Fundraising vs. Facilitating

Fundraising focuses on an organization's process for raising money by requesting donations.

Facilitation focuses on helping others achieve their goals through philanthropy.

Fundraising is what most of you are told to do.

Facilitation is what most of your supporters want you to do.

Fundraising is what some of your board members refuse to do.

Facilitation is what all of your board members will be happy to do.

Fundraising is focused on tactics that generate donations.

Facilitation is focused on tactics that make people feel good (even if they aren't ready to donate) and that generate donations.

Fundraising sometimes offends supporters.

Facilitation never offends anyone.

At Disney World, the staff are called Cast Members. At Google, they call themselves Googlers. Twitter calls themselves Tweeps.

Maybe it's time we stopped calling ourselves fundraisers. Why not start calling ourselves facilitators instead?

Marketsmart Blog