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The Philanthropic Quest
subscription series
The development officer
as collaborator and catalyst
The philanthropic quest is the donor's quest to find meaning and personal fulfillment through philanthropy. The professional is the catalyst who facilitates the quest by showing the donor what can be accomplished through his or her personal initiative.
The philanthropic quest is based on a positive view of human nature. The quest asks the professional to value the donor more than the donation ... to meet the donor with respect and trust ... and to build close, collaborative, lifelong relationships.
Together, the donor and the professional look at society, and what society is asking of us.
New roles for professionals
Some organizations still view the development professional as a glorified salesperson whose primary mission is to "find the money" to balance the budget.
We recognize that the professional is in a unique position to make great things happen. So the philanthropic quest seeks to elevate the professional above the role of "salesperson," and to increase the power and prestige of our profession.
For in the 21st century, the most successful development officers will be consummate agents of change -- both within the organization and (through the organization) in society.
Managing change
The methodology of the philanthropic quest is built on the best practices of our profession's past and present, as well as new ideas from the business world and the behavioral sciences.
The quest views the professional as an agent of change. To raise extraordinary amounts of money, we begin by influencing the cultural norms of the organization -- the accepted attitudes and behaviors in and around the organization.
The agent of change is adept at handling resistance, especially resistance to asking for money. And here's a surprise: resistance can be good. In fact, the way things usually unfold in a fund-raising situation, it's entirely proper that people should avoid the anxiety and anticipated failure of "the ask."
Resistance can be managed by changing the culture and processes of the organization -- so that the "ask" becomes a smaller part of the overall process. And when it does occur, it's a natural and logical step, often initiated by the donors themselves.
Envisioning the future
Resistance can be transcended, and even prevented, by using the techniques of appreciative inquiry -- as developed by my colleague, Dr. David Cooperrider.
Through this approach, we establish common ground and envision the future collectively. We look for the best in a situation and in people, not the worst. We look for what's right in the past and present, rather than what's wrong. Instead of dwelling on problems, we look for potential and possibilities. And we focus on resources, rather than "needs."
This positive approach provides an antidote to fashionable pessimism and cynicism. It gives us a way to locate and tap into the kind of energy that can transform the organization and people's lives.
The philanthropic quest asks us to go beyond critical thinking and problem-solving to generative thinking. For example, rather than using a feasibility study to predict the future, the quest uses an inquiry to create the future.
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Read more ...
- What you'll learn
- What is the philanthropic quest?
- How is this different from conventional fund raising?
- The development officer as catalyst
- Beyond the feasibility study
- Contents of the series ... a sampling
- What your colleagues are saying
- A note from the author
- About the author
