Stephanie Itelman

When thinking back to my time as a nonprofit CEO, I recall many sleepless nights wrestling with funding challenges. Conversations often focused on writing grants, annual campaigns, and donor engagement, but the results stayed the same. It wasn’t until we started thinking differently that we saw real change. 🚀Imagine a nonprofit and philanthropic world where innovation drives fund development, creating sustainable impact within our organizations, where new ideas are celebrated, and risks are seen as opportunities.  🌟 In my latest Coaching Innovation Blog, Innovating Fund Development for Greater Impact, discover how embracing innovation can transform your organization's approach to funding. ❓How can nonprofits elevate their fund development strategies to create greater impact? 🧠 Cultivate a Culture of Innovation: Encourage an environment where creativity thrives, and risks are part of the growth journey. 🔍 How can you foster a culture of innovation? Reflect on your organization's openness to new ideas and discuss your risk tolerance and risk threshold. 💡 Innovation Pop-ups: Organize regular brainstorming sessions to bring together diverse perspectives and generate innovative new fund development strategies. When we create a culture of innovation that leverages technology and embraces diverse funding sources, we can transform our organizations and the communities we serve. How have you leveraged innovation to support fund development? 🔗 Check out the full article at www.Jordansydnor.com . 

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Check your assumptions. Philanthropy does not look the same in every community. Christal Cherry’s post on “What Fundraisers Should Know About Black Philanthropy” in Greater Public’s blog last summer is inspiring: "'The term philanthropy does not fully embrace just how diverse the nature of giving is, in practice. At its core, the practice of philanthropy is rooted in an unspoken contract committed to the collective benefit of the community.' (Muhmmad, 2021) Black people embrace and understand this and have relied on our full spectrum of giving to survive and thrive for centuries. It is time to shift the narrative and see the Black community as individuals who are actively engaged in philanthropy by both supporting and creating solutions to uplift one another. We know the definition of philanthropy extends beyond financial giving."

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As a burnt-out, burning out, soon to burn out 🤼 social sector employee, I cannot understate the #value of this conversation and the deep #research that accompanies the call for #philanthropy to help (#ai is adding to the #overwhelm as the #technology #data #tsunami approaches). 👯 Human-centered must be more than a buzz word. ⚔ Listen to the webinar, read the report: what you can do to support #nonprofit #grantee staff? Topic 🤺 : Nonprofits are crucial in the U.S., offering essential services and tackling tough social issues. During the COVID-19 #pandemic, they played a significant role despite facing many challenges. Four years later, how are these nonprofits doing? What struggles do they still face? How are funders addressing the well-being of these workers?

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Great insights in this interview with Ellen Galinsky about adolescents, translating the brain science into practical wisdom for parents, educators, and youth developers. She has some great insights about kids/technology (headline: bring them in to be part of the solution/decision making) and other topics, but this excerpt is my favorite part: "This country could use a little executive function skills right now and learning how to collaborate. It's a time when we learn how to problem-solve, and that has different components — including making meaning of the situation, thinking creatively in terms of solutions, not just what you've always done, but how might I solve this in a different way? And then understanding what works or what wouldn't work about that solution. In other words, evaluating solutions, or relational reasoning as it's called in the literature. And then critical thinking, like making a decision on the basis of what you think is valid and accurate information and going forth in implementing that decision. It's also a time when we learn how to take on challenges. Now, there are some core skills, brain-based skills that underlie this, and in addition to people thinking that executive function skills are ‘shut up, you still listen to the teacher, listen to the parents,’ also people think of them as, sometimes, soft skills. These are the most neurocognitive skills we have. They're the part of the brain that coordinates our social, emotional and behavioral capacities in order to achieve goals." https://lnkd.in/exDh3JXB #BrainScience #Teenagers

