The following is from a brief school paper dealing with fundraising in nonprofits. The class was entitled "Resource Development for Social Impact," something of a euphemism for "How to Ask People for Money to Support Your Cause."
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Philanthropy Revolution, by Lisa Greer & Larissa Kostoff — My Reflections
The authors of Philanthropy Revolution propose that a radical transformation is taking place in the world of giving. This transformation, or revolution promises wonderful benefits for those engaged in philanthropic work of various kinds, especially nonprofit social services. The revolution is to move humanity away from traditional ideas of philanthropy as some kind of distant program, to be administered by wealthy donors who wish others well from “over there,” far removed from the actual problems, with little need to understand what it is they’re contributing. Instead, there needs to be community building, where donors and recipients are involved with each other through mutual interests. Donors who are reached by appealing to what interests them are donors wanting to make a real difference. These donors stay around to give, again and again. The authors consider recurring donors to be a “Holy Grail” of fundraising (chapter 7). I see much of this revolution owing to an increase in communication, opening previously closed avenues to connect people.
Corporate social responsibility as an institutional, check-the-box type of outward symbol for caring is dying. Companies that align their values with those of their employees and facilitate meaningful interaction between potential givers and real-world problems and the people to be served will win in the long run. These companies will take their places as leaders in the future world of responsible businesses. The new halls of fame of giving, yet to be built, are less inclined to honor the Rockefellers and Carnegies of the future, but the Joneses and the Smiths; the plain among us who care, and who contribute. The focus is shifting away from major givers and towards the ordinary people who share the same world with those in need. Donors and beneficiaries are moving ever closer, with less distinction between them. Fellow citizens of planet Earth are seeing each other more clearly, and seeking to meet needs more readily.
The emphasis on good communication cannot be overstated. For this revolution to succeed, free, open, genuine conversations must be the central mode of bringing it about. People must be treated like people. Beneficiaries must be brought up holistically before donors as humans with actual qualities, attributes, hopes, dreams, wishes, struggles, and triumphs, in addition to their needs. They must not be seen only as some problem to be solved. They must not be commoditized into neat little packaged products to be moved around as pawns in a game. Likewise, donors are to be honored as complete humans, with similar strengths, weaknesses, goals, desires, and needs, in addition to the monetary resources at their disposal. They must not be treated like ATMs, whose value is only apparent as it is visible in the money they dispense. As real conversations take place, donors and recipients can be connected in powerful ways, leading to lasting solutions for vexing societal problems.
Many of the problems seen in the world are not actually rooted in the lack of money among the needy, but are only like branches growing out of the actual problems. The help offered by monetary gifts often effects enormous benefits, of course. But the philanthropic revolution to be seen will not be based on transactional exchanges of resources. Moving things from those who have to those who have not will never suffice. Moving people is what is needed. As people are moved from a place of ignorance, blindness, fear, or comfort, they can effectively connect with those in most need of their help. The help offered can then be the lasting kind of change we all desire to see: that ideal of bringing to pass the brotherhood of man.
According to my view of the glorious future, this brotherhood of man can only exist when we unite in an understanding of the Fatherhood of God. Universal religious forms need not homogenize our worship of the Supreme Being, but we must acknowledge something higher than ourselves if we are to get along. Merely existing, with the goal of meeting short-term physical needs will neither fulfill this brotherhood, nor enthrone the philanthropic revolution that we desire. Even acting altruistically out of a desire to reduce suffering will not be enough. The well-being of others must become everyone’s business. When few needs are visible, the needy should be sought out. When those with the ability to help are brought in contact with those who need, the resources offered are better honored in their proper places. When distance is diminished, impact is magnified. This works both ways. When donors know those they help as more than a statistic or glossy pamphlet photo, they can better sense the reality of the gift. When the recipient knows the donor as more than an anonymous someone out there, they can personify their gratitude and focus it on a real individual. This focus can help them find others in their life that they might help, furthering the movement like a spreading wave that influences people far into the future and across great distances.
It's easy to moralize on great global issues. What are we doing to serve those immediately around us? If all sought to serve those within reach, and only stretched a little farther, the whole world would be changed, without anyone seeking to change the whole world. This thought is beautiful to me.
A paraphrase attributed to Plutarch is that “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be lighted.” His observation is appropriately applied to fundraising, giving, and other aspects of good philanthropy, currently being worked into a revolution: The needy are not empty vessels to be filled through giving, but are the fires to light that will fill the world by reflecting warmth onto others as they are moved higher. Money is not the currency of cultural change, people are. Moving money will only superficially bandage deep wounds that must be carefully uncovered, to be salved by trusted healers through irreplaceably human interactions that naturally develop in an atmosphere of genuine concern.
The revolution is coming.
