The Hardest Part of Fundraising Isn’t What You Think
This is an installment in the ‘Mostly Muscle Memory’ blog series featuring the more senior members of our team.
What is the hardest thing a fundraiser has to do?
Explain what they actually do?
No, we don’t all run galas or bake sales, although no shade on those who do. I’ve got plenty of those under my belt.
Defend the fact that this is a real job that we trained and studied for?
Yes, seriously. We even have accreditation, and some of us get PhDs in the field. (Not me, but it exists.)
Math & data?
Okay, this one can be hard, but I’m a nerd and literally do spreadsheet work when I’m stressed out because it’s methodical and calms me down.
I bet you think you know now. It must be asking for money?
I’m not going to say this is easy. It takes work and skill and a great cause, but it’s still not what I think is the hardest part of the job.
For me, the hardest thing is telling the story.
For two reasons.
Firstly, getting a good story to demonstrate, in a short set of words, the true impact of the work donors fund is much harder than you think.
I cannot express how often a letter was late to print because the fundraiser I was working with couldn’t get their program team to get a usable story for a given appeal. Or we had stories, but they didn’t reference the project we were featuring or didn’t have enough detail to show impact.
Secondly, telling the lived experience of another person is not easy.
As a fundraiser, I have to keep my audience (donors) in mind while ensuring the way a person is represented is dignified, true to the facts, honours their wishes and the work they put in while still appealing to emotions and sometimes hard truths
That’s why from day one, way back in 2019, working with The Water Project was different.
And we are lucky to have 4 storytellers dedicated to collecting and sharing the stories you get to read.
Two of our storytellers are on the program team. Not on the marketing team. They work directly with the people who do the work and constantly gather and share information. I’ve never been somewhere where the “story bank” is ALWAYS full.
The other two are from Kenya and live there, and you’ve probably met Olivia and Jackie through other blogs.
But allow me to brag on them a bit.
I have NEVER worked with or for an organization where I can put in a request for content, be it photos, videos, or stories, and get something back within 24 hours.
Because they are local, nothing gets lost in translation.
Because they come from communities that have faced unsafe water issues, they know firsthand how that impacts them.
They are some of the most thoughtful, talented and enthusiastic women I have ever had the privilege of working with. And they have made my job of telling the story so much easier.
So next time you read a story or watch a video. Just know how much care and work went into making them, custom, just for you.
Because your gift matters.
And the impact it has is real.
And most importantly, the people we are honoured to serve together deserve that their story be told.
Written by: Michelle Vinokurov
Chief Revenue Officer
The Water Project
Recent blogs by Jackie & Olivia:
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