Читать книгу Achieving Excellence in Fundraising - Группа авторов - Страница 136

Conditions including climate events (fires, floods), the pandemic, social movements, and economic crises require fundraisers to respond with agility steeped in solid understanding of their organization's context. This section describes three changes in the relationships among donors, nonprofit organizations, communities, and beneficiaries.

One change is a new appreciation for the assets of communities and their unique qualities. For example, recent studies on rural philanthropy highlight the importance of trust and common values in uncovering hidden needs in rural Iowa. Or, in New Mexico, research found that place and people who are rooted in local history and culture play a key role in devising partnerships. The local participants honored the process of sharing and equalizing power and cultivated a sense of mutual respect among all participants – donors and recipients alike (Campbell University 2020).

A second change relates to how the pandemic caused rapid adaptation in ways of giving. Giving online increased; other giving was directed through direct transfer platforms. Donor‐advised funds gave more in a record amount of time. Foundations also changed funding restrictions and reporting requirements to reach vulnerable populations and to assure that nonprofits survived the pandemic and economic disruption. This demonstrates that quick pivots are possible.

A third change is some funders' embrace of trust‐based philanthropy, which includes explicit attention to community voices, funding for community‐driven projects, and self‐determination for community members, to decide what is best. This approach acknowledges the imbalance in funder‐grantee relations and seeks to address mistrust in institutions and those in power. It involves new processes, sharing, humility, and deep learning to help communities mobilize efforts from the bottom up (Wong and McGrath 2020).

The turbulent times have created a context in which philanthropic values are being reexamined. In the face of these disruptions and social reckoning, philanthropy has become a critical building block in the figurative and literal healing of many (Grant 2020).