Giving Compass' Take:

• In this GrantCraft post, Julian Grace Foundation Executive Director Alison Lopez reflects on her previous experiences as a fundraiser and what it taught her about the challenges nonprofits face.

• Getting a perspective from the grantee side should be valuable for many funders, especially those who are looking to increase transparency in their relationships.

• Here are three non-traditional ways funders can support grantees.

Moving directly from a full-time job raising money to a full-time job as a grantmaker has led me to a bit of an identity crisis at times. I have found myself griping about foundations’ actions, while simultaneously realizing I am now one of them (and probably at times have been part of the problem). I also have much more appreciation for the amazing program officers I worked with as a fundraiser, who had easy applications, treated me with respect, and always responded to my emails (among other things).

Perhaps because of my dual experience, I’ve thought a lot about what I’ve tried to carry forward in my current role. Here’s are my top seven takeaways that I hope prove helpful for other philanthropic practitioners, especially those that have never been on the “asking” side.

  1. It’s VERY stressful to raise money.
  2. Most of the time, nonprofits have no idea why something wasn’t funded.
  3. Nonprofits budget based on what was received the previous year.
  4. It’s a fundraisers job to ask for money and generally never give up.
  5. Nonprofits will jump through any hoop you ask them, so be kind with this power.
  6. There’s a never-ending list of deadlines for nonprofits, which is why they’re always turning grants in the day they are due.
  7. Making something due January 1st is really a terrible idea.

Read the full article about advice for foundations from a former fundraiser by Alison Lopez at GrantCraft.