How philanthropic are you, to yours?
/Time. Talent. Treasure. The fundraising trifecta. When a donor prospect has been identified as expressing enough interest in an organization to give their time, to share their talents in advocating the mission, and their treasure to finance it, that organization has made a rare find indeed.
Curious thing is, seeking that perfection does not instinctively extend to the development team itself – the very people responsible for identifying such star alignments to begin with.
Why is that?
Why is it assumed that the executive director, development director and to varying degrees the board of directors, will always be faithfully energized and motivated to maximize and leverage their time, talent and treasure, and that the way they exercise same will be in a manner that is always suitable and comfortable for them?
The sobering thought about this is that it is largely the members of this entity that are most at fault for building such a dismissive environment to begin with.
I’ve held a number of nonprofit staff management positions in my career and expectations were that I execute my duties with a willing spirit and hope-filled intent.
It went without saying that I would give my time (often beyond the hours I was paid for), my talent (much of which came naturally but largely augmented by self-financed training) and treasure (when I could find it to spare) to further the organization’s mission by any means necessary.
For many who work in the nonprofit field, having the capacity to be philanthropic is the reason why we do what we do, under the conditions we do it in and for as long as we do it.
Expanding the notion of philanthropic capacity to include those Yeomen who work tirelessly to create and facilitate the channels through which all others can also demonstrate their love of humanity is essential in building strong associations between and among all organization stakeholders.
Opening the way to recognizing this capacity can begin with a sincere conversation. As should already be done with your board, start with this simple question to your executive director and development director:
“How can this organization acknowledge your contributions in a way that genuinely demonstrates the appreciation we have for you?”
Then really listen. Make it clear you’re open to and ready for some venting— shouldn’t be a surprise if you already know where the organization has fallen short. Recognizing that this may be the first of many conversations, the exercise is essential in building trust and respect, foundational elements in creating a responsive work culture.
Along with this, establish some traditions or practices that you can maintain that will meaningfully reinforce the connection you’re beginning to build.
Find simple but impactful ways to recognize your ED, development director and board collective. Here are a few ideas to jump-start your brainstorming:
Designated parking
One-on-one lunch
Profiles in your newsletters, brochures, website content
Nominate them for awards given by major community associations
Time off…with pay!
Make eye contact — show genuine interest in how they’re doing
Feature their expertise during an in-service training
Acknowledge personal events in their families’ lives
As the saying goes, charity philanthropy begins at home. Building a philanthropic culture begins by modeling it. Regardless of the role you currently play in your organization, make it your personal responsibility to get the ball rolling.
What are other ways you would like your philanthropic capacity to be recognized?