ABSTRACT Community‐centric fundraising is an emerging fundraising approach that aims to decenter donors, broaden the base of fundraising support, and incorporate social justice values into the development process. This research is designed to understand the ethical tensions that organizations face when considering donor‐ or community‐centric approaches to fundraising, the challenges and benefits of these approaches, and the processes by which organizations are transitioning from donor‐centered fundraising (DCF) to community‐centric fundraising (CCF) approaches. Interviews with 11 Seattle‐area fundraisers reveal the important role that the fundraiser plays in catalyzing change within their organization, working with external stakeholders, and building trust with the community to involve them in the development process. Interviews also revealed the importance of centering values of race, equity, and social justice throughout the entire organization as a baseline for implementing the other CCF principles. An antecedent–process–outcome model of transitioning from DCF to CCF is proposed.
Jowell et al. (Mon,) studied this question.