Today I’d like to share two videos with you. Both are easy watches and contain “ideas worth spreading.”
The first is Dan Pallotta’s TED talk from a few years ago. (It has 1.1 million views, but it should have a lot more, in my opinion.)
It’s called “The way we think about charity is dead wrong.” Essentially, Dan argues that by focusing so much on “revenue to expense ratios” we end up kneecapping our growth and impact.
Second, here’s a helpful video from Kara Logan Berlin. She helps people see the importance of fundraising, and provides plenty of fundraising advice that jives with what we’ve seen to be successful.
Speaking to nonprofits, Kara says, “We have to be as committed to the art of funding our work as we are to the art of doing our work.” [emphasis added]
Both of these videos lead a person to a deeper understanding of fundraising. And in my experience, if you have a deeper understanding of fundraising itself, and the role of fundraising, you’ll be more likely to create fundraising that works.
Steven Screen is Co-Founder of The Better Fundraising Company and lead author of its blog. With over 30 years' fundraising experience, he gets energized by helping organizations understand how they can raise more money. He’s a second-generation fundraiser, a past winner of the Direct Mail Package of the Year, and data-driven.
- Steven Screen
- Steven Screen
- Steven Screen
- Steven Screen
This is a brilliant and concise exploration of how shifting our fundamental perspective on growth and generosity can revolutionize the way we approach social impact. I love the emphasis on “challenging the overhead myth”—the recognition that when we stop penalizing organizations for investing in their own capacity, we actually unlock their potential to solve the very problems they were created to address. It is a powerful reminder that the most effective way to change the world is to fund the vision, not just the transaction, and to trust that a healthy, well-resourced organization is a far more potent force for good. Thank you for sharing such a sharp and professional look at the big ideas that are moving the nonprofit sector toward a more courageous and impactful future!
You are welcome, Susan, and thanks for the great comment!