I recently received a copy of the Palgrave Handbook of Global Philanthropy edited by Professor Pamala Wiepking and Professor Femida Handy. Of interest to me in particular was one chapter on the “Practice and Organisation of Fundraising across Nations” which pointed out how much research is undertaken on philanthropists, and how little is focused on the askers, or the fundraisers, whose status in the continuum of funding from philanthropy to recipient organisations appears to be almost invisible.

Modern fundraising has become a profession and our philanthropic sector has made increasing demands relating to accountability, which often includes substantial documentation, the capacity not just to articulate a cause or a need because it exists, but to develop “theories of change”, impact evaluations and complicated log frames to show philanthropic return on investment.

The book points out that one of the key drivers of philanthropic giving is “awareness of need”. Without such awareness, people are unlikely to respond. How an organisation builds public awareness of the need it meets, its activities and its leadership is part of good “advancement” practice, and generally fundraising cannot be successful without those issues being addressed.

The how-to of fundraising and the tactics used can be learnt, but the bottom line is building the awareness, interest and commitment of individuals and companies through understanding mutual objectives; fostering relationships; negotiating fairly and honestly, and making the donor’s experience as pleasant as possible, ensuring that all obligations such as reporting on progress are met.

Read the full article about fundraising as a facilitator of philanthropy by Shelagh Gastrow at Daily Maverick.