Happy May, AFP friends!

I am excited to jump in on this month’s newsletter as the new IDEA (Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access) Chair for the AFP WNC Board. Earlier in April, I had the opportunity to attend AFP ICON 2024 in Toronto – this year’s global fundraising conference really focused in on rich conversations around how IDEA values show up in philanthropy and fundraising. The experience got me thinking about one of my favorite quotes by Lilla Watson* that I have posted on the whiteboard in front of my desk in West Asheville.

“If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.”

So much of fundraising work is identified as “help” – we are raising money to help animals, to help children, to help the unhoused, to help families in poverty. What we understand from great thought leaders like Watson and Nikole Hannah Jones, who shared her incredible experience and wisdom as the keynote at AFP ICON, is that it is not “help” at all that we offer.

Fundraisers often serve as a conduit for wealth redistribution that feels comfortable, valuable, trusted and rewarding for a donor. Our roles root so much deeper into traditionally unequitable systems of wealth, access, and opportunity than many other positions in nonprofits. To put it in perspective, say you take a high net worth donor to lunch, and they contribute $10,000 to your organization – in one day, you have secured a donation (disposable resources) that is the equivalent of nearly 50% of the average median household income (non-disposable resources) for a Black family in Asheville, according to the 2024 Cease Harm Audit. Fundraisers hold that tension.

In the April issue of Advancing Philanthropy, Hannah Jones asks, “Is philanthropy working from the bottom up, supporting the grassroots effort of people determining what’s best for themselves, or is it a bunch of people on high who have wealth and resources deciding what they think is best for communities?”

What AFP ICON 2024 showed me is that we have the power to work from the bottom up. We are uniquely positioned to radically shift the philanthropic narrative – to invert the natural hierarchy of philanthropy and think about reinvesting resources that were collected through generations of injustice and harm into the communities that experienced that injustice and harm. Ready to take the leap?

Jess McLean
AFP WNC IDEA Chair

*1985, Lilla Watson, a visual artist, activist and academic from Australia, spoke at the United Nations Decade for Women Conference in Nairobi. She is credited with the following quote (though she centers the collective process of Aboriginal activists in 1970’s Queensland as the primary source).

How many times a year are you connecting with your donors? We’ve all heard the magic number 7 – enough times that your donor feels valued, informed, and confident in your stewardship of their gift – enough that they’ll give again without hesitation the next time they’re asked.

So here’s the next big question – how many times a year are you connecting with your volunteers?

You know, the ones who stuff envelopes, stock pantries, tutor kids, answer phones, and support your events… Volunteers are often the backbone of your nonprofit, helping you stretch your resources and having an intimate understanding of your mission and your needs.

Fundraising for actual dollars is essential, but there’s also true value of your volunteers’ investment in time, talent, and future leadership to consider. A volunteer who gives two hours a week is contributing the equivalent of $3,000 in services each year!

April is National Volunteer Month, and April 21 to 27 is National Volunteer Week. Take the opportunity this month (and all year) to develop touchpoints with your volunteers, showing them the appreciation they deserve.

Where do you start? Ask them! These are a pool of individuals so committed to your cause they show up for you. Have some personal conversations with them to see what they care about. Why are they investing their time? How do they like to be recognized? For those who hate awards – what’s a nice treat for them to build community with each other and your nonprofit team?

Remember, their dedication often can extend beyond volunteering. By nurturing these relationships, you are creating a community of involved volunteers who can also become your most passionate donors and advocates!

Kate Frost
AFP WNC Board President

Welcome to the madness that is March! Take a look at your jam-packed calendar. How many of those commitments don’t involve fundraising?

Scarcity mentality is still prevalent in small shop nonprofits. We’re nonprofits – we do more with less! We’re nonprofits – of course most of our time is spent doing “other duties as assigned!”

We’ve prided ourselves on wearing many hats – often at the same time! Perhaps you’ve had a few of these on your head recently?
– the event planner’s pillbox hat
– the grant writer’s magician top hat
– the content generator’s newsboy cap
– the customer service rep’s cowboy hat
– the office maintenance worker’s construction hat, and
– the “other duties as assigned” bucket hat.

But amidst this hat-juggling act, we’ve left out a crucial one – the fundraiser’s fedora, hanging neglected on the coat rack. In our quest to meet every organizational need, we’ve diluted our effectiveness as fundraisers.

Yes, versatility and adaptability are essential traits, but it’s equally vital to prioritize our fundraising responsibilities. It’s time to reclaim our identity as professional fundraisers.

Carve out dedicated time each month to step back from the chaos. Set aside all the other hats, don your fundraising fedora, and leverage resources like AFP WNC to refine your fundraising skills and amplify your impact.

Let’s remember the power – and the fashion sense -of wearing just one hat at a time.
Hats off to you!

Kate Frost
AFP WNC Board President