Claire Fernandez, European Digital Rights

The constant need to fundraise can bring enormous pressure to colleagues in civil society. Earlier this year, I attended a strategic fundraising programme, led by Geoffrey MacDougall from Aspiration – How to Raise Money. It got me fired up, and made me realise how much I actually enjoy this part of my job. There is something about how Geoffrey – in a very North American fashion – made our heads spin from waving leads for millions of dollars. Or it could be his vision of how to see everything – from strategy development to management and team work – through a fundraising prism. Yet what stroke me is when he compared fundraising to sales. One other highlight of the programme was how much of fundraising is simply about keeping moving forward and meeting people. There was also discomfort with many parts of the programme content – which we did talk about in our small group – and with philanthropy itself. Extremely wealthy, powerful and privileged (mostly) white people may want a legacy, yet tax saving and funding according to their own (changing) priorities will arguably never lead to systemic change. I appreciated that Geoffrey didn’t validate or excuse this reality. And how fundraising–when you center the work, hold your own power, and engage as a peer–can help navigate these dynamics. I recommend the course to all non-profit leaders.