Discerning Donors -- Born or Made?

PhilanthroMedia.org promotes the idea that some donors are more discerning than others. In essence, we try to speak to that community of folks who recognize that not all philanthropic gifts are equal. We promote what some folks call “strategic philanthropy” (a phrase that many other folks simply like to make fun of.) It’s the idea that some leaders are more effective than others, some organizations more clearly defined and driven by their constituents, some approaches more fruitful. Gifts and grants given to those more effective leaders and organizations have the capacity to achieve much more than those given to lesser leaders and organizations -- you get the idea.

Having headed the final four years of a ten-year, $30 million initiative at The Chicago Community Trust, I learned the hard way that discerning donors are made, not born. That’s because the dynamics underlying philanthropy have a tendency to warp every interaction they touch. If folks want money from you, they speak to you differently. It’s something you really have to experience to understand.

In my opinion, discerning donors must first make a good body of mistakes based on their illusions that they are immune to these dynamics because they are (choose one or more): minority, majority, old, young, working for “the man” or “the man” himself.

In my case, I had raised money a nickel and dime at a time and thought I would know how to promote authentic communication with grantees that would form the foundation for my insights as a grantmaker. While my sincere desire was to engage in such dialog, (especially compared to those foundation staffers who covey the impression that it’s their money to give away), it wasn’t a silver bullet for overcoming the inherent power imbalance.

I believe discerning donors are made, not born. What do you think?

Susan Herr