Advancing a Culture of Philanthropy

Written by Abhra Bhattacharjee F. EdPlus, Director of Philanthropy, Scotch College Adelaide

“A culture of philanthropy fosters relationships that share a common understanding, appreciation and responsibility for the importance of the joy of giving and receiving for the enhancement of the institution.”, Sue Cunningham

At the recent EducatePlus International Conference in Adelaide, management consultant Peter Drucker’s quote was often bandied around. Drucker famously said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, and this is specifically true when it comes to educational institutions and philanthropy. Having embraced Oscar Wilde’s motto that ‘experience is simply the name we give our mistakes’, I believe that establishing, embedding, and embracing a culture is far more successful than the most ambitious fundraising target.

It is also far more difficult.

Very simply, culture is what people think and say, what they know and what they do. It is important because these shared thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and values are what employees and volunteers use to determine how they think, speak and act. Culture determines how people problem solve and make decisions, and is extremely powerful, yet few organisations fully understand their organisation’s culture and how critically it changes organisational performance.

Simple as it sounds, many organisations would rather take on an ambitious philanthropic goal or launch a capital campaign than address their culture. Their philanthropic endeavours are most often characterised by “boom and bust”. They typically are willing to invest time and resources on acquiring donors, running Giving Days and Gala Dinners, but sustainable upward trajectory eludes them.

At Scotch College Adelaide, our centenary offered us multiple opportunities to consider our heritage, assess our aspirations and be bold in our execution. It also birthed the DARE Centenary Campaign, with a stretch campaign goal of $10M. The centenary also allowed Scotch to embark on a longer journey to achieve a greater goal: changing our culture of philanthropy. Now, in our sixth and final year of the campaign, the dollar goal is well within reach, and while we have affected culture significantly, there is still much to be done.

At Scotch we measure the culture of philanthropy in six critical ways, all designed to prompt introspection and conversation. We set aside time to consider it as a philanthropy team twice a year, and as a Senior Leadership Team, annually. This helps us track progress, consider obstacles, and help us prioritise what we will and won’t do. Schools are incredibly busy places, and important as a culture of philanthropy is, it is never the only important thing an organisation grapples with.

Six Pillars to Measure a Culture of Philanthropy

1. Philanthropy is embedded in what we do – It is difficult enough to change culture, but it is impossible unless it is an identified priority. While embedding anything in everything is a tall order, at Scotch, philanthropy is articulated in the College’s Strategic Plan, is considered alongside the Infrastructure Master Plan and is a strategic priority for our Foundation Board. The Advancement Committee of Council reviews it at every meeting and there are regular briefings to the Senior Leadership Team.
2. Our leaders walk the talk – Organisational culture is influenced most heavily by leadership, and philanthropic culture is no different. You cannot have a culture of philanthropy if your leadership does not understand it, is not committed to it and, at the very least, does not take part in the form of giving they are most comfortable with. A sustainable culture of philanthropy is most observed in organisations that invest in supporting all leaders, including the Board, to understand ethical fundraising principles, and how their role and decisions impact on reaching fundraising success.
3. Fundraising is everyone’s job – This oftentimes gets the strongest response because we appoint people to do the things we cannot do, and it is difficult to ask people to do more when everyone’s job is harder than it used to be. By saying that fundraising is everyone’s job, I am referring to the way people think and talk about giving, philanthropy and fundraising within an organisation. It implies that everyone in the organisation’s community (not just fundraisers) have a role and responsibility to tell the organisation’s story – to engage donors, contribute personally to back belief in the organisation’s work, and to share examples of need and the impact that occurs when people give. This culture values the health and wellbeing of donors, and everyone is involved in providing great donor experiences, showing appreciation to donors, and celebrating the role they play in achieving the organisation’s purpose and goals.
4. Many people give cheerfully and joyfully – We have affected this pillar through celebrating participation, recognising every gift with a personal note in the receipt and being relentlessly positive about what we are doing and why we are doing it. Sometimes it is an effort, people change, and we feel like we are going over the same ground repeatedly, but relentless positivity covers a multitude of sins! It also allows many more people to experience and celebrate the joy of giving.
5. Donor experience and service is our top priority – Does your organisation put each donor (not just the biggest donors) at the centre of your organisation’s outreach efforts? Do you consider in-depth individual donors’ interests, motivations, and propensity to contribute to a cause? Do you respond quickly and effectively? Donor experience and service involves personalised relationships with donors and building trust with them by meeting them where they are. It involves knowing their dietary preferences and what years levels their children are in (not to mention spelling their names correctly). It also means constantly looking for ways to involve donors in the mission of the organisation. As your donor base grows, it also means using your database effectively so that you don’t get it wrong.
6. We celebrate the impact of every gift, big and small – Author Simone Joyaux said it best: ‘A culture of philanthropy means that everyone accepts and celebrates the beauty of philanthropy and donors, no matter the type or size of the gift.’ She goes on to explain that when both the corporate culture and systems to support fundraising are effective, the organisation flourishes. She reminds us that giving is an emotional act, not a financial transaction. Your organization is how your donors live out their own interests and aspirations. Isn’t that worth celebrating? At Scotch, once a year, every adult who has donated that year, regardless of the size of their donation, is invited to Thank You Drinks, and it is one of my favourite events of the year. We send out many more invites than we used to, but that is one of the best problems we have!

When Drucker wrote that “culture eats strategy for breakfast”, he wasn’t saying that strategy is irrelevant. Rather, he meant that the strategy an organisation employs will only be successful if supported by right cultural attributes. Recognising this, organisations with a culture of philanthropy see fundraising less as a transactional tactic and more as a way of operating—one that reflects the definition of philanthropy: A love of humankind and a voluntary joining of resources and action for the public good.