Confronting Pressure Points in Prospect Development
Dear Diary,
Today, we are learning from none other than, author, globally-acclaimed prospect development professional, consultant, and President of the Helen Brown Group, Helen Brown. Thank you for sharing your insight and perspective with Diary readers and learners, Helen. We are going to dive into the future of philanthropy and prospect development; acknowledge and name what is currently top of mind for the prospect development industry; and confront the delicacy of trust.
The future of the industry
Q: As of late, the future of philanthropy has been reimagined and dissected. People are striving to broaden the scope of giving and who a giver is. What are we acknowledging as we reframe our understanding of philanthropy? And, how do you imagine philanthropy in the future (20 years from now)? In the future, do you think wealth will still be the top indicator for giving?
Helen: The last five years have had a major impact on the way we look at the world and the way the world looks at us. Big philanthropy – major foundations and billionaire philanthropists – have reassessed their giving priorities and how they interact with those they support. Donations have flowed online to organizations like food banks, social cause issues, and local nonprofits that people recognized were critical to the success of their local community or the way they wanted society to be. And the way nonprofits have been able to interact with volunteers and donors has also shifted along a pandemic fault-line, leading to stress but also providing enormous opportunities for rethinking and creativity in involving volunteers and donors.
It’s hard to believe, or even remember, that twenty years ago there were no smartphones. The likelihood of online donations taking off were met with heavy skepticism by most in the nonprofit industry because few people had broadband. Google was a three-year-old company.
But twenty years ago, donations and hearts flowed in the aftermath of September 11th. Then as now, people decide what truly matters to them and are transformationally philanthropic – whatever that means for their wealth band – to that cause or group of causes when they are involved, asked, and stewarded well.
In 20 years from now, I imagine it’s going to be much the same, and as always, it’s going to be interest, and not wealth, that is the top indicator for giving. Wealth just gives us fundraisers a general idea of how much to ask for, but it’s nearly impossible to convince someone to give a major gift to a cause they aren’t interested or personally invested in.
Q: How do you imagine the prospect development industry?
Helen: Wow, that’s a tough one especially considering that most of the tools that we commonly use now, like Google, didn’t exist 25 years ago. What hasn’t changed, though, is the importance of the right amount of reliable information being shared between prospect development professionals and frontline fundraisers when it’s needed. In its variety of forms, strategically-derived data has always been critical to identifying and building relationships with donors, and informing interest and ask amounts. A recent academic study shows that frontline fundraisers feel that they raise more money, more effectively, with prospect research than they do without it. I don’t doubt that AI-assisted information and relationship building tools are going to get even better, but until they are capable of synthesizing information from the entirety of the free, fee-based, and deep-web resources that we use (not to mention primary sourced data) I think that we will remain in that critical role for fundraisers for some time to come.
Top of mind for the industry
Q: During the Apra 2021 conference, there were a lot of conversations and sessions focused on fundraising post-pandemic; DEI; DEI in prospecting and data collection; and more. Knowing all of this, where would you say the heart and mind of our industry is right now? And, what is causing our shift?
Helen: We’re shifting in response to the upending changes that have happened recently in the world around us – societally, professionally, and as individuals and family units. It’s been a lot to absorb and manage. I would say that the heart and mind of our industry and our world right now is in finding a way through this pandemic, through income inequality awareness, and through DEI/social justice issues and deciding where we want to be as a society.
I’m heartened by the focus on DEI and by the serious conversations and changes that are being implemented in companies and nonprofits. Apra’s DEI data guide and their work to help create infrastructure change within our professional association and as leaders in the wider fundraising community makes me really proud. We have a long way to go, of course, it’s just a beginning. But I’m glad to see professional associations and nonprofits being mindful about this work.
The t-word (trust)
Q: In fundraising, I feel like we have trust issues. We want prospects to trust us and become donors to our organizations; we want co-workers to trust each other’s expertise; we want people to trust the data we pull; and in prospect development, we want our work to be trusted, especially trusted to work remotely. We have trust issues, why do you think this is? Is it possible for us to confront these issues, heal, and move forward?
Helen: To me, the best ways to dispel any trust issues come down to three things: honest communication; being confident in your expertise; and being worthy of trust. What do I mean by those? For those of us in prospect development it means being as sure as you can be that the information you deliver is always reliable and created with an understanding of what the receiver needs. It means staying educated on trends in philanthropy, in the resources you use and how to use them. Caring about the quality of the reports you create. Showing up when and where you’re supposed to. Being present and being willing to communicate as honestly and openly as you can. These things are important.
Usually trust is earned; whether it’s trust in our nonprofits by donors, trust in each other at work, or trust in the data we create, use, and share. As you suggest, though, trust is a two-way street - and frequently it’s a busy intersection of multiple people with goals and needs and expectations that sometimes align and sometimes don’t. Building and supporting trust is ongoing, important, and sometimes hard, work. If we’ve done our part and we’re not met with the same respect, that’s when trust breaks down. Sometimes it’s reparable, and other times it’s just not. Trust is a delicate balance and a precious thing.
Q: In our industry, we tend to play the role of counselor to our frontline fundraisers. We encourage, guide, listen and strategize with them. Why do you think this happens? How did we develop this role, and can you talk about the advantages and disadvantages of leading in this role?
Helen: When collaboration works well between prospect development professionals and frontline fundraisers it brings a lot of joy into the work experience as well as potential for seeing more opportunities.
It’s pretty fun to find yourself in the situation of a true partner in the fundraising effort. In our work we’re able to find things that a fundraiser will never be able to see in a donor’s office or living room, and fundraisers are able to see things in that office or living room that we’ll never be able to find. And each of us sharing those things we see with the other can pull together a full picture of a donor’s capacity, interest, and inclination to give – far better than is possible with just research or just in-person (or Zoom) visits.
One of the best strategy sessions I’ve ever witnessed involved a frontline fundraiser and a researcher who were just in total sync collaborating on a donor’s engagement plan. It was exciting to watch, and that kind of professional respect and collaboration goes a long way when you think about building trust at work (going back to your previous question).
Q: Thank you for noting how our skills and the facets of our jobs complement each other, both prospect development professionals and frontline fundraisers. This is exactly how and why we lead in such supportive ways, and the advantages tend to outweigh chances for disadvantages. But I must ask, what are ways we can recharge after giving so much of our energy?
Helen: It’s like they say on the airplane in the safety demo – you need to put your own mask on before helping others so that you’re safe and present to help those around you. As we’re still dragging on with this pandemic it’s really important to do what you can to take care of yourself in large and small increments. Sometimes it can be as momentary as just being truly present while you enjoy a bite or sip of something gorgeously delicious. As the stress starts to build, it’s important to plan a few hours to do something that you really love. For me that’s hiking with my partner and dog, digging in the garden, trying a new recipe, or reading a book - that is my stress-relieving supercharge.
I’ve been severely limiting my time on social media lately, too. I found that it kept me up to date and informed and stressed out in equal measure, so I’m spending more time directly visiting news sites that I tend to frequent rather than scrolling and clicking on articles in my feed. It’s helped reduce my stress a lot.
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Helen, thank you again for sharing your wisdom with us, as we continue to reframe and learn how to intentionally think about our work, collaborate, and strive for the best.
Until next time, November 15th!
