Perhaps a field approach to fundraising expertise is a bit overdue?

I have quite enjoyed getting to know Angee, first at our roadshow in Toronto in partnership with our friend David Hutchinson, then as a guest on the podcast shortly thereafter; now Angee is back to share with us how she has navigated the pandemic with the help of Responsive’s three lanes model. It was quite encouraging to hear that the centerpiece of our sense-making toolbox provided a framework for Angee to think through how she might approach the uncertainty of what has been our reality for the last eighteen months. While often confused for a prescriptive plan, the three lanes are intended to help fundraisers make sense of what’s leaning in their favor with the help of a systems-level understanding of how fundraising really works. Rather than relying on experts who notoriously put their experience on loan only to ensure they are called upon over and over again, tools like the Three Lanes ensure that fundraisers develop expertise of their own.

Perhaps what most excites me about hosting a platform like this podcast, and creating tools rather that best practices, and elevating the ideas and opinions of fundraisers like Angee, is that it all contributes to a field approach for developing fundraising expertise. Instead of relying on those privelged with keynotes and breakouts in the Emerald City, the fundraising community benefits from expertise that is developed while navigating the messy and unpredictable Yellow Brick Road where fundraisers do hard work in their local context. I simply get the pleasure of hosting the party a couple of times a week and ruffling the feathers of those who are perhaps a tad bit overly invested in an early twentieth-century approach to professional development. I really admire the likes of Angee, and I’m grateful to consider her a friend. 

As always, we are very grateful to our friends at CueBack for sponsoring The Fundraising Talent Podcast. If you’re interesting in elevating the experiences that you’re learning in the field, perhaps you’d like to be a guest. We would love to hear from you! Email me at jason@responsivefundraising.com