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The Philanthropic Quest
subscription series
What is the philanthropic quest?
Most organizations of social good are receiving only a fraction of the philanthropy they're capable of attracting.
The goal of the philanthropic quest is to lift the practice of development to the highest possible level -- so that organizations attract greater philanthropy, donors receive greater satisfaction, and society benefits more than ever before.
What will make it all possible?
In essence, bringing together philanthropy and organization development -- at the "learning edge" of both disciplines.
This is what "fund raising" will become in the 21st century. And it's already starting to happen.
In the 1990s, leading organizations all over the world began using the new organization development practices to discover new reservoirs of energy ... to generate new visions of the future ... to create new momentum.
And now we're beginning to see how all the new energy that's being brought to the surface can be channeled and directed in order to attract unprecedented philanthropy -- the people and resources to make the changes happen.
To distinguish this new approach from conventional fundraising, it's been named the philanthropic quest.
The philanthropic quest
This is not the organization's quest for dollars. It's the donor's quest to find meaning and personal fulfillment through philanthropy.
When we understand how we can join the donor in pursuing this quest, we put ourselves in the position to attract unprecedented philanthropy.
Third Sector professionals have been known to complain about the constraints that keep them from raising more money. In reality, though, the biggest constraints are those we place on ourselves -- by underestimating the value and potential of our organizations.
The philanthropic quest offers a positive alternative to the conventional "hand-wringing" and "arm-twisting" brand of fund raising that has become all too familiar. The quest challenges us to:
- Move away from the "problem-solving" mode and embrace a generative approach to development.
- Focus on what's right with the organization and the environment, rather than what's wrong.
- Focus on people and relationships, rather than money.
- Raise our own sights, as well as the sights of donors, volunteers, and professional staff.
- See ourselves as agents of change, rather than mere salespeople or functionaries.
Using the methodology of the quest, you can reach out to new people in your community -- even those who have never been involved with your organization. You can generate new enthusiasm and commitment among your trustees and professional staff. And you can open up whole new horizons for your organization.
The transformative commitment
The philanthropic quest is aimed at securing the transformative commitment -- the largest philanthropic investment the organization has ever received. This investment publicly redefines the worth of the organization, raising the sights of all.
The transformative commitment is also a public declaration of the donor's values -- who they are and what they believe in -- and how much those values are worth. The task of the professional is to help the donor transfer his or her highest values.
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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
