Is fundraising suffering from a serious case of narration sickness?

It’s pretty obvious that, rather than staring at our laptops, Tim and I would have preferred to have today’s podcast conversation on a back porch with some bourbon and a few cheap cigars. The two of us arranged this conversation to talk about NeonOne’s report that just released yesterday. However, it didn’t take either of us very long to climb up on our soapboxes. Nearly everything we ranted about today centered on the question of whether more should be expected of the those publishing reports about fundraising trends and donor behavior. Or, as Paulo Freire would say, is fundraising suffering from a serious case of narration sickness?I really appreciate Tim’s observation that we are at an inflection point in the fundraising community, and this won’t be the last time that I applaud his assertion that we’re an industry that worships transactions. The question is whether those who publish reports that quantify this behavior are doing the heavy lifting to help us make sense of how we can change what we’re seeing. For example, it’s one thing the for the FEP to remind us every year that our renewal rates suck; it’s another to reveal what it is about our practices that ensures this trend never makes meaningful improvement. Perhaps it’s time the authors provide us with a more enlightened explanation of what’s really happening.As always, we are especially grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast. If you’d like to learn more about hosting the Responsive Fundraising roadshow in your local community, email me for more in formation. And, if you’d like to download Responsive’s latest edition of Carefully & Critically, just click here.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fundraisingtalent.substack.com