Stop Calling It a Fundraising Problem

Dear nonprofit leaders and executives,

Every time a nonprofit misses a fundraising goal, the conversation usually sounds the same.

"We have a fundraising problem."

Do you?

Or do you have a leadership problem? A communication problem? A board engagement problem? A staffing problem? A strategy problem? A culture problem?

Because after years of working with nonprofits across the country, I've noticed something. Fundraising is often where organizational problems become visible. It's rarely where they begin.

Fundraising Is the Messenger

When donations decline, fundraising gets blamed. When a campaign underperforms, fundraising gets blamed. When donor retention drops, fundraising gets blamed. When grants don't come through, fundraising gets blamed.

But fundraising is often delivering bad news, not creating it.

Imagine blaming your thermometer because you have a fever. That's what many organizations do with fundraising. They focus on the symptom instead of the source.

Revenue Reflects Organizational Health

Fundraising doesn't exist in a vacuum. It reflects the health of the organization around it.

If leadership avoids fundraising…Fundraising suffers.

If the board doesn't understand its role...Fundraising suffers.

If departments operate in silos...Fundraising suffers.

If donors aren't stewarded...Fundraising suffers.

If staff turnover is constant...Fundraising suffers.

Eventually, revenue becomes the visible symptom of invisible organizational challenges. And because money is measurable, it's the first thing everyone notices.

The Wrong Questions

Organizations ask questions like:

• "How do we raise more money?"

• "What campaign should we run?"

• "Should we hire another fundraiser?"

Those aren't bad questions. They're just often premature.

The better questions are:

• Why aren't donors staying engaged?

• Why is leadership uncomfortable with fundraising?

• Why doesn't the board know how to participate?

• Why are fundraising responsibilities unclear?

• Why are we always operating in crisis mode?

Those questions get much closer to the root cause.

When Everything Becomes Development's Responsibility

One of the most common organizational habits is quietly assigning every revenue challenge to the development team.

Need more major gifts? Development.

Need better donor retention? Development.

Need stronger board engagement? Development.

Need sponsorships? Development.

Need community partnerships? Development.

Need a better organizational reputation?...Development.

At some point, fundraising stops being a department and becomes the organization's catch-all solution.

The problem is that many of these issues require leadership, governance, operations, communications, and programming to work together.

No fundraiser—no matter how talented—can solve them alone.

Healthy Organizations Fundraise Differently

Organizations with thriving fundraising programs usually aren't doing one magical thing better.

They're healthier. Leadership is aligned. Boards understand their responsibilities. Staff communicate. Programs tell compelling stories. Stewardship is consistent. Fundraising isn't isolated.

It's woven into the culture of the organization. Notice what's missing from that list. None of it starts with an appeal.

Stop Looking for the Silver Bullet

I understand why organizations look for fundraising fixes.

A new CRM. A gala. A major donor strategy. A grant writer. A Development Director.

Those things can absolutely help. But they're tools. Not cures.

Because if the underlying culture remains unchanged, every new fundraising tactic eventually runs into the same organizational barriers.

The Better Conversation

The next time someone says, "We have a fundraising problem." Pause. Ask a different question. "What organizational challenge is fundraising trying to reveal?"

Because fundraising is often the canary in the coal mine. It's the first place where leadership gaps, unclear expectations, weak communication, board disengagement, and organizational instability begin to show up.

The money isn't the problem. It's the measurement.

One of the biggest shifts an organization can make is to stop treating fundraising as a department that fixes problems.

Instead, recognize it for what it really is: A reflection.

Of your leadership. Of your culture. Of your systems. Of your relationships. Of your organizational health.

So maybe it's time we stop calling it a fundraising problem.

Because the sooner we identify the real problem, the sooner fundraising can stop carrying the blame for everyone else's work.

Sincerely,

Queers

Queer For Hire provides fundraising support to Queer nonprofits, LGBTQIA+ cultural competency to straight-led organizations and corporations, and individual coaching for Queer professionals.

Learn about our Fundraising Services <here> – we’ll lead or support your fundraising efforts, whether you need general support or want to focus on raising money from and for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Learn about our Fundraising Trainings <here> – we can coach your board, staff, and fundraising team on how to fundraise and how to engage LGBTQIA+ donors.

Learn about our other services <here> or our resources <here>.