Talisman Philanthropy

Fundraising Identity

August 2, 2016 at 10:28 pm Barbara Talisman, CFRE Leave a comment

I had the great experience of joining my fellow fundraisers at a Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA) networking reception. Surprise to me, Nigel Harris, Chair of FIA Australia joined the group from Brisbane.

He provided an overview of fundraising – here and overseas and then challenged us to think about our own fundraising identity. So I thought about it….what’s yours?

Donor Centred always and in all ways:
My role as a fundraiser is to be a catalyst that empowers donors to invest in their passions.  My identity is to put forward a professional and approachable attitude that allows a donor to share their story, commitment and philanthropic strategy so I can connect them to a project that helps them make a difference.

Philanthropic Subject Matter Expert:
Within my institution, my professional identity is to be approachable, informed, honest and proactive in leading the fundraising strategy and helping staff with their philanthropic outreach. To help staff develop cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies for donors they have or want to approach. As a SME my role is to provide philanthropic advice (when asked) that engages and informs.

Entry filed under: Fundraising. Tags: Being a professional fundraiser, Fundraising identity, Who am I as a fundraiser?.