10 reasons fundraising ain't all that bad

Jeff Brooks at Donor Power Blog this week hosts the Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants. He conducted a "highly scientific" poll on the question Is fundraising good or bad? As Jeff reports, the results were "shocking and amazing."

• 60% said bad.
• 20% said good.
• 20% said other.

If I read the poll results correctly, that 20% good figure was almost represented entirely by yours truly with my submission to this new Carnival.

Like Jeff, I to came a similar conclusion after hosting the recent Giving Carnival here on this blog. While many people took the challenge seriously, I was frankly unprepared for the amount of pessimistic, cynical, and well, darn-right snarky responses – this from people working in our field.

Clearly, our profession has not only a public image problem, but a large self-esteem challenge. Whether this is based in practice or perception, I'm not about to argue now. But if people think of a fundraiser akin to the stereotype of a used car salesperson, than we have much work to do.

Done well, effective fundraising can help gift recipients break free of the cycle of poverty, violence and oppression they might face in life. For this reason alone, our profession is an honorable one worthy of high praise. Yet I would argue that there are many other benefits, particularly for donors, that are too often not appreciated. Fundraising can help individuals:

1. Express personal values and feel less powerless in the face of all the world’s needs.
2. Eliminate isolation by connecting with a community of people who share similar values.
3. Reduce the perceived differences between those with means and those with needs, helping people moving from fear toward love of others.
4. Generate a sense of personal abundance and generosity, through understanding one has enough time, talent and treasure to share.
5. Leave a legacy for their children and the world.
6. Connect with the cycle of giving and receiving at the core of most spiritual traditions.
7. Build support for projects that have strong community need, but little or no market value.
8. Organize communities to effectively advocate for changes in public policy.
9. Develop a sustainable gift economy as a viable alternative to capital markets.
10. Provide opportunities for volunteers to become more engaged with causes and communities that they care about.

Perhaps I am naive to think that effective fundraising can help move us as a society from “fear to love.” Yet in today’s world, why would I want to believe anything else?