Jennifer L Harrison Consulting LLC’s Post

With all due respect, unfortunately, it is easy to find the reason why someone else is responsible for your inabuilding to accomplish your goals. Can’t argue that each item Mr Olsen’s list doesn’t inhibit one’s fundraising competency. Luckily, there are thousands of nonprofits that want to be successful in raising money. After working with 6000 most, if not all, have or do commit one of these ‘sins’. Supervision and leadership of fundraising is not a part of the preparation of virually any nonprofit CEO. Understand what you need to be successful. Outline them in your interview, if they are not accepted. Move on. In 40 years, have raised over $200 billion with 6000 nonprofits. None of them were perfect, but virtually all had a positive mission, a desire to help the world, and a dependency on your success. As an employee of hundreds of fundraisers, any fundraiser who would use an element of this list as a reason for failure should be looking for a different job or profession. Success is the Great Revenge.

Nonprofit leaders and board members: If your organization is struggling with raising contributed revenue, then consider Andrew Olsen's post a readiness assessment for your development program. Each of these scenarios is an indication why your culture isn't one where philanthropy will thrive. Consider the steps you need to take to ensure your organization is ready to be good stewards of donors' investments and of your staff's time and energy.

No, you don't have a "fundraising issue". That's not why donors are abandoning you after they make a first gift, why your major donors are sitting on the sidelines, or why your most loyal donors have stopped giving. Fundraising results are a lagging indicator of your organizational leadership. In 25 years, I'm yet to discover a "fundraising" problem that wasn't rooted in a leadership decision (or indecision) somewhere in the organization. When I hear an organization talking about their fundraising problems then I get under the hood and discover things like this: ✔ A CEO who refuses to build meaningful relationships with donors or participate in philanthropy in any way ✔ An organization that doesn't provide new fundraising employees with an intentional onboarding and training program, but does hand them a 90-day "close our revenue gap" plan in their first week ✔ Department leaders who are more focused on building their kingdoms than collaborating for the success of the organization ✔ Teams and staff who make strategy decisions based on "what worked somewhere else", or what they think supporters want or need to know, without ever talking to said supporters to understand their motivations and desires ✔ Philanthropy is relegated to a "necessary evil" that funds the "real" mission, instead of a core component of the organization's overall mission ✔ Organizational executives refuse to participate in philanthropy because they have "too much real work to do" on the program side of the organization ✔ Thank you letters aren't sent to any supporter who gives less than $25, because that's "the threshold" necessary to maintain an arbitrary ROI on gratitude ✔ Major friction-causing problems in an org's online giving experience are allowed to fester because of internal egos and turf wars ✔ Operational cost overruns are accepted, resulting in impossible "stretch" goals being forced onto an already overloaded and under resourced development team ✔ You lose your best fundraisers every two years because leaders refuse to make key investments in infrastructure and talent, and because mediocrity and toxic behaviors are accepted norms in the office So no. You don't have a "fundraising" problem. You have a leadership problem. Fix your leadership problem and you'll be amazed at the money that will follow.

An employee campaign is a key component of your nonprofit capital campaign. By strategically involving employees in a way that aligns with your organization's culture, you can enhance both the campaign's success and your company's impact. #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitcapitalcampaign #capitalcampaign #capitalcampaignconsultant

An employee campaign is a key component of your nonprofit capital campaign. By strategically involving employees in a way that aligns with your organization's culture, you can enhance both the campaign's success and your company's impact. #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitcapitalcampaign #capitalcampaign #capitalcampaignconsultant

Your nonprofit capital campaign has multiple components, one of which should be an employee campaign. Asking employees to support the capital campaign through a well-planned strategy that is adapted to the culture and spirit of your individual organization will positively affect your company and your campaign. Learn more! #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitcapitalcampaign #capitalcampaign #capitalcampaignconsultant

Your nonprofit capital campaign has multiple components, one of which should be an employee campaign. Asking employees to support the capital campaign through a well-planned strategy that is adapted to the culture and spirit of your individual organization will positively affect your company and your campaign. Learn more! #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitcapitalcampaign #capitalcampaign #capitalcampaignconsultant

