Will you join me on the #GenerosityRoadshow?

A few folks asked me why I'm driving from Denver to New Orleans. Why not just fly? What about all the time that may take? What are you going to be doing anyway?

These are good questions, but it ultimately comes down to the experience. It isn't about the destination but the journey, right?

So for today's newsletter, I want to break down the core WHY of the journey, and what I want to get out of it that can empower others in designing magical generosity experiences.

What is the #GenerosityRoadshow ?

This year, the Nonprofit Technology Conference returns to in-person and will hold its event in Denver . This is going to kick off on April 12 through April 14.

Then from April 16 to April 18, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is holding their international conference in New Orleans .

Going back nearly a decade, these were the two core conferences I'd be attending. There would be a flurry of activity setting up shipping, coordinating what materials will be stocked at the booth, getting housing lined up for multiple sales representatives, and trying to line up meetings with prospects.

However, in 2023 we're going to do something different:

• On April 13 at Green Spaces in Denver, CO, we'll hold our first #GenerosityRoadshow Experience, which will feature a trivia game focused on cutting-edge research from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (AFP + GivingTuesday ), Giving USA, and supporting insights from vendors like Neon One and Bloomerang
• Between April 13 and April 15, me and Benjamin Johnson ?? drive from Denver to various locations and plan on at least two stops. Tentative plans are in Oklahoma City and Dallas but we will be open to alternatives if we can gather a group for their very own Experience event.
• On April 16 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center , we'll have another Experience event following the annual FEP meeting with folks from AFP and GivingTuesday discussing the future of data analysis in our sector.

This will then kick off a broader listening tour where we'll aim to understand nonprofit practitioners' needs and wants and how data will help improve their lives.

Why are you doing the #GenerosityRoadshow ?

The simple answer is that I want to and it will be a fun way to meet new folks. Something is captivating about being on the open road and exploring new places, and meeting new people.

But the physical portion of the roadshow is only the beginning. Through this initiative as well as other parallel work happening at AFP, GivingTuesday, and beyond, our hope is to kick off a Listening Tour that will aim to:

1. Deeply learn about the ways that nonprofit practitioners do their jobs
2. Better understand the role that data plays in their job
3. Chart a path forward on how they can use data in actionable and insightful ways in that work

Our goal is to generate at least 100 interviews by the end of June 2023.

This also needs to be done explicitly as a sector-wide research initiative to be shared among different organizations. There has been a concerning encroachment of both vendors and consultants who are trying to position themselves as the gatekeeper of the "One True Path of Fundraising" and the practical reality is that there are many different ways to solve the core issues we have.

However, aligning on the core problems and solutions will be a critical first step. There has been an extraordinary amount of progress toward that in the past year alone from my perspective.

More importantly, being curious allows me to be better capable of supporting nonprofit leaders in building a community of generosity.

How can you get involved in the #GenerosityRoadshow ?

There are several ways you can get involved and I'm thrilled that many folks have already volunteered to support the greater good here.

Want to help? Here's how you can help:

• Going to NTC or AFP? Then feel free to comment here if you're interested in the experiences we're planning. These are intimate and have limited capacity so we can ensure a quality experience so the sooner the better!
• Are you interested in hosting an Experience yourself, especially if you're in OKC? Then comment here! I have a few irons in the fire (Dallas is coming together now!) but I would love some "surefire" support if you can offer it! And look at the route below; maybe I can change things up if you have a good idea!
• Participate in being interviewed once we kick off the listening tour itself. We're looking for curious practitioners who want to use data better in their work but aren't sure how
• Join the Fundraising Effectiveness Project - this work is being supported by AFP and GivingTuesday but is heavily a volunteer initiative. Are you a vendor who helps process individual donations? Then join; others are on the way (BIG TIME!). We also need data experts and researchers, as well as marketing assistance!

Especially if you want to attend one of the in-person events, let me know in the comments or a DM. We're keeping it invite-only but are going to be pretty liberal with those invites.

Now Is The Time To Act

We are at a crossroads of generosity in our sector. Addressing these problems will take every single one of us collaborating and supporting the larger goals of creating a more equitable and accessible sector for anyone who wants to do good in the world.

Data commons and resource sharing are a critical part of the larger Impact Economy (a term that Rev. Tracy Kronzak, MPA ???? has started using that I love) and this initiative is one small step in the right direction.

I hope you can help!