Taking Your Donor to the Scene, Without Promoting a Savior Mentality

We talk a lot about the importance of taking your donor to the scene so that the need feels real and personal to them. But there’s a risk of exploiting the very communities you serve if their stories are not told in an honoring way. Some non-profits paint themselves as the heroes, when really, the people they serve deserve the credit for and ownership of their stories. Particularly in communities where the population served may be mostly Black or Latinx, while the non-profit staff members are white, it can feel like another instance of “white saviorism” which has done a lot of damage in these communities. So how do you share stories of transformation from your community, without suggesting a savior mentality? To help us unpack this topic, we’ve invited a special guest, Aliguma Young. Aliguma is the founding CEO of The Super Fundraiser. With almost 20 years in fundraising, Aliguma has raised over $200,000,000 for non-profit organizations, nationally and internationally. She launched The Super Fundraiser to support non-profit organizations in developing equity-led fundraising that empowers communities and drives real change. We hope this episode will inspire you to start a conversation about your own organization’s relationship to the community it serves. Show Highlights: In this episode, you’ll learn about… The concept of “white saviorism,” what it looks like when non-profit organizations or staff members have a savior mentality, and how this is harmful to the communities served How to promote equity as part of your organizational mission How to involve members of the community in creating a solution Veritus Group is passionate about partnering with you and your organization throughout your fundraising journey. We believe that the key to transformative fundraising is a disciplined system and structure, trusted accountability, persistence, and a bit of fun. We specialize in mid-level fundraising, major gifts, and planned giving, helping our clients to develop compelling donor offers and to focus on strategic leadership and organizational development. You can learn more about how we can partner with you at www.VeritusGroup.com. Additional Resources: [Podcast] Supporting Black and Brown Colleagues in the Non-Profit Sector [Blog] Why Every Non-Profit Leader Needs to Join in the Journey for Racial Justice [Podcast] The Confidence to Have Tough Conversations