How Close is Too Close? The Pros and Cons of Deep Relationship Building in Fundraising

Industry-wide, we encourage fundraisers to build deep, authentic relationships with donors. As we do so, are we turning a blind eye on emotional labor, invasion of privacy and risk to fundraiser safety? In effort to build deep, trusted relationships, is there a risk of losing objectivity over fundraising strategy? How can we avoid exploiting our fundraisers’ trust in our donors to respect their boundaries? This workshop raises awareness of the downside of building close relationships with nonprofit donors. It may be time to rethink our recommendations. We’ll outline red flags and offer ideas for conversation with your colleagues.