Erin Osenbaugh

👉 "Interviewing for a job in social impact is a 2-way street" and "help you see where you may be competitive." Check out more hiring tips from Luis Maes who shared his insights in "How to get a job in social impact" event, hosted by the Corporate Leadership Council of more than 50 top global CSR/ESG experts. Full recording and resources coming soon. #jobs #socialimpactjobs

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Join my team! Orr Group is #hiring a Director of Capacity Building to lead client teams, develop impactful strategies, and drive growth for mission-driven organizations. Let me know if you or something you know would be interested in applying! As a current Director on the Capacity Building team, I'm happy to answer any questions and chat more. #nonprofitcareers

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If We Truly Valued the Donors We Had Wouldn't we: Survey and/or interview them about what institutional attributes they find most important and impressive to ensure we hire fundraisers who embody them? Tell fundraisers their most important job is to perpetuate and deepen relationships with those assigned to their portfolios? Require fundraisers to demonstrate that they have studied donor profiles and developed engagement plans attuned to their donors' passions and sensitivities? Equip fundraisers with questions to ask so they can fill gaps in those donors' records to ensure they are managed well over time? Check in with those donors after a few months to make sure all is going well with their new development officer? Work with the development officer to learn what each donor does and does not want to receive knowing how many complain of being bombarded with information? Make sure any solicitation is well-thought-out and respectful as evidenced by the number of conversations preceding it and interest expressed by the donor in a particular initiative? Conduct annual stewardship interviews or surveys to make sure donors feel that their gifts have been well-stewarded and they feel respectfully treated, then compare results year over year to make sure gaps are not growing? Show fundraisers how they can help donors develop multiple connections to the organization? Yet, how often do we see fundraisers: Selected on the basis of bravado Pushed into the field with too little training and no review of their plans Expected to solicited after a set number of visits with no review as to whether what is being solicited aligns with donors' interests Not required to show evidence of relationship or affinity building Gone after two years so that donors not only experience giving fatigue but breaking-in-new-fundraiser fatigue So let's be honest. While many organizations have a stewardship office, few have anything that looks like an asset management plan or the awareness of how important one is. Despite what we give lip service to, is it not a fact that we care little about how positive an impression our fundraisers make or how well they treat their donors as long as they bring home some bacon? So here's the lesson that must penetrate or our thick organizational skulls: A stewardship office, no matter how good, cannot compensate for: Leadership attitudes that treat donors like cordwood Fundraisers who don't reflect values and ideals touted by the organization Fundraising imperatives that favor insensitive fundraisers or desensitize good ones Donors being made to feel like ATMs accessed by revolving fundraisers Inappropriate or inept solicitations Most organization leave much too much to chance. They need to build awareness around donors as invaluable organizational assets and, at minimum, hold themselves to ethic articulated in the Hippocratic Oath:  "I will do no harm or injustice to them."

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In fundraising, it is crucial not only to tell but show your donors how their contributions are making a difference within your mission and vision. You must communicate your organization’s impact to your donors regularly and effectively so they are more likely to encourage repeat donations. A donor impact letter is a key tool to accomplish this task. Check out my recent post on how and why you should build donor impact letters into your organization’s communication mix. https://lnkd.in/e_wt2iHK #fundraising #nonprofits

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Do all capital campaigns need a fundraising consultant? Read on to learn about different types of fundraising counsel and how they can benefit your organization! #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitcapitalcampaign #capitalcampaign #capitalcampaignconsultant

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The Great Wealth Transfer is coming - is your nonprofit ready to engage the next generation of donors? CCS Fundraising's latest article shares strategies for finding, retaining, and connecting with Millennial and Gen Z philanthropists. Click the link to learn how to adapt your approach and secure a strong future for your mission. https://bit.ly/4avFHBJ #GreatWealthTransfer #Fundraising #Philanthropy #GenerationalGiving

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The benefits of conducting feasibility studies run well beyond establishing the viability of your capital campaign. They have a special way of generating interest and excitement and of capturing important data. You never know what they will produce, but when correctly run, they almost always open unexpected doors. #nonprofitfundraising #nonprofitcapitalcampaign #capitalcampaign #capitalcampaignconsultant

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Recognizing the increased use of donor-advised funds (DAFs) in giving strategies, nonprofit fundraisers are asking how best to communicate with their DAF donors. Here is a collection of insights and answers to help nonprofit professionals connect with donors who use DAFs as a giving vehicle. #Nonprofits #DonorAdvisedFunds #DAFs #Philanthropy

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"Show me the money" is what a lot of nonprofit agencies are saying to funders and donors. Their response is "show me the data!" If you want to increase your funding, you need to share impactful data that represents the people you are serving and the transformation and collaboration in your communities. Learn how our case management software can help prove your impact to funders! 📺 https://lnkd.in/grNmDVAg

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Data is critical for non-profits as they look to access grants and also reduce the admin/reporting for grants they've already received We work with non-profits to collect all the data associated with their volunteers, events, and donations in one place This also allows them to report to their communities on the important impact they have been able to achieve Reach out if you think it could help your organization https://lnkd.in/grBJXDvN

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The Trust for Civic Life and $8 million to fund civic participation in rural communities are examples of what philanthropy can accomplish when funders work together. That was the goal when Stephen Heinz, president of Rockefeller Brothers Fund, asked Carnegie Corporation of New York to join a funder collaborative a year ago, resulting in an early commitment of $3.5 million from the foundation. Today the collaborative has 15 funders. The Trust’s work is grounded in research that was funded by philanthropy and conducted by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. Its report titled "Our Common Purpose" made a strong impression. It provides pragmatic, nonpartisan approaches to countering mistrust and division in our society. A second round of grants to support civic entrepreneurs is planned for later this year, and if all goes as planned, the collaborative will invest $50 million over the next five years. https://lnkd.in/ebyPnCVt

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