Decoding Friction Points with Funders: A Primer for Social Entrepreneurs

Almost all of us who work as social entrepreneurs have had an experience with funders that doesn't make sense or that leaves us deeply dispirited.   The video for this post seeks to decode some of the key dynamics going on beneath the surface in the conversations that social entrepreneurs have with funders.    

This post is addressed to social entrepreneurs, but whatever role you play in the ecosystem of philanthropy and social change, if you care about doing philanthropy differently and better, a great leverage point is  getting more curious about what's really going on for funders and social entrepreneurs as they engage with each other.

The video begins by walking through a taxonomy of the different kinds of funders--and the different roles that staff and advisors play within the funder world.  It goes on to explore frameworks for understanding donor motivations and concludes by sharing a tool for engaging in "powerful conversations" that move from a transactional frame to a transformative one.