Fundraising: Forming Mission-Related Partnerships

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Joanne is the author of the CharityChannel Press In the Trenches book, Confessions of a Successful Grants Writer: A Complete Guide to Discovering and Obtaining Funding.

It was written to help the practitioners, who has responsibility to increase donations through foundation, corporate or government funders, to increase their acceptance rate. The book is a guide for

• Grant writers

• Foundation, corporate and government relationship professionals

• Other development professionals

• Anyone wanting to raise more revenue through proposals

It will help the reader to:

• Understand various funder motivations

• Relate to funders in language they understand

• Discover new prospects

• Build successful relationships

• Write proposal narratives

• Present effective budgets

• Work with organizational and program staff

• Position the reader and the reader's agency for success

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Tags: fundraising partners
Categories: Fund Development
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To me, fundraising is all about forming mission-related partnerships. Usually when we think of fundraising, we think in terms of fundraising vehicles:  grants, annual appeals, major gifts, planned giving, special events, newsletters, social media, etc.  But fundraising is not about the vehicles we use—it's about the good that we do and the impact we make.  It's about fulfilling mission.  And rather than defining our donors in terms of the vehicles they may use, we can define our donors as our partners in fulfilling our mission.

As I explain in my upcoming CharityChannel Press book, The Partnership Paradigm: Fundraising for a Solid Future, a partner is more than just a collaborator. A partner is any person or group who interacts with your organization and is interested in its success. Donors and volunteers are strong partners. But so are employees and vendors, for example. Employees are vested in your success as that is how they realize continued employment and compensation. Vendors are interested in your success as they want to keep you as a paying customer.

As I decide how I am going to raise money, I promote mission fulfillment. That’s what my collaborators are interested in, that’s why people volunteer or give financially to me, that’s how people stay motivated to work for me. My mission is why I exist. People want to feel part of something bigger than themselves that contributes positively to the world. I try to be that something.

By expanding my definition of partnership, I raise so much more than money. I raise my visibility and awareness of my cause. My brand becomes more known, which, if strong, gives me credibility in all sorts of donor markets. I might get more positive press coverage. Legislators might see me as a great community resource worthy of their support. I can get my employees even more vested in the organization, not only raising dollars but also increasing morale and productivity, which increases client satisfaction and decreases the cost of doing business. I might be able to negotiate lower costs in my contracts with vendors. All of these activities increase my organization’s bottom line. They also help me increase the size of my potential donor base.  Using the partnership paradigm, fundraising becomes more than just about the dollar.

Fundraising, to me, then is not first and foremost about being proficient in asking for money. It is about identifying those people and groups of people who can best support your mission. Don’t get me wrong—a fundraiser must be proficient at asking for money. But the focus of the relationship between your organization and its donors is NOT about the money. It is about successful fulfillment of mission. It is about being a conduit for the donor. Donors want to see impact. They want to see how their donation contributes to the bigger picture. It is not about your organization. It is about making the world a better a place. It is about approaching potential partners to join you in your success. It is about what we can achieve together. It is all about forming mission-related partnerships.