Meet Your Mission

Each philanthropic cause has its own special challenges. Here we talk to fundraising pros for a behind-the-scenes look at a variety of missions and organizations.

Children are starving, but the show must go on. And if you're raising money to support a symphony, how do you convince donors that they should not only give to your cause — perhaps in lieu of helping hungry children — but also feel good about it?

Or what if you’re a Christian organization? How do you get through to people who don’t share your faith or who feel that government, not the church, should be funding the services you provide?

Or perhaps you represent an organization working to educate people about a disease that’s not easy to talk about or is downright disgusting. Or a cause that doesn’t lend itself to cute mascots, clever copy or heart-wrenching images.

The fact of the matter is that, no matter the cause, every mission faces its own challenges. In our special section this month, two consultants talk about their experiences in the realms of politics and public television, and other fundraising professionals offer a look behind the scenes at their organizations and missions. We’ve not touched on every possible mission, and you might not find your specific obstacles here. But we do hope you’ll find some useful insights.

One thing you’re sure to find, however, is that even though there’s a broad spectrum of missions in the nonprofit universe, there are more things that unite than separate them — especially when it comes to fundraising challenges.

Every organization, be it large or small, local or global, new or old, is wrangling with many of the same issues. Chief among them is the Internet and its vital, burgeoning role in giving. With new organizations emerging every day, the issue of competition also is huge. As is brand recognition. And accountability and stewardship. So another happy result of this special section turns out to be that you should find some comfort and, more importantly, hope in the knowledge that you’re not alone as you chug along in your efforts to make the world a better place. — MB

PUBLIC TELEVISION

Fighting the Good Fight
BY TOM HURLEY

When Patty Starkey of KSPS in Spokane looked into a camera and implored
viewers to phone in a pledge 25 years ago, she was asking for a little extra “pin” money for station projects. By 1980, KSPS, and more than 300 other PBS stations, had attracted more than a million individual contributors and support from major corporations. Little did she realize that by 2006

• MORE ON
• DATABASE / DONOR RELATIONSHIP
• MISSIONS/DONOR SEGMENTS