What are the most common mistakes made by an organization when looking for funding? In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast, I talked to Dulari Gandhi, a Program Officer at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and the CEO of D. Gandhi Communications.

As a money facilitator and an ambassador for organizations inside her institution, Dulari deeply believes in transparency, putting an end to the cycle of desperation, and having people with diverse backgrounds making decisions. Join this conversation and listen to this amazing expert and human give you an inside look at how foundations make decisions and give us all a call to action about how we can show up for this sector more strategically.

Episode highlights: 

(01:29) - Who is Dulari Gandhi? Her story in the nonprofit world and social impact communications. 

(08:18) - Is fundraising a gate-kept community? Why we need to have more diverse profiles making decisions.  

(12:05) - Funder Lenses: How is it finding an adequate partner from a funders perspective?

(17:31) - Convince a funder on a new alignment! : Researching, pitching a great proposal, and taking honest risks. 

(25:10) - How can grantees support their funders? Good practices to help your program officer be your ideal advocate. 

(34:40) - We are all in this together: Power dynamics between grantees and funders and the misconceptions of the system. 

(39:09) - Why scarcity mindset is your #1 enemy: The nonprofit’s perception of money + how to escape the cycle of desperation. 

(50:10) - Where to find Dulari and a last piece of advice: Take action and engage in local efforts for your community: 

If you’re wanting to implement ideas you heard, visit MalloryErickson.com/Podcast for the top tips and tools, full transcripts, quotes, videos, and additional resources from each episode.