📉 The percentage of individuals giving to nonprofits has hit a 40-year low, making big gifts more crucial than ever. But how do you keep the fundraisers who build these essential donor relationships engaged and motivated? 🎧 Tune in to our latest podcast episode as we dive into AFP's 2024 Compensation and Benefits Survey Report. We explore innovative strategies to retain your top fundraisers—beyond just offering competitive salaries—and ensure your nonprofit continues to thrive. Don’t miss out on this critical conversation for the future of philanthropy! #NonprofitLeadership #Fundraising #Philanthropy #Podcast

Close your philanthropy department and integrate its responsibilities into everything your organization does. Years ago, I worked at a nonprofit where the divide between program and philanthropy was as clear as the staircase separating their offices. Turn left for philanthropy, right for programs. The message was obvious: one side ran the mission, and the other funded it. The result? Missed opportunities, disconnected messaging, and a fractured approach to achieving the mission. When you separate philanthropy from the rest of your organization, you reduce it to transactions. But philanthropy isn’t just about raising money—it’s about engaging people in your mission, building relationships, and making them part of your story. That’s something every corner of your organization should own. When philanthropy and programs operate in silos, you lose the magic of alignment. Fundraisers don’t hear the stories that ignite passion in donors, and program teams don’t see how donor relationships can unlock opportunities. It’s a recipe for burnout, miscommunication, and underperformance. When philanthropy is integrated into everything: 1. Everyone Becomes a Storyteller: Program staff bring donors into the mission with real, impactful stories, and fundraisers champion those stories authentically. 2. Collaboration Deepens: Teams align around shared goals, creating momentum instead of competition. 3.The Mission Thrives: Donors see their gifts in action, strengthening their connection and inspiring continued support. 4. Your fundraising won't grow by 3% a year but by leaps and bounds. To change the culture you must integrate philanthropy into every aspect of your organization by making it a shared responsibility across teams. Equip program staff to share impactful stories and engage donors. Get fundraisers out in the field to gain a deeper understanding of on-the-ground work. Organizations that thrive won’t have a “philanthropy department.” They’ll have a culture of giving embedded into every fiber of their work. Fundraising won’t feel like begging; it will feel like inviting others to join something transformative. Are you ready to break down the silos? To make philanthropy a shared responsibility woven into everything you do? What steps today can you take to break down the silo between your programs and philanthropy? While I was being dramatic earlier about closing your philanthropy department, something needs to change. #nonprofits #fundraisers #nonprofitconsultants #nonprofitfreelancers #cfre #philanthropy #culture https://lnkd.in/gRJ2CsAS

Fundraising is hard. Really hard, sometimes. But ... nonprofits sometimes make it more difficult than necessary (like running a marathon with a microwave strapped to your chest). Nonprofits needlessly increase the difficulty by treating fundraising like a one-person show. By building a fundraising strategy that prioritizes tradition and comfort over experimentation and authenticity. By treating donors like ill-tempered ATMs - or by treating the art and science of fundraising like a dirty secret or an embarrassing chore. Of course, it doesn't have to be that way. It's been two years since I launched Resolute Philanthropy to help nonprofits build confidence and clarity in their fundraising. In that time, I've seen a lot of organizations that are unintentionally making fundraising more difficult than it needs to be. But I've also had the pleasure of working with leaders that are looking for ways to be more direct, more inclusive, and more imaginative when it comes to working with their communities of donors, volunteers, and supporters. It's been a challenge and a privilege - and I love the opportunity the work has given me to learn more, listen more, and help more remarkable nonprofit leaders become more powerful and effective champions for their mission. Looking ahead at Resolute year three, I'm excited to bring new services and ideas to the nonprofit community, such as ... ➡ Working with boards that are ready to Align & Accelerate their operations with tailored evaluation and implementation. ➡Giving nonprofit leaders free resources to help them get started with fundraising tools like grants, direct marketing, and events - finding ways to Try This First. ➡Getting involved with the nonprofit community of my new hometown of Tacoma - including working with the local AFP Chapter. The best thing about my work is the realization that it's not too late! Your organization can build stronger fundraising strategies, energize your leadership, and grow a culture of generosity and community that help you put down that microwave you've been carrying and RUN. Are you ready? Send me a message - and let's get started. Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash