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Great question! Answer in a thread:
1. In my previous life as a practitioner my shops were not supportive of presenting, so I had to ask for vacation time to present. Paying out of pocket for the privilege of career advancement. https://twitter.com/CaitlinCFRE/status/1283074749229346817
1. In my previous life as a practitioner my shops were not supportive of presenting, so I had to ask for vacation time to present. Paying out of pocket for the privilege of career advancement. https://twitter.com/CaitlinCFRE/status/1283074749229346817
2. Many practitioners are expert "do-ers" but haven't been supported to grow either presentation skills or given the time to unpack why they are so good at what they do.
(This is exactly why we need to encourage fundraisers to present early in their careers )
(This is exactly why we need to encourage fundraisers to present early in their careers )
3. Most conferences operate on a "submit your session" system and submissions are managed by volunteer committees.
Experienced speakers know how to create good titles, content and are diligent about submitting on time - while busy practitioners often miss deadlines.
Experienced speakers know how to create good titles, content and are diligent about submitting on time - while busy practitioners often miss deadlines.
4. There is no incentive for practitioners to present.
They are often paying out of pocket to attend the conference and no one but keynote speakers gets paid.
This is an unspoken challenge for all nonprofit associations as they consider what changing this system looks like.
They are often paying out of pocket to attend the conference and no one but keynote speakers gets paid.
This is an unspoken challenge for all nonprofit associations as they consider what changing this system looks like.
5. There is more incentive for consultants to present.
While there is still no payment, everyone knows presenting at conferences is really a form of business development. Good consultants balance value and bizdev.. but until this system is changed, that is the reality.
While there is still no payment, everyone knows presenting at conferences is really a form of business development. Good consultants balance value and bizdev.. but until this system is changed, that is the reality.
6. Most conferences and associations aren't in the talent growth business.
Non-fundraisers, introvert roles ( prospect research, database management ), adjacent players ( finance and gift processing ) are invisible and don't know how to submit - speaking doesn't = PD for them.
Non-fundraisers, introvert roles ( prospect research, database management ), adjacent players ( finance and gift processing ) are invisible and don't know how to submit - speaking doesn't = PD for them.
Thank you for asking the question.
These aren't easy answers, I work for an association struggles with all of this and I myself am a frequent speaker.
Some solution ideas besides the obvious:
These aren't easy answers, I work for an association struggles with all of this and I myself am a frequent speaker.
Some solution ideas besides the obvious:
1. Calls to "pay all speakers!!" right now from a lot of perspectives, equity is one of them.
But in the current conference model, that math doesn't work. Associations largest revenue is tied to this model.
Good news, conferences just got broken - let's build back better!
But in the current conference model, that math doesn't work. Associations largest revenue is tied to this model.
Good news, conferences just got broken - let's build back better!
2. Frequent & famous speakers - it's time to push ourselves to co-speak and lift up new voices and extend our brands and social-capital to those you are actively mentoring ( and I know so many consultants do this )
If you're being mentored, ask them to do this in 2021
If you're being mentored, ask them to do this in 2021
3. Associations and networks need to create stage time for new speakers. The brilliant team at @afptoronto built this on-ramp called "Speaker Development Series" https://afptoronto.org/blog/tag/speaker-discovery-night-series/ that then created new #AFPCongress voices - I was proud to be a coach in this series.
4. Leaders - you are mentoring a young professional right now who is a star, and you know it.
Ask them to put down the phone ( Instagram, no one under 30 is using this dinosaur platform ) and lift up their voice.
Help them submit, coach them on the talk.
Ask them to put down the phone ( Instagram, no one under 30 is using this dinosaur platform ) and lift up their voice.
Help them submit, coach them on the talk.
5. In Canada, thanks to consultants like @DavidKravinchuk @johnlepp @agentjenlove @fundraisermaeve @st_digital - THEY created new unconferences to do all of this; pay all speakers, lift up new voices, create diversity onramps, engage the adjacent players - we need to support them
I'm just one person, one voice, and I fully acknowledge I've come up in a system that's part of the problem.
But I'm excited to be working on dismantling that system and have even changed my job to actively work on building a new one.
Thanks for asking, thanks for reading.
But I'm excited to be working on dismantling that system and have even changed my job to actively work on building a new one.
Thanks for asking, thanks for reading.
