Putting Theory into Practice for Donor-Client Engagements
The cornerstone of my life’s work has been to understand what helps people communicate and collaborate more effectively across human differences. When I first started Philanthropy without Borders, my intention was to was to dismantle the exploitative elements often inherent in donor-client interactions by making the very best research in the social sciences readily applicable […]
We See What We Already Believe: Guiding Donor Assumptions in Client Interactions
I’ve written quite a bit about how to prepare donors for their client experiences and what should be included in their guidebooks, but there’s one very important thing we need to address: assumptions and expectations. Although these words are often used interchangeably, in my work, I draw some critical distinctions between the two: Assumptions are […]
Why the Dos-and-Don’ts List Is Not Enough (And What to Do Instead)
As a fundraiser and intercultural communications consultant, I’m often asked to help prepare donors and staff for the cultural differences they will encounter when interacting with populations both within the United States and around the world. For example, if a group of donors from the United States is traveling to Ethiopia to tour projects they […]
5 Pitfalls of Voluntourism
Charging travelers for volunteer opportunities abroad can be a lucrative revenue stream, but do these short-term assignments do more harm than good? So much of…
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 […]