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Adam Morrow's avatar

One of the most unsettling phrases I’ve heard in fundraising is “disqualified donor” — usually based on someone’s perceived capacity or inclination.

It’s always struck me as backwards. Are we really in the business of disqualifying people from giving? That’s never sat right with me, and little things like this have let to my disillusionment with the nonprofit sector.

Not to mention the gross industrial complex that comes from the dark triad of professional associations, large consulting firms, and big vendors that seems to be more about profitability and ego, rather than helping advance missions and causes.

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Emily Essert's avatar

Oof! Reading this in the final stretch before my org’s gala. And it’s striking me that formal fundraising events might be the worst of all of this. They emphasize class without discussing it, rarely foreground the mission except for a few minutes of video, and there is almost no opportunity for relationships building at the event, only afterwards. Maybe those are some of the reasons why I hate them?

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