Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last, Third Edition

Leadership in Philanthropic Organizations

All the functions for people, organization, and community belong to all leaders, anywhere—and that includes leaders in philanthropic organizations.

But there’s more, too. Nonprofit leaders demonstrate philanthropy through their own acts of giving time and money. NGO leaders recognize that philanthropy is not merely a means to achieve mission, but rather a meaningful activity itself. These leaders make sure that their organizations accept philanthropy as a core component of mission.

These leaders know that philanthropy and the philanthropic sector play a critical role in building civic capacity and creating civil society. Leaders in nonprofits/NGOs fight long and hard to strengthen the sector, nurture its credibility, and build a more just world.

And leaders in the philanthropic sector know that there are two kinds of philanthropy: mainstream philanthropy, the dominant version, and social change/progressive philanthropy, the oft-forgotten one. Neither is more important; both are needed. But mainstream philanthropy is more visible, more talked about, more documented … it’s mainstream.

Too many fundraisers aren’t aware of social change/progressive philanthropy. Too many publications ignore social change/progressive philanthropy and focus exclusively on mainstream philanthropy. Too many nonprofit staff and board members cannot distinguish between the two.

What’s the difference? “Traditional philanthropy is based on responding to, treating, ...