logo
Donate
    • Magazine
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Racial Justice
  • Economic Justice
    • Collections
    • Glossary
  • Climate Justice
  • Health Justice
  • Leadership
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Magazine
  • Webinars
  • Membership
  • Submissions

What’s the Role of the Fundraiser?

Simone Joyaux
April 12, 2012

Let me tell you a secret: I don’t care if the donor gives a gift to my organization or to another organization. It’s all philanthropy. And philanthropy is about the donor. Philanthropy is bigger than any single organization.

I believe “a rising tide raises all boats.” I believe that relationships are an end in and of themselves, not merely a strategy to secure gifts of time, advice and money. So here’s a wild suggestion. How about this threefold role for a fundraiser:

Role #1

First, nurture philanthropy as a community-building process, in John Gardner’s sense of place and mission; for a better understanding of what this entails, do read John Gardner’s wonderful monograph, “Building Community.” In this first role, I think the fundraiser’s job is to increase social capital and promote civic engagement, and also to build civil society and civic capacity.

Role #2

Sign up for our free newsletters

Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

Second, nurture relationships to foster philanthropy and strengthen community. In this role, the fundraiser helps the community build partnerships. The fundraiser helps her own organization become relevant, strong, and donor-centered.

Role #3

And third, increase and diversify philanthropy for one’s employing organization. Here, the fundraiser turns his attention to his own organization. Specifically, the fundraiser acts as an organizational development specialist, assuring an effective organization. The fundraiser operates a donor-centered fund development program that nurtures relationships and effectively communicates. This is the way to build donor loyalty—and surely that is a (the?) principal role of the fundraiser.

As you might expect, I don’t think that the third role happens well without the first two. Furthermore, I think that excessive focus on the third role can harm the first two, which is a danger for all organizations and all communities.

Philanthropy and fund development are not about getting your organization’s fair share. Philanthropy and fund development are about finding those who might be interested and then nurturing relationships and loyalty. And not just for money!

About the author
Simone Joyaux

Simone P. Joyaux, ACFRE is recognized internationally as an expert in fund development, board and organizational development, strategic planning, and management. She is the founder and director of Joyaux Associates.

More about: Financial ManagementFundraisingPhilanthropy

Our Voices Are Our Power.

Journalism, nonprofits, and multiracial democracy are under attack. At NPQ, we fight back by sharing stories and essential insights from nonprofit leaders and workers—and we pay every contributor.

Can you help us protect nonprofit voices?

Your support keeps truth alive when it matters most.
Every single dollar makes a difference.

Donate now
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

You might also like
How Nonprofits Manage MacKenzie Scott’s Mega-Gifts: What the Data Tell Us
Suman Bhattacharyya
Nonprofits Need Equity Too: The Case for Providing “Enterprise Capital”
Alexandra Sing and Andrea Levere
Impact of International Aid Cuts on African Communities
Jody Ray
Foundations Rally Behind Call for Unity
Ted Siefer
US Nonprofits Risk Losing Tax Status over Israel Criticism
Jody Ray
Trump’s “Opening Salvo” in His War Against Criminal Justice Reform Starts With This Nonprofit
Serena Lin

Upcoming Webinars

Group Created with Sketch.
May 27th, 2:00 pm ET

Ask the Nonprofit Lawyer

Register
Group Created with Sketch.
June 26th, 2:00 pm ET

From Performance Management to Mutual Commitment

Fostering a Culture of Joyful Accountability

Register

    
You might also like
A large pile of bundled $100 bills, visualizing the immense amount of money that Mackenzie Scott has donated to nonprofits since 2020.
How Nonprofits Manage MacKenzie Scott’s Mega-Gifts: What...
Suman Bhattacharyya
A rising bar chart where the bars are patterned with dollar bill print, representing the way enterprise capital allows nonprofits to plan, build, and grow.
Nonprofits Need Equity Too: The Case for Providing...
Alexandra Sing and Andrea Levere
A small boy at an aid distribution site holding a small cup of provisions, capturing the immediacy and severity of halted aid programs.
Impact of International Aid Cuts on African Communities
Jody Ray

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

See our newsletters

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Donate
  • Editorial Policy
  • Funders

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.