I often tell people that The New School of Fundraising (NSOF) exists between the conversations. Let me explain.
A lot of the traditional fundraising training and education programs have focused on the how or the what—I should know because I have taught those programs for years. What we have not spent a lot of time on is the why. And that’s unfortunate, because the why is the fun part and it factors into our wonderful world of fundraising in so many ways!
As a fundraiser, when was the last time that you asked yourself your why?
Why do you do what you do?
Why do you work where you work?
Revisiting our “why” is a way of exploring our values, considering how they align with our career choice, our organization, the cause we are fundraising for, etc. The more time that we put into these thoughts, the better chance that we’ll have of finding a fulfilling fundraising position at an organization that speaks to who we are, as people. Our values help us to determine our priorities and they motivate our decisions.
I was at a conference recently where we were asked to think about our why, in whatever context we wanted. I thought about why I started The New School of Fundraising. To be honest, it came down to the fact that I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to support the organizations that make the world better. We need them! Through this journey, my views of our industry have been challenged. I’ve met new and wonderful friends and connected with something that has brought me immeasurable joy and happiness.
There are so many interesting conversations happening in, around and within our industry. Everything is being challenged and questioned and it is amazing! From storytelling to donor recognition, we are exploring what it would mean to decolonize fundraising, to ask granters to grant within a trust-based model and to move away from donor centric activities. In each instance we start by asking why?
I can’t tell you that I know the answers to these issues, but I can be a part of the conversation.
Conversations can change our industry and our communities. Why conversations create fundraisers who unapologetically allow themselves to be people first—people who are aware, confident and empathic. Now, more than ever, we have the opportunity to change how our industry raises money, but it will take time. It is a big industry to change, and we have to remember that this shift will resonate with some of our donors, but not all, and also not for all of our fundraisers.
What can you do?
Start with being a part of the conversation! There are so many doors ready to welcome you through, no matter what you want to learn about. And we should all be learning together. Ask your whys and be proud. At NSOF we plan programming that has a significant amount of discussion time because we encourage participants to question our theory—in fact, we welcome it. We may have years of experience, but that doesn’t mean that we know everything. We learn just as much from those who attend our programming.
When I first opened the school, a workshop participant said to me, “It’s hard to see the light but it is good to know that there are people trying to bring the light back.” I have that written out in front of me to remind me daily of what our impact can be. Find your people—the ones that want to be a part of these conversations, and have them light your way.
Contact Rowena Vaylen to learn more about the New School of Fundraising.