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Even though I have helped nonprofits raise money for 25+ years, I know what it’s like to struggle with worrying about how to raise the money you need. Because years ago, that struggle ate a lot of joy out of my life. I know what it’s like to wake up and -dread what is on your to-do list, -wish you could stay in bed, and -wonder if you could put it off until tomorrow or next week. Or never. And I know what it’s like to lay down at night thinking about the way you felt after an ask that didn’t go well, when you felt needy or dirty or like a parasite because you need to ask for other people’s money to pay your staff. It got so bad that sometimes I would go into the bathroom on my way in to meet a donor and try doing that “Wonder Woman pose” thing in the stall to feel more confident. I would feel sweaty and shaky. I would think about the MOST ANNOYING, snake-oily asks I’d ever encountered ... and I would imagine that’s how others saw me. So, I know how painful it can be. And I also know what it’s like to be on the other side of it. To wake up knowing that I have found my own confident and compelling voice. To know that I learned to be a great fundraiser. And to know I can help other leaders lose that icky, less-than feeling. These days, I go to bed at night thinking I have the best job in the world. The best part is now I have a completely different relationship with money, with abundance. The best part is it lights me up to help nonprofit leaders create more flow of dollars towards the work they care about. And, I want this ease and abundance for all fundraisers! That’s why I do the work that I do. Even though there’s a part of me that thinks I’m sharing too much about my life and own fundraising pain this week (as I shared earlier, I’m in a 5-Day challenge...), my deeper truth is that I care way too much about helping people raise the dollars they need for their nonprofits to let that fear stop me. Because I know how painful it can be when you have fundraising dread. And, I have dedicated myself to helping LOTS of people find their own confident and compelling ask. If you (or anyone you know) struggles with asking for money, I'm offering 5 free Fundraising Strategy Sessions to help you start moving toward bringing in MORE MONEY. Life is too short to spend it with so much anxiety about asking. I’d be honored to support you (or someone you care about). LMK below if I can be of service to you or someone you care about. #fundraising #nonprofit

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This opinion piece misses the bigger picture. Yes, mega gifts are propping up philanthropy today and yes, they’re very important to the giving landscape. But what’s missing is a recognition that giving sources, like stock portfolios, should be diversified. The TCJA focused its benefits on the rich. By raising the standard deduction, it reduced the tax incentive for most Americans to give (only about 10% of households now have an incentive to give). Less than half of Americans give today, down from two-thirds 20 years ago. The TCJA is only one factor driving this generosity crisis but it’s certainly playing a part. I completely agree with the last sentence: “The future of charitable giving must also be at the center of the conversation.” As long as that conversation includes encouraging giving from all Americans. #generositycrisis

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📣 Important upgrade news about our ENCORE tool 👇. ENCORE helps financial institutions take their first steps towards understanding their dependencies and impacts on nature. Join 4,000 registered users who already use the tool. #naturalcapital #TNFD #sustainability

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If you are overlooking ERGs as mere social groups, you are making a big mistake. Here's how to capitalize on them. ERGs are more than just a platform for community building. They are a pivotal part of professional development strategies. At Chezie, we've seen companies leverage ERGs to transform how they support and uplift diverse talent. Here's how you can too: → 𝟏/ 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: • 𝐖𝐡𝐲: ERGs are crucial in facilitating continuous learning and professional upskilling, tapping into the latest industry trends and expert insights. • 𝐇𝐨𝐰: Organize workshops, seminars, and conferences focused on the group's interest areas to provide members with rich educational content. • 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: An ERG could host a monthly webinar series featuring industry leaders discussing emerging technologies. → 𝟐/ 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: • 𝐖𝐡𝐲: ERGs foster a collaborative environment that enhances individual and collective competencies, crucial for career progression. • 𝐇𝐨𝐰: Encourage members to engage in collaborative projects and skills-based workshops that address relevant professional needs. • 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: A joint project could involve members from different departments working together to develop a new software tool, followed by a workshop on how to use it effectively. → 𝟑/ 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: • 𝐖𝐡𝐲: Networking within ERGs opens doors to mentorship opportunities and professional collaborations that can accelerate career growth. • 𝐇𝐨𝐰: Facilitate regular networking events and create mentorship programs that match newer employees with seasoned executives within the ERG. • 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: An ERG networking event could feature speed networking sessions that allow members to meet and establish connections quickly. → 𝟒/ 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: • 𝐖𝐡𝐲: Continuous feedback is essential for the adaptation and improvement of ERG strategies, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of their members. • 𝐇𝐨𝐰: Implement robust feedback mechanisms like surveys and focus groups to collect insights on the effectiveness of the ERG initiatives. • 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: Conduct a quarterly review session where ERG members can present feedback on past activities and suggest improvements for future initiatives. ERGs are not just support networks, they are strategic assets in professional development. I encourage every professional to engage with or advocate for the establishment of ERGs within their organizations. Share your experiences or thoughts on how ERGs have shaped your professional development or how they could be enhanced.

