Each month, the Critical Fundraising blog presents a digest of the best fundraising-related blogs and articles that have adopted a critical fundraising mode of thought. Inclusion in this digest does not indicate that Rogare agrees with any arguments presented, only that we thought they made a good argument.
Barriers to relationship fundraising in higher education
Rogare’s recent report on the barriers to relationship fundraising suggested looking to higher education for best practice. Holly Palmer says university RF is beset with problems of its own
Choice quote:
“Most of our departments were established because our then VCs needed income diversification. This means that when we started modern higher education fundraising we did so with major gifts rather than grass-roots support, and by the time regular giving was added, it was a ‘nice to have’.”
Fundraising in Alice’s Restaurant
The Agitator (paywall)
In the question of mailing more or mailing less (and indeed, any similar false dichotomy question), Roger Craver points out there is not simple either/or answer so you need to delve deeper into the question.
Choice quote:
“Jeff Brooks is not right. Agitator’s not right. Get a grip and start thinking for yourself. The only thing either Jeff or I can do is ask — and attempt to answer — questions. It’s up to you and your critical powers to challenge our findings and recommendations.”
Why are we having conversations without them?
Healthcare policy expert Antonesia ‘Toni’ Wiley says charities need to rethink what they mean by ‘inclusiveness’ to ensure nonprofits are genuinely accountable to the communities they serve – and more accountable to them than their funders.
Choice quote:
“Foundations transformed the scope and impact of charity work…But foundations also added a layer of bureaucracy that kept community stakeholders closest to the real issues far from the actual decision-making.”
REVIEW: Head to Head: A Conversation on Behavioral Science and Ethics
Meredith Niles looks at a new paper considering the role of behavioural science in designing and implementing more effective compliance and ethics programmes, and considers how the learnings could be applied to fundraising.
Choice quote:
“We talk about income constantly, but our conversations about compliance often take place on a separate cycle, sometimes with a different group of stakeholders represented.”
Critical Fundraising 