Write On’s Origin Story (Why We Are)
Write On’s Origin Story (Why We Are)
By Lindsay Jordan
After a decade of nonprofit fundraising, I was tired.
I was tired of unrealistic expectations.
Tired of watching talented colleagues bounce from role to role or leave the sector entirely.
Tired of being told to “get the board to fundraise” when some members wouldn’t even read a financial report.
Tired of being asked to do more with less.
Tired of watching visionary leaders pushed out by dysfunctional boards.
Tired of having no advancement pathways or meaningful professional development opportunities.
And most of all, I was tired of feeling like I was the only feeling like this.
I love fundraising. But I was exhausted by the ecosystem in which I was expected to perform my best. I knew there had to be a better way.
The nonprofit system is flawed at its core. It’s built on a power imbalance that dates back to Andrew Carnegie’s “haves and have-nots”—an outdated model that positions those with wealth as the gatekeepers, and nonprofits as the petitioners. In this dynamic, true autonomy and authority break down.
But here’s the truth: nonprofits wield immense power.
With nearly two million organizations across the country, the nonprofit sector employs almost 10% of the private workforce and generates $3.7 trillion in annual revenue—more than 16% of the U.S. GDP. According to Visual Capitalist, this surpasses the real estate, manufacturing, finance, and wholesale trade sectors.
And yet, fundraisers are expected to spend 40 hours writing a grant proposal for $2,500 (barely enough to cover admin costs) and then steward that donor like royalty. This is what we call suspended belief: when something so radical becomes so normalized that we no longer recognize its harm.
The nonprofit sector is in a cultural crisis - one deeply rooted in how our missions are funded. That’s why I founded Write On Fundraising: to change how money gets raised.
We call our approach Philanthropic Equity, a model that recalibrates power in fundraising relationships and centers community, collaboration, and sustainability. Here’s how we do it:
1. We Create Onramps for Donors
At Write On Fundraising, we invite donors to become partners - not saviors. A donor isn’t "the reason a child won’t go hungry tonight.” They are part of a collective that nourishes a family. It’s not a donor’s heroism that matters in an emergency. It’s the shared care of a community coming together to rebuild.
We center collective impact over individual charity. Through language, imagery, and storytelling, we shift the narrative from scarcity to abundance. This simple, powerful reframing invites donors to join a movement - not just write a check.
2. We Model a Healthy Fundraising Culture and Share It Freely
We don’t just talk about equity - we live it. Our internal practices reflect the culture we want to see sector-wide:
Stipends for professional development
Annual Hackathons
Modern collaboration tools (Slack, Asana, Google Suite)
“Growing Together” DEIB programming
Fair work policies
And we don’t gatekeep. Many of these resources are available to download directly from our website at The Fundraising Nook.
3. We Raise Awareness About the Nonprofit Industrial Complex (NPIC)
Through our newsletter, blog, and social media channels, we call out harmful practices in the nonprofit sector and offer practical, equity-based alternatives. For example:
The NPIC: Fundraisers should raise their salary in a year.
Philanthropic Equity: It takes 36 months to close a major gift. Fundraisers need time and support.
The NPIC: Our nonprofit does this work best and deserves this grant.
Philanthropic Equity: Community partnerships lead to shared impact and bigger gifts.
The NPIC: Boards must fundraise or else.
Philanthropic Equity: Help board members find their best-fit role in the fundraising cycle and train them.
The NPIC: We must raise more money this year than we raised last year, even though our expenses have not increased.
Philanthropic Equity: Use data to set realistic, sustainable goals.
The NPIC: Expect to replace fundraisers every 18 months (the national average).
Philanthropic Equity: Retain fundraisers for 3+ years to allow growth and relationship-building.
The NPIC: Fundraising shouldn’t cost anything.
Philanthropic Equity: Invest in tools and training - it’s cheaper to keep a donor than to find a new one.
The NPIC: Fundraising is the job of fundraisers only.
Philanthropic Equity: Involve the whole team. Cross-department collaboration strengthens development.
The NPIC: Use trauma imagery to provoke donations.
Philanthropic Equity: Center dignity. Tell stories of hope and opportunity.
The NPIC: Ask donors to give anything they can.
Philanthropic Equity: Invite donors to make a meaningful, specific contribution that reflects real impact
4. We Advocate for Policy and Procedural Change
Nonprofits are often hesitant to challenge funders out of (justifiable) fear of jeopardizing critical support. As a for-profit partner, Write On Fundraising takes on that risk.
We advocate directly with funders to:
Simplify and clarify grant application processes
Encourage Donor-Advised Fund holders to release funds into the community
Push private foundations to distribute beyond the minimum 5% requirement
In 2023, private foundations gave $103 billion—but that’s a fraction of the $1.48 trillion they currently hold. Donor-Advised Funds sit on another $250 billion, with limited transparency around disbursements. That money is earmarked for charitable work - it just hasn’t moved.
The Bottom Line
Fundraising must change.
The culture around fundraising must change.
The way nonprofits present themselves to donors must change.
The flow of philanthropic dollars—especially those already tax-deducted—must change.
There are no “have-nots” anymore. Collectively, nonprofits have more than $1.5 trillion sitting in accounts, waiting to be distributed. And that doesn’t include the billions in annual giving that Americans are known for.
At Write On Fundraising, we’re not just here to raise money.
We’re here to reimagine how money gets raised.
