Are You A Dinosaur?
Hopefully it’s evident by our posts over the past 10 years that Tom and I worry a lot about the future of fundraising and the nonprofit sector.
What we don’t spend enough time writing about is the talent pool — more accurately, the talent puddle — that is essential for the future.
Consequently, I was struck Sunday by a piece in The New York Times Magazine on AT&T’s decision to invest heavily — hundreds of millions, if not billions — in the education and development of its staff.
From copper wire to the cloud. That’s where AT&T has to go to survive against competitors like Google, Apple and Netflix, to name a few. Clearly the CEO of AT&T gets it. He understands that without adequate training and education of AT&T workers the company can’t meet the future.
No less is true for the business of fundraising. I don’t think anyone can seriously argue that the vast majority of nonprofit workers — from CEOs on down are inadequately prepared for the future.
Undereducated. Innumerate. OK, maybe unappreciated. The nonprofit ranks are filled with those unaware of what’s coming down the pike.
Fortunately, most CEOs, fundraisers and their staffs can read. Unfortunately, most don’t.
Frankly, the level of curiosity and devotion to learning more is pathetic. Try holding a conversation with your neighbors across the cubicle or hall about, say, ‘decision science’ or neuromarketing and you might as well be playing Mozart to a cow.
It’s time we demand more of ourselves. Like reading/learning/listening at least 10 hours a week. Like subscribing and reading the blogs listed in the BlogRoll on the Agitator’s home page. [Like reading The Agitator every day! :-)]
What never fails to surprise Tom and me — and I realize I’m talking here to the converted sainthood — is that so few people in our business devote the type of time and energy to learning that they should.
The result is that much undocumented witchcraft — it’s called ‘best practices’ — continues to dominate. That’s why there’s so little growth, so little progress and so much risk-aversion. Lack of curiosity and learning keeps our heads in the sand … all the while believing that somehow without risk things will change.
Enough said. You get my point.
All of us need to devote ourselves to more education, more exploration of new ideas and approaches to our craft.
I suggest we all put that at the top of our ‘to do’ lists and then do it..
The survival of our organizations and the survival of our trade depends on it.
What do you do to advance your education and explore your curiosity?
Roger
P.S. For starters, check out the indomitable Simone Joyaux’s free Learning Center and its downloadable resources. Here’s what Simone says about lifelong learning in a recent Agitator comment …
I’m stunned at the books and articles and research that fundraisers and consultants are NOT reading. I’m stunned at self-proclaimed professionals not making time to read. I’m disappointed that these same professionals ask me what I’m reading… because they’re so busy that they aren’t identifying lifelong learning opportunities.
Yes, I’m a curator of information. And there are so many other curators of information that share with all of us important sources to strengthen our professionalism.
Yes, I know professionals are busy. Yes, personal lives and work lives and and… But the only answer I can think of is, choose to make the time for lifelong learning or you’ll never be a competent professional or contemporary professional. You won’t raise more money or build better organizations or build stronger communities or fight the good fights and maybe win.
Your NGOs and your communities and the world need lifelong learners to make change. You’ve chosen whatever work it is you chose. You’ve declared yourself a professional by taking the job. You owe lifelong learning to others and to yourself.
8 responses to “Are You A Dinosaur?”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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Staying abreast of changes in the field, and in the world, is a great challenge – and one I fully embrace. Since I left full-time work to begin my current business five years ago, I have learned a TON. Stuff I simply didn’t have time for before. And I considered myself a life-long learner. But I was only grazing the surface. And you know what they say about “a little knowledge?” I often say to myself, “I could have done a much better job if I’d only known then what I know now.”
The problem is that the pace of change today is so darn fast that it’s difficult to keep up. Especially when you’re working 50 – 60 hours/week. Which is why I’ve dedicated the current phase of my career to actively sharing the knowledge I’m gleaning, as well as the experiences I’ve gained from quite a few years (!) in the trenches, and to encouraging nonprofiteers to think bigger and take their work to the next level. It’s the only way we can hope to move the needle in our increasingly complex world. I agree with you Roger, Tom and Simone — in spades!
Thanks for the chastisement! It is well deserved, and personally I welcome a good kick in the pants (or the Habit) from people I respect in our field.
I’ve often heard that about 75% of the books purchased never actually get read! What a waste of resources.
