Class: A Taboo with a BIG Impact on Fundraising

We don’t talk very much about class distinctions in this country.

But they matter a lot – especially for people who raise money. And organizing a candid discussion with your fundraising team may be one of the most energy-liberating things you can do.

The early settlers prided themselves on their escape from stratified European societies. A casual disregard for social rank is part of the American psyche. Yet, no one willing to aim a critical eye at the U.S. in the early 21st century would doubt that class matters.

The ways that any organization confronts class issues, whether or not they are ever discussed, have a big impact on fund raising.

So what does this have to do with training people to be good fund raisers? Everything. Your organization’s perspective on class is central to its persona.

Imagine a legal services organization in a poor urban neighborhood. The founder and the other lawyers came from privileged homes, graduated from Ivy League law schools, and are motivated by heart-felt but abstract convictions about justice.

Now, imagine another legal services organization in the same neighborhood. The founder and other lawyers grew up poor, paid their own way through law school, and are motivated by wanting to help people like their own family members whose lives have been dominated by crime, over-zealous police, jail, and probation.

Do you really imagine that those two organizations are going to have similar fundraising operations? In the first instance, family members and law school classmates of the staff are a ready pool of major gift prospects. The other organization is going to have to work harder to establish ties with potential philanthropists.

Here are some examples of how class issues turn up in fundraising.
• A philanthropist once told me, “When I get an invitation to an event, I look at the names on the host committee. If I don’t know anyone, I throw it away.”

• The table arrangements and seating assignments at gala events – often causing staff to pull all-nighters before the big day – represent a fierce, if unspoken, stratification of status.

• Over and over, I have heard people who serve on non-profit boards say, “I don’t know any wealthy people.” Often what they mean is that they have a stereotype of what wealthy people look like, and they don’t know any of those people. With a little prompting, they can often rattle off a dozen names of prospective major donors.

Talk about your assumptions and prejudices. Because of the variety of ways that wealth is created, and the variety of ways it presents (or hides) itself, many middle and lower income people assume that they have no connections with wealthy individuals. The more hardened your stereotypes are about what rich people “look like” the more blind you will be to wealth that may exist in your social network.

Shame accumulates around secrets, so puncture those secrets. The more you talk about these issues, the healthier and more energetic your fundraising will be. Here are some questions to contemplate.

1. How does the mission of your organization intersect with wealth and poverty issues?
2. How does the history of your organization – who founded it, who it serves, who it attracts as staff, board, and donors – relate to class?
3. What are your own biases and assumptions about affluence, and how do they influence your feelings about soliciting gifts?

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http://hazeninc.com Martha H. Schumacher, ACFRE

This is such a crucial topic Paul. I think that advocacy nonprofits in particular really struggle with this issue because by mission design they are often fighting the “haves” on behalf of the “have nots”.

In my experience, the development folks at many of these organizations feel uncomfortable approaching prospective philanthropic investors. One common reason is the development person’s fear of the unknown – having to converse with the “haves”.

Another reason is the double whammy of asking for money in general – thank god for Asking Matters! – and having to ask someone they may feel they have nothing in common with, or worse yet, someone who in their daily work is considered “the enemy”.

So what’s the solution? As you say, puncture those secrets! Have an open discussion amongst staff (or better yet, amongst staff and your BOD together) to address their concerns and demystify the process by highlighting common bonds between staff and donors/donor prospects.

Thanks for a great blog post Paul – really glad you’re getting this important subject out there!
http://www.jumpstartgrowth.com Paul Jolly

Martha, thank you for your thoughtful comments. What I have found helped to puncture my own prejudices is (a) the discovery that there are no two wealthy families that the same — the stereotypes don’t hold water. And (b) the feeling that when a donor and I are collaborating on a cause that we both care about, that collaboration is what is on my mind — not the difference in our backgrounds.
http://www.simonejoyaux.com Simone Joyaux

Fundraisers need to talk about this topic with each other. Board members need to talk about it. Wouldn’t it be great if we could donors to talk about it? The tough thing is…this is usually about personal privilege. Read Peggy McIntosh’s work on this topic. Years ago she wrote “Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack (of white privilege.)” Instead of talking about the “disadvantaged,” she talks about the invisible privilege that so many of us have. When presenting – in workshops, keynote addresses, etc. – I often ask the audience, “What does privilege look like?” And then I answer that question: “Privilege looks like me, I’m a white, heterosexual, well-educated, affluent woman. I win – except for gender. Because it’s a disadvantage to be a woman in every country in the world.”

McIntosh has recently written a new set of articles about privilege, one called “An Account to Spend.” Get her articles at http://www.wcwonline.org/seed.

And for more specifically about privilege and the money taboo and fundraising, see the final chapter of my book KEEP YOUR DONORS, also posted on the homepage of my website at http://www.simonejoyaux.com... called Philanthropy’s Moral Dilemma.
http://northhastingscommunitytrust.yolasite.com/ Lindsay Jolly

Great article! Also stopped by because we have the same last name, and as I am sure you know, that doesn’t happen very often.
http://www.askingmatters.com Asking Matters™

Thanks, Paul, for writing on such a rich topic. We seldom talk about the discomfort reaching out beyond one’s social class creates. I just videoed my friend Jeanette Neff about how the distinctions in social class shaped her experience asking for funds when she was on a non-profit board. To see Jeanette’s comments on fundraising, see her video on this site.

Jeanette also had interesting comments about her experience as a board member more generally. She says that though people were pleasant and welcoming at board meetings she always felt a bit like an outsider. I am quite sure that her situation was the result of inattention to issues of social class and not racism or an intentional desire to exclude her. This video is posted on Vimeo. You’re right, Paul, when we don’t actively talk about and examine the class issues, it is all too easy to passively condone behavior that is not in accordance with our values.

Thanks. Andrea
Mary Sylvester

Thanks for helping to lift the veil of silence about this aspect of the money dilemma. Since my work began twenty years ago with a campaign to raise capital funds for a public library, I continue to find lots of folks who are not on the traditional lists of “rich people” who make significant and generous gifts to support projects that are important to them. Class and race assumptions can leave some people feeling uninvited to the philanthropic support of their community. Often I am thanked for asking–by becoming seen as potential donors, more people can feel “visible” and “valued” enough to be asked. .
Glad to see this topic talked about!
Mary Sylvester