Blog
September 24, 2024
Fundraising is NOT sales, and sales is NOT fundraising. Do you ever feel like your organization focuses only on metrics and money and forgets that PEOPLE are the key ingredient to all aspects of our work?
As a Chief Development Officer, and now, more recently, as a fractional interim nonprofit executive, I see this all too often. Taking a page from our for-profit brethren, NGOs often lead their efforts with data and metrics, which guide their most important decisions. Their focus is largely, or even solely, on generating the best numbers.
Please don’t misunderstand, I am 100% all in on data-driven decision-making and fundraising. But I am also convinced that if we push the human piece aside, we will not have numbers to report.
We also suffer through a lot of noise in our industry about what we “should” be measuring and why and how this tool or that tool will help us measure what we should be measuring more effectively.
Can I tell you how frustrated I get when people selling into our industry play advice giver without actually being in practice? (Insert head explosion emoji here!)
It’s disingenuous to claim you’re an expert when you’ve been in the seat for only a job or two, or in some cases, never at all. That’s selling, that’s not fundraising or partnership. If you aren’t currently dealing with the realities of what it means to do this work. If you get too focused on the metrics without understanding the nuances of the work, you’ll lose sight of what you’re doing and it becomes a transaction. Philanthropy is defined as love of mankind—it is people helping people, this industry was built on relationships, not on transactions.
Engagement, building community, and rebuilding the sense of belonging in the organization ARE the purpose of nonprofit innovation.
When we focus on engagement, building community, and rebuilding the sense of belonging in the organization, coupled with metrics, that is when the resources will come. In a healthy balance, they should complement each other, not lead one another.
That’s exactly why I’m committed to functioning as a player-coach. I vow to practice what I preach, no matter what. Real-world, “I’ve seen it all” experience is paramount to achieving this balance. This is the Attain Partners difference.
We need to assess how we are using data in order to teach our teams the bigger picture of why the data is important. The analysis should be there to support their work, not to sanitize or overanalyze and be less than human. Our goal should always be to support and encourage our teams. Let’s help them remember why they do what they do and give them the tools to do it!
When in doubt, keep the balance.
Attain Partners – Your Partner in Driving Meaningful Impact
At Attain Partners, we’re familiar with the unique challenges facing mission-focused organizations and use our extensive experience to help nonprofits leverage Salesforce to accelerate their fundraising efforts, expand engagement with their constituents, manage the entire program lifecycle, and measure their outcomes and impact. Contact us today to learn how we can serve your organization.
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About the Author
Sterrin Bird is a global fundraising leader and transformative figure in the nonprofit community, universally recognized for her nearly three decades of exceptional dedication to philanthropy. Her expertise spans the future of fundraising, building robust teams, and mastering the art of relational fundraising. With a keen focus on breaking down silos and fostering human-centered change, Sterrin excels in leveraging technology in support of mission outcomes and is an advocate for utilizing AI for fundraising innovation.
Prior to her tenure as a development officer, Sterrin catalyzed growth as a development consultant for three notable international consulting firms, where she blossomed into a cross-functional leader. In 2010, she founded her own consulting practice, orienting her approach around uncommon coaching and leadership mentoring. Throughout her multifaceted career, Sterrin has orchestrated over three dozen capital campaigns across the globe, cumulatively raising more than $5.5 billion, securing her reputation as a global fundraising leader.
In her professional journey, she has held pivotal leadership roles at prestigious nonprofit giants such as Duke Medicine, the University of California, the American Red Cross, the March of Dimes, and United Way. Sterrin also spent four years as the in-house nonprofit expert with the global team at Salesforce.
Sterrin holds an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School. She is also a True North Leadership Fellow and was named to the Advisory Council of Rogare, a fundraising think tank in the UK at the University of Plymouth.
Her extensive experience with C-suite executives, nonprofit directors, and leadership across complex organizations speaks to her ability to exceed funding objectives while leading teams and managing the ever-changing nonprofit industry. A distinguished cross-functional leader, Sterrin navigates the intersection of fundraising, marketing, brand positioning, and program advancement with ease.
Originally from Short Hills, New Jersey, Sterrin now calls the Bay Area home, living with her two children, Thomas and Mary. She is a prolific public speaker and is also deeply invested in her community, she sits on the board of Maimoni Valley Preserve, One Life Counseling, and the Young Men’s Service League, embodying the spirit of engaged and impactful citizenship.