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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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Organizations That "Raise the Most Money" Rarely Have the Best Fundraising Operations To clarify the phrase it quotes, let's remember donors give the money, some of which is in response to efforts to raise it. Money is not raised from passive or uncommitted people. That said, donors give the most in monetary amounts to organizations that are: Best at what they do Long-established, well known, top-of-mind Prestigious Builders of deep, even multi-generational donor relations, including many with wealthy families Well-funded and so able to invest in long-term capacity building Yet, when I look inside their advancement operations, I often see very pedestrian, non innovative, and non adaptive practices. These practitioners often ask, "Why should we do anything different when what we're doing is working so well?" Yet, while their numbers appear impressive, they are raising much less than they might and growing increasingly dependent on fewer, hyper-wealthy donors. So the assumption that the organizations that "raises" the most money has the best fundraising people, the most effective approaches and the slickest systems leads many into further false assumptions including: If we mimic their approaches, we will reap similar rewards If we steal away their people, their magic potion will be ours If we are more like them, we will have more of what they have Ah, but the irony is that these well-established places stand to learn so much more from scrappy advancement operations that have few if any of their baked-in advantages, including organizations that: Have to be leaner, smarter and more innovative to gain philanthropic traction Gain steady ground by listening to their donors and creating new ways to converse, co-create and build community See the future coming and adapt to it because they are of, by and for positive change Are constant, eager, humble learners because they know that is how they will remain more adaptive and get a better jump on the future The powers-that-be at well-established places would be wise to ask to which organizations: Are we losing donors? Are we losing good staff? Are we losing our most promising job candidates? Are we losing market share in any giving category? Can we look to learn how to slow, stem or reverse troubling trends being visited on us (e.g. annual donor attrition) To attract younger and more diverse donors? To draw more skilled volunteers and inducing greater volunteer commitments? And the powers-that-be at organizations that are outperforming expectations and adapting most rapidly and smartly to new philanthropic realities had better make sure they don't lose what they have by making the wrong assumptions about where the best work is really being done.

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On one hand, connecting with donors giving from #donoradvisedfunds isn't rocket science - a DAF is just another account that a donor can give from like a checking, brokerage, or retirement account. On the other hand, DAF donors tend to have higher net worth and be more planful with their giving, so it is definitely worth segmenting these donors and stewarding accordingly. Thanks to our great team for putting together this resource to help #nonprofit #development professionals plan for and steward gifts from DAF donors! #philanthropy #charitablegiving

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Incredible improvements! Yes! The true cost of the barriers around NOFO language is the highly technical language. However, something to think about... as these bureaucratic processes are removed or lowered, additional rules and regulations are piling up. Burdening institutions and organizations with a host of legal requirements to accept funds and proving they comply (Buy America Act, COI rules, countries of concern, etc etc) make the cost of grants even higher with respect to risk management and monitoring. Sure, reduce the barriers to entry but the cost of acceptance is too great. We must continue to educate professionals and researchers why these things matter and streamline the compliance so researchers can do the thing they asked to do in the first place! Be Better Do Better

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As the Demographics via Candid initiative continues to evolve, many ask -- why do we collect demographic data? And what can we learn from this data? My incredible colleague, Cathleen Clerkin, PhD, recently penned an article for the Harvard Business Review on the "glass escalator" that exists in the nonprofit sector. The term refers to the finding that men in female-dominated occupations often experience a faster and smoother rise to the upper levels of leadership than women. The HBR article highlights how this is not only a phenomenon based solely on gender, but there is a strong intersectional component as well. I encourage anyone to read more about the findings, as well as the best practices that are shared on how to mitigate the glass escalator effect. https://lnkd.in/ePBrTnfG

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DEI is the strategic solution to white supremacy. Check the profiles of DEI assailants today and compare them to the profiles of DEI assailants in the 19th & 20th centuries. You'll notice a stark pattern.

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We’ve been thinking and talking about ways to advance racial equity through innovative funding strategies at the RWJF for years. But our exploration of how we can specifically leverage endowment funding in a new way signals a shift for us. So, I want to call out key resources and share more background around this new strategy in hopes that we can all learn from each other and collectively advance social change that is both sustainable and equitable. ➡️ Elevating flexibility in grant funding — As my colleagues Marjorie Paloma, Daniela Phayme, and Kelly Simone wrote in a recent blog for the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), this cross-foundation approach can allow grantees the flexibility to invest and spend grant funds over the long term to achieve sustainability and meet their missions. Read their blog: https://lnkd.in/eHsWaVaV ➡️ Examining perspectives and practices — Both CEP and The Bridgespan Group recently released reports on endowment funding. CEP’s new research examines perspectives and practices of foundations when it comes to endowment funding. Bridgespan’s case study examines how RWJF is using endowment funding as a grantmaking tool, providing a deep dive that other funders can learn from. Read the CEP and Bridgespan reports here: https://lnkd.in/eFXbVSvZ and here: https://lnkd.in/gdsRjGwv. ➡️ A set of tools — Lastly, I was excited to moderate a recent conversation on funding nonprofit endowments among leaders from our partner organizations and the Schott Foundation for Public Education. We all shared that there are a diversity of tools that can support nonprofit partners as they think about their long-term fiscal and financial wellbeing. For perspectives on this topic, watch the recording: https://lnkd.in/ezFyT-hN As is clear from these resources, our field is emerging in employing this new tool in grantmaking for social justice. But we are eager to listen, learn, and share more — especially from our grantees — that may unlock the transformational potential of endowment funding. 

