May 27, 2016
Use your story as a door opener, then listen.
This is one of the tips Carrie Rich, founder of The Global Good Fund, has shared with our Fellows in Nairobi, during her Fundraising for Social Impact class.
Carrie is an inpspiring faculty member at Amani Institute and her course is a powerful experience to learn not only about your personal relationship with money and how to fundraise (both for profit and non-profit organizations), but also about networking, governance and scaling. We asked her to share some of her key insights with you as well:
1. Why are good fundraising skills crucial to professionals working to change the world?
The act of fundraising is deeply meaningful work because it enables people to make a difference. Whether you are part of a nonprofit organization or a for-profit company, fundraising is a necessary skill that you can practice like any other skill and that will also deepen your leadership capacities.
2. What is one thing someone can do today, to be a more effective changemaker?
Listen. If you are doing all the talking, or even most of the talking during a typical conversation, then you are probably talking too much. Use your story or the story of your organization as a door opener, a way to invite the other person to begin sharing something about himself or herself. People invest into projects that connect with what they care about. You can only find out what that connection point is by listening deeply.
3. What would you recommend for people looking to learn more about fundraising for social impact?
Take the asking style profile quiz to understand your style of fundraising and how to leverage your style most effectively. There is not one correct way to doing the work – it varies depending on your own style and the needs of your partners.
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Skills for Social Innovation – In this series we share insights from our faculty about the professional skills everyone must learn in order to lead social change.
Read here Britt Yamamoto’s interview on leadership in uncertain times
Read here Joram Mwinamo’s interview on what it takes to create and manage a Social Venture
Read here Henrique and Florentine Versteeg-Vedana’s interview on High Impact Facilitation
Read here Robert Wolfe’s insights on Communication for Change Leaders.
If you want to learn more about our Post-Graduate Certificate in Social Innovation Management please click here.
