Embrace the information age -- let donors see it all

In a recent article in Fundraising Success Magazine titled Turn Increased Scrutiny Into Opportunity, Jeffrey Solomon, president of The Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies talks about how more people are paying attention to nonprofit operations and ethical practices:

The message of the trends of these last years is that integrity and ethical behaviors and practices are the sine qua non for success. . . . Good governance, management and absolute transparency are the best insurance for growing at a time of increased scrutiny. . . .

Today, the combination of changing views and the power of accessible information dramatically change the landscape -- a change that effective organizations can use to better tell their stories, demonstrate their impact and create new loyal supporters. . . .

Eventually, donors will have easy access to those "don't tell the donor" things. Are you ready? Is it going to be a shock to them and an embarrassment to you?

You can whine about and fight the trend toward more open information -- or you can turn it into a strength and a distinctive.

Technorati Tags: fundraising, transparency

Comments

[Adrian]

Definitely a strength out there that is waiting to be fully exploited! I think that across the board charities need to build their brand around trust and openness. The more donors can understand the work of the charity they support the stronger the relationship can become. They are more likely to become long term supporters if they can be allowed to understand what, how, where, why and for whom a charity does what it does. Be honest with them and they will repay with loyalty and support.