underrepresented minorities – Donor Participation Project

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Our second Donor Participation Project meeting was about increasing representation and diversity in our donor populations.

Guided by Patrick Powell, CFRE, MBA, we had a lively conversation and learned a lot.

https://youtu.be/7RbdrbzQBLo

You can read and contribute to the session notes in this Google Doc.

Additional insights:

There was a common preconception in the industry: “It is going to take you so much longer to get a gift from a non-white donor.”

As soon as I made it my intention to build relationships with Black donors, in that same year I raised close to $250k from 2-3 donors.

It was about: 1) Getting in front of them to let them know that they were important to the institution, regardless of race or color, and that we recognize that they are making an impact and are making a difference as graduates; 2) Letting them know that we want to connect them and get them involved in whatever way is important to them; and 3) Asking them how do they want to put their stamp on an institution where, if they didn’t feel connected, we have a whole group of students who we don’t want to go through the same experience. Tell them, “You have the ability to change that.”

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How have you tried to broaden your donor base and make it more representative? What has worked for you? What backfired?

As part of the Donor Participation Project, this Lunch Analysis session will be guided by Patrick Powell, AVP of Volunteer Engagement and Donor Philanthropy at Morehouse School of Medicine.

An expert in donor engagement and community-building, Patrick is part of one of the fastest-growing institutions in the country at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Brainstorm and Discuss this Topic With Peers During our September 16 Lunch Analysis

Lunch Analysis is a 45-minute meeting that is a part study group, part scholarly discussion, part brainstorming session, and part support group. Participation is open to all who fundraise or have fundraised at a nonprofit.

Each Lunch Analysis covers a specific topic in donor participation and has required preparation and discussion. This one will be on September 16, 2020 at noon EST.

Required Preparation

Take a moment to jot down the answer to the following questions:

What is the percentage of alumni giving/participation for your Black and or Latino donors?
Has leadership placed an emphasis on engaging donors of color at your institution?
- If yes, what are the strategies or best practices you’re utilizing to identify and cultivate this constituent group(s)?
- If no, what do you perceive the barriers are to these discussions?
How has that impacted your desire to cultivate these specific groups if at all?
Have you experienced any success or rejection as a result?