The presentation will demonstrate how to assess whether a nonprofit organization has a culture of philanthropy so critical to meeting mission-driven objectives. It will use a framework based on the four pillars of fundraising success: case for support, leadership alignment, donors/prospects, systems (to see if there are any gaps), and provide concrete steps to address them.

1. Thrive. Grow. Achieve.
January 14, 2016
John L. Lehr
President, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)
Establishing a
Culture of
Philanthropy

2. Building a Culture of
Philanthropy
John L. Lehr
President, Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)
Washington, DC / New York, NY

3. Defining Culture of Philanthropy
• Fundraising is regarded as critical to meeting
mission objectives
• All key stakeholders know they have a role in
fundraising
– Board, management, program and operational staff
– Donors, volunteers
– Constituents served
• Ample organizational resources and time are
committed to fundraising activities
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4. Assessing Your Nonprofit’s
Culture of Philanthropy
• Four Pillars of Successful Fundraising
– Case for Support
– Leadership Alignment
– Donors and Prospects
– Systems / Infrastructure
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5. Case for Support
• Does your organization have a strong Case for
Support?
– Is the organization needed and valued?
– Do programs align with the mission and stated
objectives?
– Has the organization demonstrated past success
and future direction?
– Do donors have a clear sense of how funds are
used?
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6. Leadership Alignment
• Are Board and Management in agreement on
program and funding priorities?
• Does the Board understand its role in giving
and getting donations, and consider
fundraising a priority?
• Does Management devote time and resources
to cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship?
• Has the Board endorsed the Case for Support?
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7. Donors and Prospects
• Do current donors feel engaged?
• Are you communicating with them sufficiently?
• Are there opportunities for them to be more
engaged?
• Do you have the breadth and depth of a donor /
prospect base to meet mission objectives?
• How are you recruiting new prospects?
– Through what forms of outreach?
• Personal connections, cultivation events, social media
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8. Systems and Infrastructure
• Do you have sufficient fundraising staffing and
talent?
– Do you have a mix of skill sets?
• Frontline fundraisers across revenue streams, operations
• Are fundraising systems and processes in place?
• Are you strategic and coordinated in prospect
outreach and donor management?
– Moves Management System
• Do you have sufficient data systems?
– Staffing to conduct data analytics?
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9. Addressing the Gaps
• Building and maintaining a culture of
philanthropy requires ongoing attention
• Nonprofits should revisit the Four Pillars at
least annually
• There are clears steps for addressing any gaps
– Strategic Planning
– Board Development
– Fundraising Assessment & Planning
– Outsource Development
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10. Strategic Planning
• Identify the organization’s unique value proposition
• Assess where you are and where you want to go
– Interview key stakeholders
• Board, Management, Donors, Volunteers, Constituents
– Revisit vision, mission, core values, key objectives
– SWOT Analysis - strengths, weaknesses, opportunities,
threats
• Set a course of action
– Road mapping
• Determine the level of funding needed to meet mission
objectives
• Prepare and test the Case for Support
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11. Board Development
• Assess the Board from a fundraising perspective
– Who is giving, getting, and participating in fundraising
activities?
– Clarify roles, responsibilities, expectations
• Align the Board around the Case for Support
• Train the Board in prospect identification,
cultivation, and solicitation
• Recruit new Board members to advance the
mission through fundraising
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12. Fundraising Assessment and Planning
• Overall revenue needs
– Unrestricted and restricted giving
• Identify opportunities for growth
– Assessment of donor pool, prospect research
• Determine diversity of revenue streams
– What is the right mix and timing of fundraising activities
• Staffing Assessment
– A team with the skills, experience, and depth
• Donor Data and Donor Tracking
– Recording relevant information, tracking moves
• Integrating and coordinating with Finance
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13. Outsource Development
• Assessment of staff turnover
– How often, which positions?
• Cost of staff turnover
– Lost relationships, recruitment costs, lost time
• Interim and long-term outsourcing options
– Continuity of staffing, stronger relationships with
donors, knowledge of programs
– Return on Investment
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14. Key Points
• Every nonprofit organization needs to foster a
culture of philanthropy
• You can assess your culture of philanthropy
using the 4 Pillars of fundraising success
• Address the gaps through concrete steps
– Strategic Planning
– Board Development
– Fundraising Assessment and Planning
– Outsource Development
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15. Contact Information
John L. Lehr, President
Orr Associates, Inc. (OAI)
2801 M Street NW
Washington DC 20007
Phone: (202) 719-8094
Email: jlehr@oai-usa.com
15Copyright Orr Associates, Inc.