Values-Driven Fundraising – Positioning Your Organization For Success

July 21, 2016

Melissa Leite

Sr. Development Coordinator at Tides Canada and Fellow in the Fellowship in Inclusion and Philanthropy Program.

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What is ‘values-driven fundraising’ and why does it matter? Values-driven fundraising focuses on understanding the values and priorities of a funder, which is critical to an organization’s fundraising success. Convincing a funder that a need exists should not be the the sole focus. Why should a funder care about your initiative, and more importantly, why should they support your work? What makes your proposal stand out from the crowd?

Traditional fundraising does not always take into account the values of a funder, and, often times, language and terminology that is used in the proposal does not resonate. If you are not conscious about communicating in a way that connects your audience, you jeopardize your fundraising success.

As fundraisers, we are also looking for strategic gifts that are aligned with our mission, and as such, our approach needs to reflect shared-values.

We are all passionate about what we do, want to raise the necessary funds to do the work, and make this world a better place. Using standardized language isn’t going to cut it. Fundraisers not only need to do their research, but need to offer an opportunity – something enticing that contributes to the success of a funder’s mission. Show them something they care about and make a fundraising proposition that is too hard to pass up. Customization is key and in order to do this well, you need to do your homework.

Before building a proposal, ask yourself this: does the funder’s interests align with the amazing work that your organization is doing? And, what are their key priorities? If an opportunity exists, be prepared to articulate how a funder’s objectives align with your work and why a partnership makes sense. When writing a proposal, use mutually understood language and create a value statement that outlines how your organization’s work matches their priorities. Your organization’s value should be conveyed immediately, and most importantly, you should outline the outcomes you will achieve if a donation is made. The outcomes outlined in the proposal should clearly add value to the funder’s mission.

Your proposal should be clear, specific and realistic – never over-promise. Remember, your organization is accountable for the deliverables and you will want to ensure you can report on the impact of the gift.

In taking a values-driven approach to fundraising, your organization can create shared-value relationships with funders and can reap benefits far beyond the initial gift. Making the initial investment of time to get to know a funder’s values can open the door to more long-term funding commitments and alleviate some of the pressure to bring in new funding year over year – a truly important distinction.

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