AFP Saskatoon Chapter Event: Five Fallacies of Fundraising

There are a number of harmful ‘best practices’ that we have been taught and continue to perpetuate in fundraising and philanthropy. These five fallacies of fundraising are:

1. Wealth is built by the smartest and most capable people.
2. The donor is always right.
3. Donor centricity should trump everything else.
4. Beneficiaries are deficient and need a donor to save them.
5. Resources are scarce and we must fight each other for funding.

These ‘best practices’ deepen inequity, create harm, and weaken our effectiveness and happiness in our roles. They hold us back from real and authentic connections with our donors and hold us back from creating a relationship that invites the donor into the work in a meaningful way. They restrict our ability to make real and lasting change for our causes. In this session we will unlearn these practices and re-imagine philanthropy that is based on an anti-oppression practice, centers our communities, and is more effective at engaging and inspiring our donors.

Learning Objectives
1. An opportunity to question your assumptions about the best practices in fundraising and philanthropy
2. Learn how donor centricity can damage relationships, be ineffective in raising money and making lasting change for your cause
3. Explore new ways to fundraising that are built on equity and authentic relationships