[Future Philanthropy] #22 - Our New Fundraisers Edition!
Curated ideas & opportunities for future focused civic leaders...
In this edition…
New professional development opportunities!
Come and meet our new Fundraise for Australia grads in a special virtual event :)
How to give new fundraisers major gift experience…and (I can’t believe I’m writing this);
Tax tips for professional development expenses.
Hi all,
I’m pretty much donating my newsletter today to new and emerging fundraisers with a special focus on the first graduating class of Fundraise for Australia (F4A) and opportunities for folks to level up through free scholarships and accreditations.
I wanted to kick off by sharing a proud moment, with a terrific cohort of 19 Fellows (that are sure to go on and do amazing things and play a key role in building the resources needed for our nonprofits to continue delivering to those in need and those in search of a more fair and just society), successfully completed our pilot course for F4A.
I'm stoked for them and for the potential of our profession to grow exponentially in the coming decade. Much more to come and be shared out (including details below for their graduation party on the 15th!)
I shared many, many thanks to folks that contributed to the success of this class here.
Finally I wanted to personally thank all the Fellows for taking that leap of faith with us in what was a new program and staying the distance. I'm excited for your future and will always be there when needed. The success of this program will undoubtedly come from the value we provide to our alums of the course and the bonds that develop as a result. Appreciate you all.
Fundraising is an amazing profession that makes a real difference to our society and we are excited to help identify, recruit and train hundreds of more to join us on the frontlines!
Ryan
What I’m Writing.
Fundraising Is A Superskill That Will Increase Your LQ (3 min read)
With the rise of LQ in our corporate lexicon, can 'learning' the art of fundraising effectively be something that helps workers more adaptable in the workplace?
I have always seen fundraising as one of those super skills - the courage to ask for the support of something you believe in, the ability to deal with rejection, the art of telling a story and so on. The skills are highly transferable and also drive stronger relationships both in the office and externally.
LQ is something nonprofit workers have in abundance and it would be great to deconstruct what makes them so resilient.
A Tale Of How To Appreciate Language In Fundraising, Not Just The Language We Use (4 min read)
Introducing Lawrence Lo! One of our Fundraise for Australia Fellows and Development Manager at the ANU College of Asia & the Pacific.
We speak to Lawrence about his career - in the first in a series of profiles on new and emerging fundraisers.
Fundraising Tip Of The Week/Month/eNews #22
If a new prospect comes to your organisation saying they want to make a large gift, and the probability is quite high that it will be realised, then delegate that to a newer fundraiser who stands to benefit from going through the process and developing major gift experience.
Let them learn not by shadowing a leader or following the 'manual' but by actually doing it. Putting together a proposal, working with program staff, getting a gift deed signed, making the ask, and then stewarding the gift.
It helps with building your talent pipeline, staff retention and more than likely more major gifts in the future as that staff member builds confidence in the space and develops those integral skills for success.
We can do better - remember, we are not in competition with each other, we are a fundraising team!
Fundraise For Australia Updates
Join us online this weekend to celebrate the inaugural graduating class of Fundraise for Australia! Tickets are $20 & will be a great opportunity to meet with our Fellows, learn more about the program or just come together for a chat with like minded individuals/fundraisers looking to grow the profession.
The Fellows’ Fundraiser (FF) is an event hosted at the end of each cohort by the class that coincides with their graduation from the program.
The FF serves three purposes;
- It allows the Fellows to implement their fundraising skills learned through the course as well as an opportunity to grow their marketing, organizing, and digital skills.
- F4A will always be free. The Fellows’ Fundraiser is an opportunity for the Fellows to “pay-it-forward” for future classes.
- It provides an easy way for Fellows to work together on a large project, preparing them for their future collaborations.
Third Sector News also covered our graduation and it’s ongoing impact this week. Catch the article here.
“As someone who recently made a career switch to fundraising, this fellowship was an incredibly rewarding experience. Every week, we had the privilege of spending time with experts in the field, hearing their inspiring stories and learning from their experience.
