The Most Toxic Phrase in Philanthropy

Recently I spent a day with a team of passionate fundraisers discussing their fundraising program. The team had strong personal connections to both the organization and the event itself, and many had been working on the program for the majority of their career. In short, this was a dedicated and knowledgeable group.

Unfortunately, the program was in decline, and because the group is so connected and committed, they naturally had strong opinions about what they should do to turn it around.

As the conversation progressed, a particularly thorny issue surfaced. It was a topic that split the group, each opposing side strongly arguing their point.