Recently, we discovered Community Centric Fundraising (CCF) and cannot unsee it or 'unhear' other nonprofit folks talking about it, and that's for good reasons.
What is Community Centric Fundraising (CCF)
CCF isn't just another fundraising strategy; it's a shift. Rooted in equity and social justice, it prioritizes the community over individual organizational missions.
This model focuses on the community first, promoting a feeling of togetherness and mutual help among nonprofits. It's all about looking at the bigger picture and working together for the greater good.
10 Principals of Community-Centric Fundraising
- Fundraising must be grounded in race, equity, and social justice.
- Individual, organizational missions are not as important as the collective community.
- Nonprofits are generous with and mutually supportive of one another.
- All who engage in strengthening the community are equally valued, whether volunteers, staff, donors, or board members.
- Time is valued equally as money.
- Nonprofits treat donors as partners, meaning we are transparent and occasionally have difficult conversations.
- Nonprofits foster a sense of belonging, not othering.
- Nonprofits promote the understanding that everyone (donors, staff, funders, board members, volunteers) personally benefits from engaging in the work of social justice – it's not just charity and compassion.
- Nonprofits see social justice work as holistic and transformative, not transactional.
- Nonprofits recognize that healing and liberation require a commitment to economic justice.
What Resonated With Us
Although we're still wrapping our heads around how our work in storytelling aligns with all these principles, three principles resonated with us.
- Fundraising must be grounded in race, equity, and social justice.
- Nonprofits treat donors as partners, meaning we are transparent and occasionally have difficult conversations.
- Nonprofits promote the understanding that everyone (donors, staff, funders, board members, volunteers) personally benefits from engaging in the work of social justice – it's not just charity and compassion.
How We're Implementing CCF Principles
There are limitations regarding our influence on our nonprofit clients to embrace CCF. Nonprofit leaders within organizations have a more substantial influence on change and adoption of the CCF approach.
However, we are committed to elevating our storytelling approach by:
- Advising our clients on the importance of grounding fundraising in social justice principles.
- Recommending personalized storytelling methods that treat donors as partners, not just ATMs.
- Advocating for transparency and encouraging difficult but necessary conversations.
