The Influential Nonprofit: Episode 121: Rhea Wong: Executive Directors As Fundraisers
Rhea helps non-profits raise more money. Though she has deep experience with institutional, corporate, and event fund-raising, she is passionate about major individual donors and helping organizations to establish individual giving programs.
She has raised millions of dollars in private philanthropy and is passionate about building the next generation of fundraising leaders. She has become a leader in the New York nonprofit community and is a frequent educational commentator in the media. She has been recognized with the SmartCEO Brava Award in 2015 and NY Nonprofit Media’s 40 under 40 in 2017.
Stay sovereign and hold your value no matter what the outcome is. Who you are creates what you do and not the other way around. Hold on to your inherent value as a human being and remember that you cannot change other people’s minds.
The primary role of an executive director is to be the chief fundraiser. If you are an Executive Director, you’ve got to note what are the things that are taking up your time and see which of these can be delegated so that you can focus on fundraising.
Don’t waste your time trying to persuade people to care about your cause or perfecting your pitch. People partner with organizations that they trust and that care about things that they care about.
There’s no magical “development fairy”. If you’re hiring a development director, that means that you are committing to fundraising more while your development director gets rid of all the obstacles. The purpose of all that is for you to focus on the most important things.
What you have is who you are in your being and from the being you do things. But whether or not the results or the outcomes come in the way that you want, it doesn't mean that you are less than or more than.
Executive directors are the chief fundraisers. As executive directors you are the face of the brand, you are the spokesperson for the organization. If you are not actively fundraising, I would say you're probably not doing your job.
Now, I don't know about you, but I've never given off the back of someone's magical words. I've given because it's a cause I care about, [or] because somebody I love has asked me to give. A pitch has never done it for me.”
Reach out to Rhea Wong at:
Website: https://www.rheawong.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rheawong/
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