundation of a culture of philanthropy. It is the platform from which a non-profit organization can ask the rest of the world to join them in their efforts. In essence, it all starts on the inside.
So how, exactly, can you nurture and entrench a culture of philanthropy in an organization? Here are 10 time-tested tips:
1. Define a Culture of Philanthropy.
A formal definition of the term says that it is a culture that synergistically motivates a generous response and investment from those who can relate to the mission and value of the organization. The word “philanthropy” comes from the Greek words philosophy what it means to love, and anthropus which means human species, combining to convey “love for humanity”. The word culture simply means a collection of an organization’s core values, beliefs, and norms of behavior. So, it has Culture of philanthropy promotes love of humanity… caring for others.
A philanthropic culture tells the rest of the world “we exist to fill a void or a need that is important to advance a cause that is critical, will you join us?
2. Understand the characteristics of a philanthropic culture.
Organizations that have embraced a philanthropic culture view philanthropy as an opportunity to advance their highly valued mission and are excited to present this opportunity to the world. The following are features to look for:
- They all behave like ambassadors, helping to identify new friends and partners.
- The organization operates in a donor-centric manner, making it easy and comfortable for donors and creating a dialogue.
- Everyone can articulate a case for giving and describe how contributions are used.
- The beneficiaries are seen as the focus of the organization and are invited to share their stories.
- The organization’s leadership is visibly involved in leading fundraising efforts.
- Board members are personally involved and contribute financially.
Ask yourself this important question: does fundraising permeate all levels of my organization? Successful fund development starts from the inside with the people who care most about the organization.
3. Educate the organization about its role in Development.
Ninety percent of the work that goes into Development is preparation, and only ten percent actually asks. The truth is that no organization could hire enough development staff to adequately develop all potential donors in the donor universe and produce maximum fundraising results. Organizations need an army of people involved in that 90 percent job to ensure that requests produce positive results. That’s where the culture of philanthropy plays such a crucial role… it’s where the military is built.
4. Give joyfully!
Staff, volunteers, and others close to the organization must give first. And it must be a stretch gift. The idea here is to show that your organization deserves philanthropic support. Challenge staff, volunteers and others to make your organization one of their top three philanthropic investments.
5. Share your stories.
Encourage supporters to speak from the heart and learn the facts about why supporting your organization is an investment worth considering.
6. Connect to others.
The Donor Development Cycle takes a donor from discovery to philanthropic profile. This is done primarily through conversations with the prospective donor about values, interests, and motivations. It is done in exchanges that focus on the potential donor and not on the organization and its goals. Fund development requires everyone’s participation. Building relationships takes a long time.
7. Show gratitude.
With frequent, authentic and personal recognition!
8. Increase commitment to increase investment.
Our make up they are the closest to us… they are familiar with our mission… they may have heard our story. So, the constituents make up the best of our universe of potential donors. But how do we get them to go from just knowing each other to supporting each other?
The answer is this: the more we engage them, the more likely they are to give a gift.
9. Prepare your ambassadors.
Help staff, volunteers, and donor advocates feel prepared for conversations by providing a supporting argument or “elevator pitch” about your organization. If you have an annual report, it’s another great reference tool for discussions with potential sponsors.
10. Apply the fundraising rules.
A review of basic fundraising rules is always helpful to guide our work as fundraisers. These are my three favorite rules:
- If you don’t ask, you don’t receive.
- People give to people.
- It is easier to renew your media than to purchase a new media.
As we have established, a strong culture of philanthropy will support an organization’s fundraising efforts becauseall Participates in fund development.
In nonprofit organizations, a philanthropic culture has an attitude that advocates relationship building, which is the very essence and foundation of successful fundraising. In this culture, you’ll see an inclusive approach to fundraising that emanates from the heart of the organization and is embraced by everyone in the organization. There is a clear understanding and respect for how philanthropy helps an organization advance its mission.
Creating a culture of philanthropy starts with the people closest to your organization, and is truly the first step toward creating a strong fund development program.