What the Fundraising - Embracing and Enabling the People Behind the Purpose

Praise for WHAT THE FUNDRAISING "Don't let the word 'fundraising' mislead you. This book is for anyone who creates, holds, and manages relationships--meaning everyone."
--Whitney Conner Clapper, Community Relations and Impact Lead, Patagonia "In this engaging book, Erickson generously shares her deep and broad experience in fundraising, surfacing invaluable insights backed by research from various academic fields. The book will no doubt be enlightening and energizing not just for fundraisers, but also for anyone whose job requires making asks of others."
--Piyush Tantia, Chief Innovation Officer, ideas42 "Erickson leads the charge on the future of fundraising with unparalleled insight and empathy. This groundbreaking work shifts the paradigm from a transactional, dollar-driven approach to one of alignment, empathy, and sustainable impact. By addressing the root causes of stress and burnout, Erickson paves the way for a healthier, more vibrant community."
--Floyd Jones, Speaker, Coach, Community Builder and Founder, BackBlack "A must-read for our entire industry and a forward-thinking guide for creating the world we want to live in. In this brilliant book, Mallory holds our hand, reminds us to stay in our hearts, and gives us all the real-life tools we need."
-- Maggie Doyne, Co-founder and CEO of the BlinkNow Foundation and Author of Between the Mountain and the Sky: A Mother's Story of Love, Loss, Healing, and Hope "A hilarious and brutally honest guide to the sometimes chaotic world of nonprofit fundraising--Erickson doesn't just pull back the curtain; she rips it off the rod and sets it on fire. As a Black woman with 25+ years experience as a development professional and trusted philanthropic advisor, I can confidently say I wish I had this book when I was at my lowest. Erickson's insights are a lifeline."
-- Kishshana Palmer, Author of Busy Is a Four Letter Word: A Guide to Achieving More by Doing Less "What the Fundraising is a deeply personal and profoundly insightful journey into the heart of nonprofit fundraising. Erickson's candid storytelling and innovative strategies make this book a must-read for anyone in the nonprofit sector looking to transform their fundraising practices and build authentic, sustainable relationships with donors."
-- Nathan Chappell, Co-author of The Generosity Crisis: The Case for Radical Connection to Solve Humanity's Greatest Challenges

List of contents

Introduction 1
Making the Ask 2
What the Fundraising 4
Who You Are and Why We're Here 9
The First Step Forward 12
Inside What the Fundraising 14
Part I The Problem 19
Chapter 1 A Critical Tipping Point 21
Giving in the Gilded Age 24
Taxes and Nonprofits 27
Systemic Inequities: Then and Now 29
The Decline in Giving 33
The Staffing Crisis 35
They Aren't Separate Problems 36
Chapter 2 Show Me the Money (But Don't Talk About It) 39
Unpacking Scarcity Mindset 40
The Impact of Scarcity Mindset on Funder Relationships 45
Moving Beyond Transactional Fundraising 53
Chapter 3 This Job Feels Awful 59
From Discomfort to Burnout 61
Elements of Fundraising That Lead to Burnout 69
Stigma About Fundraising 76
The Body's Response to Transactional Fundraising 78
Part II The Solution 87
Chapter 4 Creating Inner Alignment 89
What Is Alignment? 90
Coaching to Overcome Fundraising Resistance 92
The Cognitive Loop 94
Energy in Action 100
The 7 Levels of Energy 102
Increasing Your Anabolic Energy 113
Chapter 5 Alignment Fundraising Strategy 125
The Layers of Alignment Fundraising 127
Alignment Fundraising in Practice 130
Mapping Alignment 143
Not All Money Is Created Equal 150
Chapter 6 Building Connected Relationships 153
Trust in Nonprofits 154
Building Real Relationships 156
Connection in Practice 161
Making the Offer 166
You Won't Be for Everyone 174
When It All Aligns 179
Conclusion 183
Acknowledgments 189
References 195
About the Author 209
Index 211

About the author

MALLORY ERICKSON is an executive coach, fundraising consultant, and host of the popular podcast What the Fundraising, aimed at supporting nonprofit leaders to fundamentally change how they lead and fundraise. She has trained over 60,000 fundraisers using elements of her framework, Power Partners Formula^(TM).

Product details

• Authors: Mallory Erickson
• Publisher: Wiley, John and Sons Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 07.10.2024
• EAN: 9781394213856
• ISBN: 978-1-394-21385-6
• No. of pages: 240
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Business > Management; Business & management, Non-profitmaking organizations, Management and management techniques