The author, a former CEO of Hollyhock and now Principal at Uncommon Partners, reflects on common fundraising mistakes among retreat centers—especially the desperate search for wealthy donors without a clear strategy. They argue that effective fundraising isn’t about chasing billionaires but about aligning purpose and activities with funders’ social investment goals.

Philanthropy today is seen as social investing, where donors want measurable impact aligned with their values. Successful fundraising happens when a retreat center’s mission (its “purpose”) and programs (“activities”) clearly demonstrate that shared vision.

The author outlines a framework:

• 60%: Clarify and live your true purpose.

• 20%: Identify your funding model and align activities with funders’ impact goals.

• 20%: Build authentic relationships with aligned “social investors.”

Ultimately, when organizations lead with coherence and purpose, they attract the right funders naturally, moving from charity-seeking to partnership-building.

RCC and Peace Through Action USA invite retreat centers to apply to be prospective AmeriCorps member service sites in Peace Through Action’s upcoming application for AmeriCorps funding.

On this Community Call, we explored RCC's role as a mutual partner with retreat centers and how establishing formal partnerships might pave a clearer path for collaborative fundraising efforts.

We chose two emerging topics for our discussion this week, and spent time in small group discussions together with our hosts, Justine Johnson and Maureen Connors. Click to learn more and watch the video.