When fundraising and finance teams understand each other’s realities, conversations become more productive
Early in my fundraising career, I was focused on the day-to-day responsibilities of my role. I was organizing donor meetings, stewarding relationships, managing projects, and trying to keep up with deadlines. I cared about the mission and worked hard, but I viewed my role mostly through the lens of tasks and deliverables. Looking back, I realize I was working in a silo.
At the time, I didn’t understand how interconnected fundraising was within the organization. While I focused on donor relationships and campaign momentum, finance teams were thinking about budgets, forecasting, staffing pressures, compliance, and the long-term health of the organization. Leadership teams were balancing governance responsibilities, strategic priorities, and community needs; conversations that felt separate from the work I was doing. Over time, this changed. I began to realize that conversations around budgets, projections, and operational pressures directly impacted an organization’s ability to deliver programs, support staff, respond to community needs, and maintain donor trust. More importantly, I began to see how important it was for these roles to work together. Now, I know that strong organizations are built when departments stop operating in silos and focus on understanding how their work intersects in support of the mission.
Few nonprofit partnerships demonstrate that more clearly than the relationship between fundraising and finance. Often, fundraising and finance are viewed as operating on opposite sides of the organization. One team focuses on relationships, storytelling, philanthropy, and community engagement, while the other focuses on accountability, compliance, forecasting, and financial oversight. However, we must understand that these are not competing priorities; in fact, they are complementary.
Behind every campaign, stewardship report, grant proposal, donor conversation, and strategic decision is often a strong working relationship between fundraising and finance professionals helping organizations build trust, transparency, and stability. Like many internal partnerships, this relationship can become siloed. Different priorities, timelines, communication styles, and pressures can create misunderstandings. Yet, when fundraising and finance work collaboratively, organizations are better equipped to strengthen donor confidence, improve decision-making, and support long-term sustainability.
Moving from transactional to strategic
One of the biggest shifts in my career was realizing that fundraising and finance are more than departments exchanging information—they are partners helping organizations to make better decisions.
Generally speaking, fundraising professionals understand donor expectations, community perception, and relationship dynamics. Finance professionals bring expertise in forecasting, accountability, and operational planning. Both perspectives matter.
I have seen fundraising teams become frustrated by financial restrictions and finance teams become concerned about ambitious campaign goals. However, over time, I learned that those conversations are not about opposition; they are about balance.
When fundraising and finance teams understand each other’s realities, conversations become more productive. Instead of working through competing priorities, teams begin working toward shared outcomes.
Beyond revenue generation
One of the biggest misconceptions about fundraising is that it is only about raising money. Fundraising professionals sit at the intersection of donor relationships, communications, leadership, and community engagement. Because of this, they are among the first to identify shifts in community needs, donor concerns, reputational risks, or opportunities for growth.
Strong fundraising leaders help organizations:
- translate mission into impact,
- externally communicate priorities,
- support donor stewardship and transparency, and
- connect conversations across departments.
Furthermore, I believe that the strongest fundraising professionals are not only focused on campaigns. They understand how philanthropy intersects with operations, finance, governance, and long-term planning.
Finance matters to donor trust
Donors may never see the work happening behind the scenes, but they feel the impact of strong financial leadership. Accurate reporting, transparency, and responsible stewardship all contribute to donor confidence. Storytelling may inspire giving, but accountability helps sustain trust.
Finance professionals also help organizations navigate difficult conversations around sustainability, resource allocation, and operational pressures. Those conversations are not barriers to fundraising. They help organizations make responsible decisions that support long-term impact.
Some of the strongest finance leaders I have worked with have challenged me to think beyond immediate fundraising goals to better understand the broader implications of organizational decision-making.
Strengthening the partnership
Like any strong relationship, collaboration between fundraising and finance requires intention. A few practices can make a significant difference:
- create regular opportunities for communication
- involve finance teams early in planning conversations
- learn each other’s priorities and pressures
- share challenges openly
- stay connected to the mission behind the work
Strong organizations are not built through by people willing to collaborate, communicate clearly, and understand how their work connects to the larger mission.
Marla Smith, CFRE, is the Director of Foundation & Communications at Pathstone Foundation, where she leads fundraising and communications efforts to advance mental health services in Niagara. With over 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, she is passionate about fostering trust, transparency, and meaningful donor relationships through ethical and strategic fundraising practices. An active sector volunteer, Marla serves on the Board of the AFP Foundation for Canada and is a CFRE Ambassador. She also chairs National Philanthropy Day and Education for AFP Golden Horseshoe, championing professional development and philanthropy across the sector. msmith@pathstone.ca
