Articles Index

Ethical Storytelling

The Empathy Toolkit
Exploitation-Empathy Continuum for Nonprofits
Checklist – Empathy in Communications
3 Levels of Ethical Storytelling
The Diagram of Ethical Storytelling Excellence
What Happens When You Can’t Get Consent to Share Stories
Consent is a Process, not (Just) a Form3 Steps for Equitable Editing in Storytelling
3 Ways to Center Your Storytellers
10 Tips for Equity in Interviewing
Empathy Is Not the Endgame
You’re the Microphone—3 Ways to Not Be a Faulty One
Why Does “Poverty Porn” still exist?
What You Thought Was Empathy Was Actually Sympathy
Exploitation in Fundraising Communications: 5 Critiques
Respect and Dignity are Not Good Enough: A Common Pitfall in Ethical Communications
Where Do You Stand? The Hottest Issues in Storytelling Ethics Today
Donor-Centric Language: Efficacy and Ethics
5 Tips to Collect Real Feedback from Beneficiaries
Equity: Asking one Tough Question
Checklist – Empathy in Conversations

Donor Travel for Nonprofits and Charities

3 Creative Approaches to Inviting Major Donors on a Trip
4 Ways to Recruit for a Donor Trip
5 Donor Travel Myths Busted
How to Convince Your Program Staff That Donor Trips Are Essential
Three Models of Philanthropic Travel (and what to do with each)
Metrics and Measurements for Travel Programs
8 qualities to look for in trip participants
The ONE Thing about Donor Trips
Evaluating Equity in Suppliers and Tour Operators
How Your Donor Trip Can Fail if You Don’t Follow Up: 10 Tactics for Success
Making the Most of Mixed Groups with 5 Tips
Donor Travel: Is It about Acquisition, Qualification, Cultivation, Solicitation, or Recognition?
7 Follow-Up Faux Pas for Donor Trips
3 Initiatives Every Donor Trip Should Support
The “Why” of Donor Trips
3 Ways to Effectively Use Program Staff on Donor Trips
Avoid These 3 Mistakes When Working with Program Staff on Your Next Donor Trip
How to select the right internal manager for a trip
Roles and Responsibilities in Planning a Donor Trip
Challenges Faced by Staff in Donor Travel Programs
The Problem with Donor Travel Programs
Why your Board and Staff need first-hand experience
5 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Impact Trips
6 Things to Include in Your Pre-departure Guidebook
Preparing our Visitors When Knowledge is Not Enough
Why you MUST ask for the gift on the trip (and how to do it) Part 1
Why you MUST ask for the gift on the trip (and how to do it) Part 2
Planning your next donor trip? You need a fundraiser, not a travel agent
Donor Trips: Before and After COVID-19
COVID-19 and Donor Travel: Your Top 10 Questions Answered
Five Roles for Staff on Trips
How to Select the Right Staff for Your Trips
Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid in Planning Impact Trips
COVID-19 and Donor Travel: Your Top 10 Questions Answered
Donor Trips: Before and After COVID-19
We See What We Already Believe: Guiding Donor Assumptions in Client Interactions

Site Visits for Foundations and Grantmakers

What Funders Get Wrong About Site Visits
Exploitation-Empathy Continuum for Funders
Checklist: Empathy in Site Visits  – The Funder Edition
Putting Theory into Practice for Donor-Client Engagements

Alumni Travel for Colleges and Universities

Alumni trips vs Donor Trips: are they really one in the same…?
The Role of Fundraising in Your Trips
Case Studies of Fundraising and Education in Trips
Three Models of Alumni Travel (and what to do with each)

Volunteer Travel and Engagement

Three Models of Voluntourism (and what to do with each)
Checklist: Models of Voluntourism
5 Pitfalls of Voluntourism
3 Fallacies of Voluntourism

Equity and Intercultural Competence

Assessing Intercultural Competence in One Question
Reaching Out to Donors about Systemic Injustice: 4 Tips and 10 Conversation Goals
Cultural Differences in Donor-Staff Conversations
Empathy Is Not the Endgame
What You Thought Was Empathy Was Actually Sympathy
Difficult Dialogues with Curiosity and Intention
Why Intercultural Competence Matters in Short-term Assignments
Common Cultural Challenges on Donor Trips: The Visitor Edition
Common Cultural Challenges on Donor Trips: The Staff Edition
Evaluating Equity in Suppliers and Tour Operators
10 Takeaways for Launching an Intercultural Career
Preparing our Visitors When Knowledge is Not Enough
Respect and Dignity are Not Good Enough: A Common Pitfall in Ethical Communications
How Much Do We Have to Adapt?
5 Ways to Incorporate Equity into Your Virtual Events
Why the Dos-and-Don’ts List Is Not Enough (And What to Do Instead)
We See What We Already Believe: Guiding Donor Assumptions in Client Interactions

Virtual Engagement

Why Connection is More Powerful than Content
10 Virtual Engagement Tips and 100+ Examples
5 Free Ways to Dial Up Virtual Participation
Think Before You Hybrid: Pitfalls of the Quasi-Virtual Experience
5 Ways to Incorporate Equity into Your Virtual Events
EBOOK: Virtual Experiences: Tips, Tools, and 100+ Ideas to Engage Donors Virtually

Tools

Case Studies: Executive Advisory Council Meeting in Ireland

Tools

Checklist: Empathy in Mass Communications
Media Consent Form for Ethical Storytelling
Checklist: Empathy in Conversations
Checklist: Models of Voluntourism
Worksheet: Intergroup Contact Theory
Checklist: Empathy in Site Visits  – The Funder Edition
Exploitation-Empathy Continuum
Checklist: Evaluating Equity in Suppliers and Tour Operators
Travel Program Readiness (if you’ve never done a trip before)
Travel Program Optimization (if your trips aren’t meeting objectives)

Webinars

WEBINAR: 10 Tips for a Successful Donor Trip
WEBINAR: Ethical Storytelling for Fundraising Communications – How to Create Compelling Content without Exploitation: A Step by Step Guide
WEBINAR: Virtual Engagement: How to Create Participatory Virtual Experiences that Keep your Donors Engaged in Times of Crisis

Video

VIDEO: Avoid 3 Travel Mistake with Program Staff
VIDEO: Utilize Program Staff in These 3 Ways
VIDEO: To Travel or To Give? That is the Question
VIDEO: In Defense of the Volunteer a as Learner
VIDEO: Same Hotel or Different?

External Press

Beyond Donor Travel: Tips and Tools for a Successful Adventure
Travel as a Catalyst for Social Impact and Peacebuilding: The Work of Philanthropy without Borders
Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid when Planning Impact Trips
Up for the Challenge: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro for a Cause

Podcasts Appearances

Ethical Storytelling: Cultivating Empathy between Funders, Storytellers, and Nonprofit Leaders 
Nonprofit Nation: Ethical Storytelling with Caliopy Glaros
Nonprofit Radio with Tony Martignetti
Travel Philanthropy in Ethiopia with Caliopy Glaros

Ebooks

EBOOK: The Perils of Pricing: How to Calculate the Cost of Your Next Donor Trip
EBOOK: Virtual Experiences: Tips, Tools, and 100+ Ideas to Engage Donors Virtually

Books by others on Strategy, Philanthropy, Travel, and Culture