12 Steps to Building a Culture of Philanthropy

In the report Beyond Fundraising: What Does It Mean to Build a Culture of Philanthropy? author Cindy Gibson interviews experts to help clarify the meaning of a “culture of philanthropy” and shares examples of nonprofits that have adopted the approach.

Here are 12 steps, adapted from that report, to broaden understanding of fundraising in your organization and encourage everyone to get involved in raising money.

1. Integrate fundraising into every staff and board meeting.
2. Ask program staff members for advice on development materials such as appeal letters, social media strategies, etc.
3. Spend one-on-one time with board members, donors, and others involved in the organization’s work. Get to know them individually. Find out their stories — why did they get involved?
4. Share “mission moments.” At every staff and board meeting, share a recent story about a client, donor, or community member who was affected or inspired by your work. Encourage staff members to share their stories.
5. Shadow members of the program staff in their work and invite them on your donor visits.
6. Invite donors into your organization, not just for guided tours but also to attend board or staff meetings.
7. Include donors on your board and invite them to share their perspective.
8. Create regular opportunities for program staff to share with development staff their experiences with clients or constituents in the field.
9. Celebrate success. When you reach 100 percent board participation, or a board or staff member brings in new donors, recognize and celebrate it.
10. Keep donors, staff members, trustees, and other supporters updated on the nonprofit’s work, progress, challenges, and accomplishments, including its development efforts.
11. Share stories of donors, those whose lives have been changed by the donors’ gifts, and staff or volunteers who do the work.
12. When planning pitches and other donor communications, look beyond how much donors give and personalize the contact with them as much as possible by considering each person’s giving history, aspirations, and preferences.

This checklist is adapted from Beyond Fundraising: What Does It Mean to Build a Culture of Philanthropy? published by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. Download the report.