I know that we need organizers and attorneys and social workers. But none of these positions needs to be exempt from fundraising, and someone needs to be the main person in charge of that fundraising. Now I'm going to tell you why people think fundraising isn't cool, and why they're wrong. Let's admit it, fundraisers are regarded with the same mixture of admiration, loathing, suspicion, and awe with which we in America regard money itself. And this explains some of the problems in attracting people to fundraising positions.
Money is one of the great taboos of our culture.
We are taught not to talk about it or ask about it, except to a very limited number of people in a very limited number of circumstances. As with the subjects of sex, death, mental illness, religion, politics and other taboos, people say little about their experiences with money. If people are so carefully taught that it is rude to talk about money, it's certainly not going to be easy to ask for money. Organizations cannot do their work without money. An organization that does not have enough money to accomplish its goals winds up wasting the time of its volunteers and staff, and possibly hurting the constituency it claims to be working for.