What the Development Team Wishes You Knew: Fundraising Is Everyone’s Job

Send us Fan MailFor nonprofit leaders who want to improve internal communication, build a culture of philanthropy, and empower their entire team to support fundraising goals, cohosts Julia C. Patrick and Tony Beall spark an important and timely conversation about the often-misunderstood role of fundraising teams—and how to break down the organizational silos that hold back true impact.With wit, warmth, and wisdom, the pair explores why internal teams—from programming to finance to marketing—need to better understand the full picture of development work. From donor stewardship to impact selling, the development role is far more than gala invitations and lobster dinners. “Fundraising is everyone’s business,” Tony shares, “because all departments contribute to the promises we make to donors.”The cohosts lay out how development professionals are often misperceived as simply social butterflies, when in fact their work is relationship-building, mission-selling, and impact-driving. They offer smart, actionable suggestions for fostering stronger internal collaboration—such as shared Google Docs for monthly updates and scheduled cross-departmental briefings—to ensure all team members know what’s happening across the organization.Julia and Tony also discuss the powerful role of storytelling, customer service, and donor engagement, comparing nonprofit stewardship to luxury brand experiences. They encourage staff to become donors themselves—to feel what it’s like to be thanked (or not) and to understand the emotional side of giving.They wrap up with a compelling case for emotional intelligence in leadership. Julia recounts a story where a development director felt deflated after discovering their C-suite colleagues didn’t know the annual fundraising goal—only to realize that fear, not apathy, was behind the silence. “There are no dumb questions when we’re trying to serve our community better,” Tony adds. 00:00:00 Fundraisers Friday welcome  00:01:52 Why the development team is misunderstood 00:03:05 The myths of fundraisers and public perception 00:04:15 What “impact selling” really means 00:05:23 Long-term donor strategy over one-time wins 00:06:58 Luxury branding as a model for donor stewardship 00:08:17 Sharing development metrics across teams 00:10:26 Breaking down internal silos in nonprofits 00:11:49 Why program teams and fundraisers must align 00:15:51 Building a true culture of philanthropy 00:18:05 How small gifts test donor engagement 00:21:06 Applying customer service to donor relationships 00:25:01 Emotional intelligence in nonprofit leadership Find us Live daily on YouTube!Find us  Live daily on LinkedIn!Find us Live daily on X: @Nonprofit_ShowOur national co-hosts and amazing guests discuss management, money and missions of nonprofits!  12:30pm ET   11:30am CT  10:30am MT  9:30am PTSend us your ideas for Show Guests or Topics: [email protected] us on the web:The Nonprofit Show