“I’ve met fellows from very different walks of life, all with such generous spirit and commitment. It gives me great hope for the future of fundraising in this country.”
- Michelle Chung, 2023 Fellow
What I’m Sharing
Tax Tips: Recent data has shown that 30% of Australians spend an average of $1936 on professional education each year. Firstly - advocate for yourself at work to be supported in your professional development.
Failing that, the ATO has clarified that self education expenses are deductible when they maintain or improve knowledge required for your employment or are likely in increasing your income from your current employment.
You can also generally deduct the cost of content subscriptions that help with your work, like newspaper or online news site subscriptions. That means that along with formal study, any short courses, online training, or other content-based education can help to cut your tax bill.
Career Credentials and Postnominals: Our Community, one of Australia's top body for non-profit leaders, is taking a significant step to support the sector amid the cost-of-living crisis by waiving membership fees for the Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA), which translates to a $4 million annual saving.
They're also introducing a free news service, adding another $500,000 yearly benefit. This initiative, in sync with their mission to strengthen communities, aims to support Australia’s 600,000 non-profits who are currently facing increased operational costs coupled with heightened service demand and a dip in volunteering.
So what does that mean for you? Well, it means that the best-practice governance network for the members of Australian not-for-profit and government boards and committees, and the senior staff who work alongside them – providing ideas and advice for community leaders now has free membership with the following benefits;
Receive ‘responsible person’ status from the ATO
Receive notifications when changes are made to policies
Credentials: recognition through post-nominals (MICDA; FICDA)
FIA Scholarship: The Fundraising Institute of Australia is partnering with wealth management advisory firm Perpetual Limited to build capacity and capability in the fundraising sector through the provision of scholarships in fundraising.
This initiative will enable the increased capacity of organisations in their fundraising and lands at precisely the time when it’s needed the most. Applications are now open for four of FIA’s Certificate in Professional Fundraising and four Diploma in Professional Fundraising courses.
For information on criteria, course commencement dates and how to apply, please click here. Applications close on 11 August 2023
Speaking Opportunity: Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) is planning their 2024 National Conference in partnership with Philanthropy California, to be held in Los Angeles, CA, June 3 – 5, 2024.
The 2024 National Conference will focus on Transforming Philanthropic Culture and Practice. The conference will feature breakout and workshop sessions that explore how folks can navigate changing dynamics in our organizations, build more equity-centered practice into our work and transform our organizational cultures.
The request for proposals at the 2024 National Conference is opens tomorrow (July 12th). If you are interested in being notified when the Request for Proposals opens, please fill out this form.
AI Course: I know lots of fundraisers (myself included!) continue to experiment and learn with AI tools. Get a good grounding in what it is (and most importantly the ethics associated with it) with this free Microsoft Generative AI Professional Certificate I found. Super helpful for those trying to stay current and keep up with the sheer pace of innovation and its potential benefits and implications for nonprofits.
Fundraising job: Based in Sydney and looking to take the next step in your fundraising career? There is an amazing new role in the Western suburbs where you will be charged with building out the fundraising function for a highly successful & effective nonprofit that has been around for 50+ years. $130k base. Reach out to me for more info - ryan@ryanginard.com
What I’m Reading
The Wealthy Should Give More To Charity, Say People Who Stopped Donating, According To A New Poll (4 min read)
Some pretty concerning stats contained in this AP News article including that "More than 59% of those surveyed with household incomes above $70,000 believe that wealthier people should drive donations, compared with 47% of households over all. Over 55% of those who stopped giving say they don’t earn enough to afford donating to charity."
As Nathan Chappell (author of The Generosity Crisis) noted, “It's impossible to ignore the negative impact that nonprofits have reinforced by consistently focusing fundraising efforts on wealthy individuals, vs connected individuals.”
Everyone can be a ‘philanthropist’ and the sector needs to reaffirm this by reclaiming the term and educating the broader public about the community benefits of giving. I have additional thoughts but would like to hear what y’all think!