My aspiration for V. Cushman Consulting is to SEE. To SEE what we can do collaborating together. To engage in “work” that brings great Satisfaction to me and my clients through promoting Equity for all and Empowering others to do the same. We have all seen how inequities and biases, both seen and unseen, intentional and unintentional, impact lives. It is within the unseen and unintentional where clients garner the greatest outcomes.
Fundraising, as a practice, is almost always comprised of individuals who strive to provide Equitable opportunities for men and women to engage in philanthropy. That is why the hope is so great. Yet, practices and policies, often unseen and unintentional, do not promote Equity of opportunity for women to thrive as philanthropists. As the research shows, gender does matter in philanthropy and our policies and practices favor approaches that were crafted in a culture where men made and invested the family money. Those days are gone.
Take a look at these quick reads “THE pATH TO GROWING WOMEN’S PHILANTHROPY” for Ideas on to assess if your are tapping the full philanthropic capacity of your alumnae.
Empowering and collaborating with university advancement leadership and fundraisers to engage women in philanthropic decision-making in new and different ways, Empowers the donor, and therefore, Empowers the university to achieve its mission. Most Satisfying is partnering with advancement officers and donors as they together explore ways that grow women’s engagement, leadership and philanthropy. The “aha” moments that shift mindsets for both donor and fundraisers are what drives me and generates incredible outcomes for universities. It is about creating an environment where fundraisers discover the unrealized potential of women donors and when women donors realize their potential impact. When this happens, it is like magic! And, the bottom line is that when the magic happens, it allows higher education institutions to meet and often exceed their fundraising goals.
What drives me is engaging in work that is Satisfying to me and my cleints by Empowering fundraisers and donors to create Equitable opportunities for women to impact the future of higher education.
Let’s together SEE what we can do!
Copyright Kathleen E. Loehr (2020) Author, Gender Matters in Philanthropy
Organizations who strategically employ these six principles when working with those who identify as women are achieving their goals faster, and are realizing increased and multi-pronged philanthropic investment from this critical constituent group.
These principles work, and are fundamental tenets that serve as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior. Together they invigorate philanthropy programs and solidify a program’s ability to thrive.
Pausing to learn, while seemingly counter-intuitive, is essential to gain the awareness that effective strategy is dependent upon. Successful organizations resist the urge to jump in, and instead pause to review industry research, their own donor data, and how their practices could better resonate with donors.
The most valuable insights come from donors themselves. Successful organizations ask women about their motivations, preferences, and goals. Organizations that intentionally solicit input discover that women share ideas and strategies that can accelerate fundraising.
Women embrace a broad definition of philanthropy. In addition to finances, they bring their talents, time, networks, and voice to the causes they care about. Successful organizations engage women donors, volunteers, and leaders in ways that acknowledge this holistic approach to philanthropy.
Successful organizations have leadership involvement that fundamentally alters the path and scope of success. Organizational decision makers control the vision, strategic priorities, and ability to move resources that allow for real transformation and big outcomes.
Successful organizations realize they are creating something new with few precedents, so they start with a first initiative. They know that the success of their initial women’s philanthropy effort opens up awareness of other areas where women’s support can help their mission flourish.
Successful organizations know this work is not a “program” with a singular end game. Over time, they integrate practices that lead to significant cultural shifts that engage all donors. This results in more diverse partners and funding to achieve their desired impact.
Organizations that have integrated and fully embraced the power of these principles into their fundraising ethos have seen vastly increased philanthropic investment and constituent engagement. Join us to take the first step in grappling with ways to increase the immense support that those who identify as women can bring to your important mission.
