Comments on: The End Of An Era. Thank Heavens! http://www.theagitator.net/communications/the-end-of-an-era-thank-heavens/ Fundraising and advocacy strategies. Trends, tips ... with an edge Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:53:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jim McLachlan http://www.theagitator.net/communications/the-end-of-an-era-thank-heavens/comment-page-1/#comment-10956 Jim McLachlan Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:14:00 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1280#comment-10956 Thank you for bringing this to our attention (and we need to hear this constantly). I remember an old mentor of mine, John Groman, saying this 30 years ago, and it is still true today. Quality not Quantity. Jim Thank you for bringing this to our attention (and we need to hear this constantly).

I remember an old mentor of mine, John Groman, saying this 30 years ago, and it is still true today.

Quality not Quantity.

Jim

]]> By: Ken Burnett http://www.theagitator.net/communications/the-end-of-an-era-thank-heavens/comment-page-1/#comment-10950 Ken Burnett Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:42:55 +0000 http://www.theagitator.net/?p=1280#comment-10950 Well said Roger, The shift you talk about is long overdue, and a number of people have been saying so for some years now. We never should have been selling to our donors, it was always inadvisable to see fundraising as a sales paradigm. The arm we once wanted to twist up their backs would always have been better draped around our shoulder, in friendship. But I remain perplexed, because I can’t quite see how we will bring this particular era to an end. People have been talking about being relationship fundraisers for two decades now. They fill the air with their good intentions at every conference I attend. Then they return to work the following Monday, and it’s back to the same old, same old. I like the term conservation fundraising. I’d like to see the emphasis in fundraising switch from marketing to communication. But I think maybe it’s up to the brightest and best of the new generation of young, energetic fundraisers to work out how this will happen, and to make it happen. A small percentage of bright fundraisers are now leading the way and we should focus on them and their endeavors now. We older fundraisers have clearly failed, not perhaps to make the point, but to make the change actually happen (which is the difficult bit). All power to the Agitator for promoting this message. Ken Well said Roger,

The shift you talk about is long overdue, and a number of people have been saying so for some years now. We never should have been selling to our donors, it was always inadvisable to see fundraising as a sales paradigm. The arm we once wanted to twist up their backs would always have been better draped around our shoulder, in friendship.

But I remain perplexed, because I can’t quite see how we will bring this particular era to an end. People have been talking about being relationship fundraisers for two decades now. They fill the air with their good intentions at every conference I attend.

Then they return to work the following Monday, and it’s back to the same old, same old.

I like the term conservation fundraising. I’d like to see the emphasis in fundraising switch from marketing to communication. But I think maybe it’s up to the brightest and best of the new generation of young, energetic fundraisers to work out how this will happen, and to make it happen. A small percentage of bright fundraisers are now leading the way and we should focus on them and their endeavors now. We older fundraisers have clearly failed, not perhaps to make the point, but to make the change actually happen (which is the difficult bit).

All power to the Agitator for promoting this message.

Ken

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