AMA: Rick Holland, Fundraising expert and Director of Confident Philanthropy

Hi @James and thanks. It's a great point, and it's all about the funding diversification that we are all trying to crack!

I don't think there are any right or wrong answers here, but I wonder if we (collectively) need to open up our EA circles. We want the non-EA funders, what about the other stuff? 

So if we talk more broadly about the communities we are building, the spaces we are sharing, the outreach we are doing, with a lens that's wider than just EA, then I think we will do better at getting those funders and donors on board. If we keep talking about EA, then we shouldn't be surprised if our funders are.

I've heard rumours that there are smart, dedicated, impactful, non-EA people out there. Let's work together to find them!

Hi @Adam! Good to see you here.

There are lot of things I think we can do better, though I'd add a caveat that my responses here are not generalisations. There are orgs which make a point of doing everything they can to engage donors (EA and non-EA), and there are others which fail to make the easiest of changes.

So we talk about some of things I've experienced, I'd encourage other views and opinions, as well as examples from forum readers.

1. We may not know everything about our organisations, but having someone on the team who can talk to donors/funders is helpful. Emailing your URL, and reminding a prospective donor that you sent it, may not be sufficient.
2. Create ways to bring donors in. While your X post about your latest research may  interest a number of X readers or followers, what else might you be able to do to build an audience, and donor pool? Perhaps a webinar presenting key results? A Q&A with other experts in your field? Piggyback off of your existing activities to find ways to engage noew people, and keep your current people updated.
3. Make it easy for people to support you. Be contactable. Include your email address and LinkedIn link in your email signature. Let me know what time zone you're in. If you have a donation page or FAQ about your organisation, perhaps include a link or button so I can explore more.  

As I mentioned, this is not an exhaustive list, and some of these are fairly minor points. But overall, I think the more we can a foster a broad mindset, the better we'll do at engaging with non-EA funder. It's not that we're hiding EA, it's that we're more than EA. 

EA+ anyone?

Hi @Tori 

With limited funding for animals and a relative handful of funders doing a heck of a lot, this is one of the key questions a lot of us have been trying to answer.

The answer is easy  — and hard — in equal measure, I think. We need to do more of what we're already doing: talking about the environmental impact of animal agriculture. Getting into the meetings and conferences and spaces where these funders talk. Creating spaces for orgs and funders to address these issues together.

It's not only about getting to the environmentally-focused funders, but how do we get new funders and donors into our space? I don't have all of those answers, but I'm trying to find out!

Hi @emmannaemeka! Thanks for your questions -- let me start by saying that for a lot fundraising issues and approaches, there are may not be absolute right and wrong answers. What works for you in your org might not be right for another org, even ones of similar size or cause area.

1. You mention that you haven't had much success in securing substantial support. I'd first want to get a sense of where you've had success securing support, at any level. It's possible that the approaches that are working for those supporters might work for larger donors too. Trade offs, if any, might depend on your resources and staffing. For a small team, it might be easier to manage a small number of relationships with big donors, instead of tens or hundreds of relationships with donors giving more modest amounts. There doesn't need to be a trade off -- many organisations do both.
2. I love this question about donor/funder motivation. Sometimes we can be so focused on our work and our impact, that we're not thinking about what our supporters might want to achieve. I don't mean for this to sound flippant (because it certainly isn't!), but I think the best thing we can do to find out this info is to ask them. Think about your supporters, volunteers, team (regardless of their giving our ability to give) and ask why they do it. Once the conversations get going, you may even uncover some ideas and quotes that can help other people to get involved.
3. There are probably a lot of things we could talk about here, but in general I always want to find ways to bring people in, to start a conversation. A wide-funnel approach is one example. If you're talking about a niche, early-stage, high-risk initiative, I'm might think about why this isn't for me before I consider why it might be perfect for me.
4. Here, I'd go back to point 2 above. Not every funder may respond positively to a "would you introduce me to ...?" question, but our donors/funders/supporters have an enormous amount of knowledge and expertise. So let's at least ask the questions.

Hi @CB🔸,

I don't know enough to recommend any of those options over another, but I'd start with talking with the DAF or the donor. It's possible that your situation isn't the first time they've had to deal with a US-France gift, so I'd start there. Based on that response, we could narrow down the options to identify the ideal one for you.

Hey @AceM, thanks for your question. It sounds like you're being generous and nudging the organisation in a direction where they can ideally raise even more money by leveraging your gift.

Based on what you've described, however, I'd want to ensure that the organisation has the necessary infrastructure to handle a matched contribution. If those systems are in place, that's great...I just don't know.

If those systems are not in place, perhaps your gift could help implement them, so that donors/funders (at all levels) know that their donations are safe, and put to use in impactful ways.

I sounds to be like they need your support, but might not be ready to administer or manage a matching gift programme.

Hi @GV 

I have mentioned a few of these in my comments after @Adam's post. What's been your experience? 

Inside EA, we are great at making a case through research, data, and impact, and traditional non-EA fundraising is known for its emotion-driven asks and responses.

I believe there is a sweet spot somewhere in the middle, but we haven't it yet.