FUNDRAISING: REFRAMING “THE ASK”
While men have long been the major players in raising money for charity, women are gaining ground. And that is clearly remapping the terrain. “It’s still occurring to women that they can be powerful as philanthropists,” says Ana Oliveira, president of the New York Women’s Foundation. Younger women are more confident and therefore quicker to pull the trigger on gifts. But then, they often have fewer resources.
The competition for charitable dollars is fierce these days, not only because of the dreadful economy, but also because nonprofits have multiplied and philanthropy has become democratized. These days, if you’re involved in fundraising for your cause or find yourself on the demand side of the ask, you’d better understand that the field is in transition and approaches are shifting.
“Women want more information about what happens to a gift and a better sense of what their money is doing,” says Mary Beth Martin, Senior Managing Director in the Boston office of Changing Our World. Organizations are working to make fundraising events and galas meaningful, putting time and resources into building relationships and adding diversity to their staff and public face.
In Chicago, Maureen Smith, wife of banking scion E. B. Smith, has been the prime mover in getting the Joffrey Ballet back en pointe after it ran out of funds and relocated from New York to the Windy City in 1995. A dedicated philanthropist and devoted dance aficionado, Smith relies on a range of methods and events to raise funds for the Joffrey. She has formed a powerful board of 15 or so influential women who network with friends and colleagues, not only for donations, but also for ideas and resources. Smith has boosted awareness for the troupe by organizing free outdoor performances, including a 50th anniversary party for the Joffrey at Millennium Park, attended by a crowd of 10,000 and Mayor Daley. “It mattered that we could have a photo op with the mayor and his wife,” says Smith. “It was picked up by the press and was a tremendous success.”
For more advice, including a suggested donor bill of rights to avoid ethics problems, check Independent Sector’s guide for accountability.