[Future Philanthropy] #20 - Giving...we don't know what (& who!) we don't know.
Curated ideas & opportunities for future focused civic leaders...
In this edition…
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Hi all,
I want to live in a time where nonprofits are not just another revenue vertical for tech companies. Where outputs are replaced by outcomes, where platforms that also handle donations as a third party truly think about their impact rather than lazily funneling gifts to the big global charities where a couple of thousand is hardly transformative regardless of what the marketing tells you.
Recently, when walking to work, I clicked on a LinkedIn survey solely because it said it would take 3 mins and at the end, I could donate $5 to charity. After upholding my end of the bargain, I was only presented with only a couple of options and decided to donate to UNICEF. I have nothing against the organizations listed, but wonder how these were chosen, why there was no simple search mechanism to choose one of the millions of charities out there doing great work and even why it wasn't regionally focused here for Australia.
In that hour of which I filled out the survey I got to thinking how many people’s details and how many tens of thousands of dollars are flowing into these giant global organizations without a blink of an eye. Then I'm thinking of all of the missed opportunities to get people more involved with nonprofits at these simple on-ramps.
My hope is for tech to drive meaningful civic engagement and things like this are more of a shot in the arm than the coffee I was carrying at the time. At the end of the day, we don’t know what (& who!) we don’t know so we must continue to question the offerings we are presented with when trying to do good. The tech is there, and it should open up the possibilities to learn about the stellar work not for profits are up to not restrict them due to charity washing.
What are your thoughts? Drop a comment below…
Ryan
What I’m Writing (& Speaking!)
How Can Nonprofits Strike A ‘Prose’ Using ChatGPT Beyond Just Text Generation? (3 min read)
There has been A LOT of chatter around how Open AI's ChatGPT natural language processing (NLP) offering can help nonprofits & fundraisers alike. It's important we look beyond just text generation (emails, cases for support, grant writing etc.) to understand what it is truly capable of.
...and yes the image for the article was generated by AI (but not the article).
The key points were also shared in a recent article that featured on UK Fundraising (More thoughts on ChatGPT from the fundraising sector) and I did a bit of a deeper dive into it’s capabilities during a presentation I gave at the Nonprofit Marketing Summit (25,000 ppl registered!). I wanted to give participants something practical to take home so provided some critical industry stats & 9 free tech tools to help fundraising shops demystify tech and build up their confidence to pitch it up to decision makers. You can check out my slide deck here. (slide below was only shown in the live presentation - linked slides are a bit more professional!)
Donor Participation Project Interview (LinkedIn Live - 50 mins)
I got up at 4am my time for this one because I truly appreciate the Donor Participation Project & all it does for the sector. I wish it was around when I first started as a 'scrappy' fundraiser over a decade ago. It was a fun conversation + Q&A. Thanks to Louis Diez for the invite to chat!
For those wondering - #DPPOfficeHours is a program of the Donor Participation Project, a fundraiser community of 2,400+ who meet monthly to learn together how to grow donor participation in our nonprofits.
If you haven’t clicked the link yet - Louis provided this great hook to entice you…“If you thought fundraising was boring or about sucking up to rich people, you have to listen to this interview with Ryan Ginard. Explosive, counter-cyclical, futuristic, what would you add?”
Bake Sales Are Not Fund Raisers So Let’s Make Them In 3D (3 min read)
Why nonprofits should consider commercial revenue streams as part of a robust fundraising strategy and why I'm bullish on 3D printing as part of that mix.
Holograms - A Way To Enhance Nonprofit Service Delivery Or Just Another Tech Mirage? (5 min read)
Holograms are being touted as a way to potentially solve the teaching crisis especially in rural areas. What then might be their nonprofit applications and are they worth the investment ($60k per unit)? Could they potentially replace tap to donate machines in museums or help secure an inspirational key note for your signature event?
Writing Your Way to Recertification While Reaping Additional Career Benefits (4 min read)
Fundraisers should write more - about their experiences, their journeys and their wins. We need to share more of the lessons we have learned, the skills we have acquired and take an active interest in mentoring our next generation of development professionals.
So, write more - a book, a blog, an op-ed. Advocate for our sector more - write to the Assistant Minister for Charities and the ACNC on ways we can improve the sector. The list is endless.
Contributing to the education our sector is an important part of being certified as CFRE. This article that I wrote for CFRE International breaks down how you can accrue CFRE point through writing and reap the additional benefits of building a portfolio of work/content that will lead to more public speaking and consulting opportunities to name but a few.
Full disclosure - I’m one of their International Ambassadors, so if you are interested in the how/why/process for becoming a CFRE please reach out :)
Fundraise For Australia Update
20 new and emerging fundraisers from across the country have been selected to participate in a dynamic new training program starting next month which will see participants receive over 50 hours of training and be connected with the tools & opportunities that will help them supercharge their careers and deliver transformative change for their communities.
Fundraise for Australia’s initial goal is to identify, recruit and train over 250 new fundraisers which will ultimately leverage an additional $35 million in charitable donations as the sector seeks to double giving by 2030.
This program is both a jobs creator as much as it is a capacity builder for not for profit organisation’s nationwide. Yet, In order to reach our lofty goals and support the profession at a time when fundraisers have never been in more demand, we need inspired and engaged individuals who bring energy, creativity, and new perspectives to the sector and that what we have found in those selected for our first class of fellows.
Click this link to meet our fellows and many thanks to our F4A advisors that have helped get us to this very special/important milestone!
What I’m Sharing
Call for papers: In advance of its third annual meeting, the Texas Advancement Analytics Symposium is extending a call for papers based on the theme of “The Democratization of Analytics”.
To submit, please email your proposal using the button here or to TAAS@austin.utexas.edu. Submissions must be received no later than Friday, March 31st, 2023 to be considered.
ComNet Scholarships (& speaking ops): You can apply now for the Frank Karel Scholarship for the opportunity to attend ComNet (ComNet is one of my top 5 conferences to go to!) this is a must do for nonprofit comms & marketing folks & this year, it's taking place in Atlanta in September. Check it out and apply by April 3. They are also having an open call for proposals now too!
Comms job: The GoFundMe Australia team is searching for a Communications Manager to join their Sydney team (open to remote for the right person). Are you passionate about amplifying the voices of those in need, and building solutions to better connect those who need help with those in a position to do so? Let me know if of interest - happy to make a direct connection to leadership.
Fundraising Tip Of The Month
Here's my top tip for prospect outreach/pipeline building. I do this RELIGIOUSLY. It's why my pipeline is always healthy and I take 115+ intro/qualification meetings a year.
First thing I do when I get to my desk in the morning, before ANYTHING...is to send three messages seeking to connect. (email/text/InMail/carrier pigeon)
It's a healthy habit and it COMPOUNDS. 3 messages per work day is 15 messages a week. Across 46 weeks (taking into account 6 weeks holidays) that relates to 690 unique outreach emails.
Why 3? To me, it's manageable. Too many meetings spreads you too thin and becomes somewhat transactional. The best part of my job is meeting people, hearing about their stories and their success and helping them think about their legacy and what impact they can have. That takes time and the time to listen.
What's your morning routine? Does it move the needle?
It is very challenging to get attention for worthwhile projects to get them off the ground. Funding sources are geared toward large already recognized organizations. Your article resonated with our experience in small town USA.