By Tami Bohannon, vice president of philanthropy
When we think of philanthropy, words that come to mind include generosity, altruism, charity, kindness, compassion, and social conscience. A culture of philanthropy is where everyone in the organization embraces these words in their behavior, believes in the organization's mission and acts as an ambassador for the agency.
They can articulate the mission, the values, and the impact and difference their commitment and passion makes in the community. Philanthropy becomes every person’s responsibility, not just one department, and is integrated in everything they do.
Telling the Inspirational Story
It is something you feel, hear, and see when you walk in the door or talk with an employee, a client, a volunteer, board member or someone in the community. Through a culture of philanthropy, donors, our cherished partners, feel engaged and deeply connected with the mission of the agency.
It allows us to build a stronger, trusted and collaborative relationship with our donors, and we can share how we are truly making an impact with their contributions. Conversations shift away from raising money to serving the mission. As such, the most important result of a culture of philanthropy is sustainability of the mission. After all, fundraising at its essence is not so much about raising money as it is about ensuring that the wonderful heart-felt work and positive impact continues.
Rome Was Not Built in a Day
At Catholic Charities, we are moving toward a culture of philanthropy to ensure the sustainability of our mission. We’ve heard the saying that “Rome was not built in a day,” and so it goes as we work to build a culture of philanthropy. We have taken many steps in the right direction, but there is more work to be done – including building awareness of what we do.
One First Step
One of these steps is our new You Make Miracles Happen Tour where you can learn more about Catholic Charities and our programs. Right now, we have started them in Maricopa county and are looking to expand them in the future. The tours are on the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of every month at our Administrative Service Center located at 4747 N. 7th Avenue in Phoenix.
Please consider coming on a tour and/or inviting others to take part. You can get more information here.
