On November 11, 2011 I attended a lecture by author and fundraising guru Dan Pallotta. The lecture was part of a series called “Change the Conversation”, and was presented by the Lancaster County Community Foundation. Pallotta is acknowledged as the inventor of the multi-day fundraising model for AIDS Rides and the Breast Cancer 3-Day events. He is also the author of the book “Uncharitable”, in which he challenges America to think differently about the way nonprofits are run and they way nonprofit managers are compensated. (Pallotta has been criticized by some for demanding large compensations for himself and his fundraising company Advertising for Humanity.)

Pallotta’s lecture focuses on many issues brought up in his book, including:

• Why the public should stop asking “What percentage of my donation goes to “overhead”, and start asking “Do your programs make a difference?”
• Why nonprofits should be able to take the same risks for-profit companies do in order to thrive in today’s competitive economy

Pallotta is currently working on a new book and creating a Charity Defense Council. Among its many initiatives, this council will create an anti-defamation league, lobby for a national civil rights act for charities, and launch a national public ad campaign to educate donors about what “overhead” really is.

I thought this lecture was incredibly thought provoking, and in such an uncertain environment for nonprofit organizations, I love hearing new and innovative ideas like Dan Pallotta’s. It challenged me to think differently about sites like Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau, and risk-taking in the nonprofit sector. I know the video is about an hour long, but if you have some free time, you should watch it! I’m excited to see what Pallotta comes out with next.

This post was written by Mallory Oxberry.