Lack of Diversity in the Fundraising Profession
Lynne Wester
Dynamic Speaker, Innovative Fundraising Consultant, Author, Podcast Host, Resource Provider and Generosity Enthusiast
Ok, so this blog is probably going to get me into some trouble. But hey, when have I ever shied away from being controversial? With all that has been happening now across America and with all that I have seen and experienced, I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't write this post.
As I travel all across this land, and sometimes even north of the border, I am constantly disappointed by the lack of diversity in the room. I'm not just talking ethnic diversity, I'm also talking religious, sexual orientation and socioeconomic diversity. We are not doing a great job as leaders representing our constituencies. The faces are mostly white, mostly upper middle class and the people we are raising funds for are certainly not. And don't get me started on what our volunteer boards look like. In the field of donor relations it's even worse. We're 90 percent white females. We represent institutions of higher learning, nonprofits that help change the state of poverty, hospitals who cure illnesses and yet I believe we have a problem within. One would think that higher education would be a wonderful place to promote diversity and inclusion, but when looking further, if we consistently refuse to change our own processes and avoid progress in our methodologies to fund raise how can we expect to change the recruitment of diverse populations of professionals?
We don't actively recruit and mentor people who don't even know that fundraising is a career possibility. There is, in fact an active glass ceiling in fundraising for some as well. We need to reach out to people and educate then on what a fabulous career this is and how they can become involved. That means reaching out to people who are not currently connected with or employed by a nonprofit organization, but who are seeking to enter the profession or change careers. This also means being comfortable with having uncomfortable discussions on issues surrounding race, religion and socioeconomic status.
Embracing diversity means having a genuine respect for differing perspectives, so that solutions encompass all diverse views and needs. Diversity increases the wealth of knowledge and ideas available, as long as they all look for creative and mutually satisfactory solutions. We must be committed to inclusion ourselves and make our profession attractive to those who have not previously been exposed to it. It takes commitment to move the needle. We must be concerned with how to keep diversity/inclusion at the forefront of people’s consciousness, and not be seen in a negative light. This requires systematic change, embedded in everything we do.
I have seen many examples of language or communications where if a diverse eye were directed toward the content, it would have been significantly altered. Here's one example of missing the mark when it comes to diversity and sensitivity, and I can find many others.
For those of you reading this and feeling uncomfortable, good, mission accomplished. For those of you nodding heads and actively sharing this post with others, what's the next step? First awareness of the problem, then action and activity. I think many of us are aware of the problem, but have not yet taken concerted action. I approach this subject knowing it will raise eyebrows with some and elicit eyerolls from others. I'm determined to share my vocation with others, it's a wonderful profession. I would love to hear your comments below. at the very least I hope this has jogged your thoughts, compelled you to share this post and at least think about possible long term solutions. Thanks for listening.
Cheers,
Lynne
Consultant, Advisor and Strategist on Philanthropy and Leadership for Educational and Nonprofit Organizations
9 年I'm quite behind on my blog reading, Lynne; however, this post is one that when I saw it I purposely set it aside so I could give it more consideration and perhaps provide a thoughtful response. Here goes (albeit in two parts due do some sort of LinkedIn character limit)... First, this is a critically important topic. If it "raises eyebrows," so be it. Indeed, I hope it's made others squirm in their seats. As a wise mentor of mine once said, "It's only when we're made uncomfortable that we truly learn and grow." Second, it's a demographic imperative. Although there's obviously a sizeable segment of the U.S. population that remains in denial over the fact we will soon be (or may already be) a "majority minority" nation, the march of change is unstoppable. If we aren't preparing now to engage non-traditional donors to our organizations--which necessarily means that we need to recruit non-traditional employees as well--then we are limiting the future impact and growth potential of our programs. Third, and as you highlight so well, diversity in organizations, programs and teams is an asset. Unfortunately many managers and leaders value the comfort that results from recruiting like-minded, like-appearing colleagues; however that comfort and inevitable group-think is limiting, if not dangerous. I'm a huge fan of Patrick Lencioni who constantly advocates for team dynamics in which the conflict of ideas, perspectives and experiences creates better outcomes and stronger teams. I've followed his approach in my own leadership roles, and I know from those experiences that it pays off. Continued in Part 2....
Consultant, Advisor and Strategist on Philanthropy and Leadership for Educational and Nonprofit Organizations
9 年Part 2 Fourth, we need to be far more aggressive in promoting our profession to those who might not otherwise consider it--or who may not even be aware of it. We need to tout its attractiveness and actively invite others into it: it's really hard to become more diverse if we haven't been prospecting for new recruits and establishing a solid pipeline of promising candidates. Unfortunately most leaders I've encountered in my work have been risk-averse, short-sighted and desperately seeking that comfort zone where their own values and agendas are not challenged. And here's a big irony for me: We are talking now about a "talent crisis" in our field because there don't seem to be enough quality frontline professionals and those we do employ change jobs too fast. Yet when vacancies arise risk-averse managers constantly default to hiring more people whose appearance and resumes resemble the folks who just left. What did Einstein allegedly say: that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome? If fundraisers are going to turn over every 3 years or less (another problem we need to address, but not here), why not take a chance at hiring someone different? Fifth and finally: What ARE we going to do about this? I've seen conversation on this topic ebb and flow since I took my first job in 1985 (where ironically my boss's boss was an African-American woman, who sadly is still an anomaly in our profession 30 years later), and the only significant change has been the shift in dominance from white men to white women. Sure, we give this matter lots lip service: At most major conferences there will be a "diversity" event that is faithfully attended by those from diverse backgrounds--and assiduously avoided by most everyone else. As for me, I have tried to promote diversity and inclusion in my own recruiting and hiring, and certainly that is something we all should do. But it's not enough. And that's where I'm stuck, Lynne. They say that the first step to solving a problem is admitting there is one. Well, we admitted that we have a diversity problem many years ago. But what have we done since to address it? Thus far, not much.
Dynamic Speaker, Innovative Fundraising Consultant, Author, Podcast Host, Resource Provider and Generosity Enthusiast
9 年It worked Mark W. Jones
Consultant, Advisor and Strategist on Philanthropy and Leadership for Educational and Nonprofit Organizations
9 年Is there a word limit on comments to blog posts? I just typed a 619-word response, and it failed to post after several attempts when I clicked on the "Comment" button. Let's see if this comment will post. If not, I may have to post my response on my own blog!
Director of Advancement Communications at Lafayette College
9 年Wonderful article!