When I started working in the philanthropy space, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Coming from a marketing background, I was comfortable with branding, storytelling, and audience engagement—but the world of fundraising? That was all new to me.

Terms like “major gifts,” “donor engagement,” and “planned giving” were thrown around during the onboarding process, and I quickly realized I had a lot to learn. I assumed fundraising was about asking people for money—how hard could that be? As long as an organization had a great mission, wouldn’t people naturally want to support it?

It didn’t take me long to realize that philanthropy is far more complex. While I understood how to connect with an audience through marketing, I hadn’t fully grasped the depth of relationship building, research, and strategic engagement that goes into successful fundraising.

I found myself asking:

• What actually motivates someone to give?
• How do fundraisers build long-term relationships with donors?
• What role does storytelling play in inspiring generosity?

That’s where Launch came in.

Even though I’m not a fundraiser, I knew that understanding the core principles of philanthropy would make me a much stronger marketer. I was able to take Launch classes at my own pace, providing a structured and easy-to-follow approach to learning the fundamentals of fundraising, including why donors give and how organizations can build connections that last.

Here’s a few things I learned through Launch:

• Fundraising isn’t just about asking—it’s about inspiring. People don’t give simply because they’re asked; they give because they feel deeply connected to a cause. For most, connection to a cause is the result of a life-changing experience and drives a desire to make a difference. Uncovering those connections and identifying related passions are key to inspiring philanthropic action.
• There’s an art to understanding donor motivations. Becoming a donor is about more than financial capacity—there are deep psychological and emotional factors driving meaningful philanthropy. Discovering this helped me think about my role in a new way and realize the power of impact-driven storytelling.
• Marketing and fundraising go hand in hand. The best fundraisers are also great communicators—creating compelling donor messages, engaging audiences through various channels, and sharing stories are all essential skills in philanthropy.

After completing Launch, I feel more confident in my role. I’m not out there making asks, but I now understand the bigger philanthropic picture and how my work plays a part. Marketing is about more than promoting an organization or a cause—it’s about helping connect people with a mission in a way that feels truly meaningful and personal.

If you’re new to the world of philanthropy, Launch is an incredible tool to help you understand the basics of advancement, foundational tactics for donor engagement, philanthropic mindsets, and other, more advanced concepts. It’s the guide I wish I had on my first day—it helped accelerate my marketing skills and launched me in the right direction.