2025 threw a curveball to the non-profit sector. The dismantling of USAID changed the funding landscape across the globe. Organizations had to pivot, and fundraising had to change. For people working in fundraising/ development, pressure mounted calling for new approaches. 

In this episode, we get down with Cher-Wen Dewitt to talk about pivot in the funding landscape and what we can hope for the future. Cher-Wen is a cross-functional social impact strategist and philanthropic advisor with over 15 years of multi-sector roles in various organizations.  Current Director of Development at Imagine Worldwide, she is also a board member of Fundibots, Akirachix, and also served on the board of NEID (Network of Engaged International Donors). As a Global Health Corps Fellow, she has served with PIH in Rwanda, One Acre Fund, Flippable, and Segal Family Foundation.

At the core of fundraising is a realisation that it is about people and relationships. Those on the donor/ funder side are people like us and what they’re yearning for is an understanding of what they do, their priorities, and how that can match that of a prospective innovator. When those things align, then funding can be unlocked. Conventional fundraising tip is to have a perfect pitch. The temptation is that when we meet a new prospect, we spew this memorized pitch and hardly stop to allow the other person to ask questions. She advises that we aim for a conversation.  Make the encounter human. “Do not waste an in-person opportunity with something that can be communicated in a document”, she says. This, among other nuggets, is what you can expect in this episode as you cut your teeth as an effective fundraiser and development professional. Let’s know what you think.