“I’m not asking for ME...”

Sometimes it seems like everyone has something to say about fundraising. But it’s not often that we get to hear development directors and executive directors offer their most candid thoughts on the challenges and the deep rewards of raising the resources needed to drive social change. In this video, 11 leaders from organizations working on issues from LGBT equality to immigrant rights reflect on what it takes to raise money from individual donors, what inspires them about the work, what keeps them up at night, and more. It’s an intimate and inspiring portrait of an essential—if often maligned—part of the social sector’s work.

Through the voices of these leaders, we gain a truer understanding that fundraising is about much more than donor lists and direct marketing. It’s about engaging donors as partners in the work of social change, and ensuring that the responsibility for raising funds is shared throughout organizations and movements.

To learn more about the fundraising challenges facing the social sector, along with recommendations for change, see the UnderDeveloped report produced by CompassPoint and the Haas, Jr. Fund.