3 Fallacies of Voluntourism
In 2019 at the Global PDX Conference, I moderated a panel called “Voluntourism: Power, Privilege, and New Possibilities.” We didn’t shy away from the controversies of sending people overseas for short-term assignments, some of which I’ve documented in the article “5 Pitfalls of Voluntourism.” While the challenges and disappointments of voluntourism have been well-documented in […]
Empathy Is Not the Endgame
As a follow up to my foundational article, “What You Thought Was Empathy Was Actually Sympathy,” in this article I dispel some misconceptions about empathy and provide tactical pointers to help nonprofit professionals better embody empathy in their work and avoid the pitfalls of sympathy. Empathy is not about emotion…it’s about understanding Rather than try […]
Reaching Out to Donors about Systemic Injustice: 4 Tips and 10 Conversation Goals
While many inspiring leaders and activists have stepped up to create and share resources on how to respond to the current movement, my colleagues in the fundraising space have lamented the lack specific ideas and tools for having critical conversations with donors. These conversations can feel daunting for organizations whose missions don’t explicitly include the […]
Why Connection is More Powerful than Content
The COVID-19 outbreak has created challenges for the way nonprofits engage their supporters. While we remain apart from each other at physical distances, unable to travel or even convene in large groups, the question on everyone’s mind is: how do we continue to steward and engage our donors while they can’t meet us in person, […]
COVID-19 and Donor Travel: Your Top 10 Questions Answered
Last month COVID-19 cases hit the United States with full force and I pivoted my content strategy. I took a break from providing new tools and content on my newsletter and instead sent out an offer to have a free 30-minute strategy call with anyone who felt they needed one. Many of folks took me […]