Philanthropic Partnership Building Begins With Setting the Right Tone

Gone are the days – or so they should be:

Of imagining in splendid isolation what donors should do for us then foisting our brain children on the unsuspecting

Of polishing the pitch to wow them into philanthropic submission rather than listen our way into alignments of interest

Of cultivating rather than collaborating from the outset

Of stroking egos rather than stoking philanthropic fires

Of executing moves rather comparing notes

Of putting on shows rather than fostering “insider-ship”

Of closing gifts rather than coming to partnership terms

Of stewarding just by thanking rather than providing progress reports

The times demand more enlightened practice informed by a more considerate vocabulary, more authentic give-and-take, and more open, collaborative frameworks for addressing issues of common concern.

The Language of Philanthropic Building: 10 Statements That Strike the Right Chords

• We’d like to explore an alignment of interests.
• We want to involve you in the early stages of this project.
• The person in charge of the project is available to meet with you.
• These are the resources we’re committing to this project.
• Here’s how we arrived at the project budget.
• We have a timetable for the project with deadlines for each phase.
• Here’s who will benefit from your support – and when.
• This is how we will evaluate the effectiveness of this project.
• We’ll spell out what we pledge to do before we ask you to pledge your support to us.
• We want to know what you would like this partnership to look like.

Jim Langley is the president of Langley Innovations. Langley Innovations provides a range of services to its clients to help them understand the cultural underpinnings of philanthropy and the psychology of donors and, with that knowledge, to develop the most effective strategies and tactics to build broader and more lasting communities of support. Jim has authored numerous books including his most recent book, The Future of Fundraising: Adapting to New Philanthropic Realities, published by Academic Impressions in 2020. 

Related Resources:

• Webinar: 4-Step Process for “Reimagining Fundraising Operations”
• The Power of Building Relationships: Why Donors Need Good Fundraisers
• How Many Major Donors Are You Overlooking Right Under Your Nose?
• Planting Seeds: The Step Before Cultivation
• Why Major Donors Give – How to Tap into Their Motives and Inspire Transformational Gifts

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