I’ve learned that, like exercising, you don’t “find” time to read–you must MAKE time. I make my time to read by getting up an hour earlier than necessary each day. And believe me, in a convent, that’s early! But the rewards of even that small amount of time spent learning are great.
And the Agitator has become a mainstay in the morning. Thanks for that!
I love both the post and Claire’s comments. Like her, I wrapped up working for nonprofits three years ago to commit to my current training and coaching business, for similar reasons. Like Claire, I have learned far more than I imagined since I made a conscious commitment to learning. It continues to be a revelation.You go, Claire.
Let’s open this conversation, though. In my many conversations with fundraising managers, those who have a great deal at stake when they hire and on-board new frontline fundraisers (my wheelhouse), the consensus is a high value placed on training. The reality is minimal time and money invested in that training. The result is the same decades-old staff turnover that continues to plague our profession and that leaves a lot of gifts on a lot of tables. By the way, with a little foresight, there’s the source of the funding to train new hires; those new and increased gifts.
Fundraising managers, what’s in your way of helping those you hire become the fundraising stars you want them to become. How can the Simones and the Claires and the Dans help?
Fair question, Dan. What can lifelong learners do to help others? I help with my weekly blog (Simone Uncensored), which talks about things I’m reading and how to apply them. I have weekly blogs that are focused on research and resources.
My monthly e-news always includes a list of recommended readings and resources. Whenever I present (and that’s a fair amount), I reference other resources in my content … And I include a resource list in my handouts.
People I don’t know contact me regularly about how to get into the NGO field and how to learn more. And I respond in writing and spend time on the telephone. For free. And I do paid coaching.
I’m one person. And I’m not particularly special. There are dozens and dozens of us doing this. Bloomerang. The Agitator. Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy, Plymouth University, U.K. Jeff Brooks, Tom Ahern, Claire, and Dan and… So many good blogs and e-newsletters and books and and and…
I think this is a boss issue and a board issue and MOSTLY an employee issue. There’s a difference between a job and a profession and a career and a commitment. So you demand of yourself to learn. And you figure out when and how. And you negotiate and advocate and convince your boss to allocate time and money.
Amen, Roger. When I researched this topic for my last webinar I discovered the new study from Dr. Adrian Sargeant, Amy Eisenstein, and our friends at Bloomerang. It shows that fundraisers getting training raised $37,000 more in major gifts for each training they got.
Good advice and keep up the good work….everyone should start the day with a cup of joe and The Agitator!
Hooray for lifelong learning!
Having started my career in adult education, one key element we may be missing here is embracing a wide variety of learning styles. Personally? I want a book or blog post I can read at my own speed. Webinars or conferences are another aspect.
A couple things that I’ve been exploring deeply are the dynamics of small group learning (for those of us a little intimidated/left feely “nappish” from a traditional conference) and one-on-one conversations. Less mentorship, more cross-pollination. And of course, play.
“Ceci tuera cela!” – originally meant the printed book will kill the church.
The truth is, we’re not really trying to kill the church, just move beyond the walls into a space where we can openly learn from and teach each other.
Let us be open to that space, and not simply build new walls!
Roger,
You are right, and we have to realize that Millennials are coming into our organizations like a tsunami! Price Waterhouse just completed a global survey as to how to manage and work with them. See it here
http://www.pwc.com/gx/en/search.html?searchfield=millennials&pwcGeo=GX&pwcLang=en&pwcHideLevel=0&pwcSiteSection=
Thanks. In 2006 when I endowed the only Chair in Fundraising in the world at Indiana, I told the press that I did it because 50% of fundraisers were incompetent. A leader of a major Foundation a year later said I had grossly exaggerated their competency. Roger, you and I participated in a review of research a few years ago from Compass that 50% of CEO’s wanted to fire their fundraisers and 45% of fundraisers were looking for a job outside of fundraising.
How can anyone expect that this profession knows what they are doing???
To Hell with Best Practices, even though I have a book of that name. Today’s universities are giving certificates of achievement for sitting in a chair–even the most recognized that advertises itself as a school when it is really a series of workshop with no evaluation of the competency gained by participating.
I have had it with the norm. I have invested now $20 million to create an online Masters that measurers competency and an institute to highlight applied research. Go to Avila U for the only online Masters taught by the top faculty in the world–lead by Avila Visiting Professor Adrian Sargeant and his team.
Sorry, I feel your pain. Unfortunately, it is the people who serve the nonprofits who really feel their pain because of this incompetence.
Tom and Roger, you always get my juices boiling.