Fundraising think tank Rogare has begun a project looking issues related to gender.
It has published the first in a series of articles exploring gender issues today, defining key terms like gender, sexism and privilege.
The project is being led by Caoileann Appleby, strategy director at Ask Direct, a creative agency and associate member of Rogare, and will publish short blogs on Rogare’s Critical Fundraising page.
Appleby said: “We are not here to give definitive answers but to raise awareness of the issues, encourage better conversations and discussions grounded in better knowledge, and help point those of us eager to enact change towards the most effective ways to do that.
“Gender in fundraising is an issue that had been simmering for many years before the #MeToo movement and the scandals of the Presidents Club fundraising dinner and Oxfam’s safeguarding failures caused it to boil over.
"Now there is evidence from the US that something like 25 per cent of female fundraisers have been subjected to sexually inappropriate behaviour.
“It is clear that as a profession we urgently need to tackle gender issues and work to improve how we protect and develop all fundraisers.
"Not only for our benefit, but also for our organisations and beneficiaries.”
The Gender Issues in Fundraising project
Posts within the Gender Issues in Fundraising (GIF) project include:
- Introducing Rogare's project on Gender Issues in Fundraising, by Caoileann Appleby
- Gender Issues in Fundraising – Terminology 101, by Ruth Smyth and Heather Hill
- Gender Issues in Fundraising – Sexual harassment and violence, by Caoileann Appleby
- A section on diversity by Ashley Belanger in the Critical Fundraising (USA) Report
- Rogare project on donor dominance, led by Heather Hill
The project will consider how feminist ethics can apply to fundraising and look at how gender pay gap, donor dominance, and the process of so-called ‘feminisation’ apply to fundraising.
Ian MacQuillin, Rogare’s director said: “These challenges are some of the most important the fundraising sector faces and practitioners and fundraising leaders quite rightly want to take action to make change.
"What we are aiming to ensure with this project is that whatever change happens is grounded in the existing theory and evidence.”
Fundraising Magazine launches #AtWhatCost campaign against sexual harassment
On the back of recent powerful articles about sexual harassment and coercion, next month Fundraising Magazine will be launching its #AtWhatCost campaign.
Primarily the campaign is to raise awareness of the extent of the problem and focus the minds of leaders on how to protect their staff, put protocols in place whereby complaints can be voiced and to become sensitised to their concerns.
As part of the campaign, the magazine will be carrying articles addressing this issue, looking at what organisations are doing, and what more they can or should do.
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