Breaking Down the Silos: Organize Around Audiences, Not Departments
Every group is/can be organized differently, but consider the below if you’re building or have the opportunity to influence the structure of your outbound communication/fundraising teams:
Organize around audiences — not departments
It’s easy to get lost in data. Step away from the spreadsheet (for now) and allow yourself to think big. In looking at the organization chart, you can give yourself the freedom in general terms to talk about your audience as member (development), mass (corporate partners/creative services) and media (PR and public affairs).
So, I'm a fundraiser having a mid-life crisis. And that's perfectly fine with me.
I am taking time to look around, lift my head and find REAL people who really want to change the world. And people smart enough to do it. Join me in this fun journey. I have no idea where we will end up - and that is the beauty of it. I'm nonprofit passionate, a hopeful world changer, and always ready to share what I know, learn what I don't, admit when I can't, and ask the hard questions.
While you're looking around for other areas of inspiration, check out The Moth Project at themoth.org (the podcasts are AMAZING), TED talks (doesn't matter which ones - find topics that interest you) and Volunteer Voices (again - love the podcast) written by volunteers from the Peace Corps. Don't see the immediate connection to being a better fundraiser? Just listen, you'll hear the message ...