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"Deans and advancement professionals who want to maximize fundraising for their colleges and universities should focus on having a big vision, using data strategically, and being innovative in their processes, said speakers at the 2023 Conference for Advanced Development for Deans and Academic Leaders, held in Washington last month." This is absolutely true whether you are seeking a $1,000 annual gift or a transformative gift at the highest levels. Attention is scattered, in the words of Brené Brown, by a "beyond human scale" onslaught of information. Everyone is squeezed for time. Like Brene, I'm thinking a lot these days about how to leverage the power of tech and data to improve our work and get our message through (on a limited budget) without losing sight of the humanity in philanthropy. The pressure to deliver results with limited resources means you also have to think critically about ensuring the highest ROI for your time and budget. (HINT: It's not fundraising events.) I think it boils down to one thing - what we are communicating, how, when and to whom in a "beyond human scale" world.

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Great to see the Financial Times highlighting the power of collective philanthropy! The article ends with a powerful quote: "I think we will look back, one day, and say that [collaboration] is the most significantly impactful change in philanthropy." I couldn't agree more. If this article leaves you wanting to learn more about how pooling capital can help maximise impact, read about our #UBSCollectives here >> https://from.ubs/6041lXjxR. #shareUBS

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We have the power to bend the arc of what may seem like an inevitable trajectory when we work together creatively and with intensity and intention. Absolutely delighted by Altor Equity Partners' acquisition of Circulose (nee Renewcell). We're excited to continue work with the Altor and Circulose teams to build the foundations that are needed to have the mill online at full capacity. We're collectively wiser from hard-learned lessons and the value chain is better primed for integrating this (and other) exciting low-carbon material, given the work that has continued over recent months. Many thanks to all of our brand partners, supply chain partners and other NGO's who stepped up in response to our "all hands on deck" rally. And of course, a huge congrats to the Altor and Circulose teams!! It's a good day for the fashion industry and the planet! Let's have more of them! You can read Canopy's full statement on the news here: https://lnkd.in/g_mgZCCR #NextGen #Circulose #CircularEconomy #SustainableFashion #Circularity #CircularFashion #GoodDayforthePlanet #ClimateAction #ClimateSolutions #ImpactInvestment #SolutionsAreSexy

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Straight talking (as ever!) in this blog from Rusty Stahl of Fund the People: overload and burnout in the non-profit workforce isn't just a problem for frontline organisations - it affects the ability of funders to achieve their goals, too. And we can't address workforce wellbeing if we don't address how much people get paid. He's reacting to US data, but we've seen similar evidence about workforce challenges in Scotland from SCVO (Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations)'s Third Sector Tracker. There's no doubt that properly funding core costs - or even better, providing unrestricted funding which allows organisations to balance investing in their people with delivering programmes at a manageable scale - is part of the solution. But the factors determining third sector pay are complex, and I wonder if funders (at least trusts and foundations) are as influential in this regard here in the UK as they may be in the US? Public sector commissioning is surely a big factor here, especially in social services. In Scotland, the Scottish Govt's Fair Work policy is influencing things for the lowest paid workers - which, whilst welcome, is sometimes creating challenges for employers. Ultimately, it's the directors and trustees of organisations that set salary levels. Is there are tendency for them to think they have to keep salaries low to secure grants, even if funders might, in fact, be willing to fund higher ones? What can we do to shift perceptions about that? And how can boards be supported to take difficult decisions to prioritise pay increases in the face of ever rising demand for their services and the effects of inflation on their other budget headings? Rusty makes the point that it's in funders' interests to do what we can to address this systemic challenge. We might feel that seeing low staff costs in application budgets helps our money go further - but if it leads to people leaving the sector, organisations underperforming and is ultimately unsustainable, then we're not going to be effective in delivering our own missions. https://lnkd.in/e7hq9e42

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