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

For 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 

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