A Framework for Responsible Fundraising

In this episode of Change Loves Company, host Dominique and Maz Ahadiwand dive deep into what Responsible Fundraising actually looks like in practice beyond good intentions.

Maz explains responsible fundraising as a conscious, ethical, and sustainable approach that considers the full end-to-end impact of fundraising decisions on donors, beneficiaries, fundraisers, and the organisation itself. Rather than replacing existing systems, her framework helps organisations connect leadership, compliance, donor care, staff capacity, environmental impact, and long-term strategy so fundraising is consistent, values-aligned, and easier to sustain.

The conversation explores common sector challenges: siloed teams, reactive decision-making, pressure to chase “shiny new” tactics, burnout, and an over-reliance on short-term financial metrics. Maz and Dominique discuss why Responsible Fundraising must be embedded from the top down, measured in more than just income, and supported by feedback loops that actually lead to change.

They also reflect on the importance of donor experience moving away from guilt and scarcity, toward trust, transparency, respect, and the joy of giving and how Responsible Fundraising can improve retention, staff wellbeing, and long-term impact.

Maz shares how the framework is being piloted and invites the sector to collaborate, test, and evolve responsible fundraising as a shared practice rather than a one-off initiative.

Learn more at https://thefulldot.com.au/services

Transcript

Dominique: Welcome to the Change Loves Company podcast, where I sit down with creatives, fundraisers, social entrepreneurs, artists, and activists — all with one thing in common: they’re changing the world for the better through their work.

I’d like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land I’m recording on today, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, and pay my respects to elders past, present, and emerging. Always was, always will be.

Today I’m joined by Maz Ahadiwand, a certified fundraising executive and wellness practitioner with more than 15 years’ experience across the fundraising landscape in Australia and the UK. Maz is the founder of The Full Dot, a consultancy that blends Responsible Fundraising practice with holistic approaches to leadership and wellbeing.

Her work centres on creating fundraising cultures that balance compliance, ethics, and donor trust with staff wellbeing and long-term relational impact. Maz supports organisations to navigate rising donor expectations, regulatory demands, and internal pressures — without losing sight of values or mission. She also draws on training in holistic coaching, psychological wellbeing, yoga, and meditation to help fundraisers and leaders sustain their energy and reconnect with purpose.

Maz, thank you so much for joining us on Change Loves Company. It’s great to welcome you to the studio.

Maz: It’s a pleasure to be here.

Dominique: So Maz, you’ve had a little break from charity world — and you’ve come back sort of in full force. Tell me what caused the break, and why you came back?

Maz: Yeah. I’ve been in fundraising for 15 years, and I love fundraising and philanthropy — it’s everything that lights me up. It’s such an honour to work and use skills to enhance missions and help make the world a better place.

The thing I’ve always loved most — and what’s kept me in the sector so long — is the privilege of giving people the opportunity to experience the joy of giving. It’s the most beautiful thing to be part of, and it’s genuinely one of the best careers you can have.

In 2023 I had a baby and took some time off. When I came back, things felt really different. I was different too, so I was seeing everything differently — but the sector had shifted. That donor love, and helping people connect to the joy of giving, felt like less of a priority than it used to be.

Not long after, I got made redundant — and honestly, that cracked me open. I didn’t think I’d go back to fundraising, and I found myself doing yoga teacher training… not with the intent to become a yoga teacher. I wasn’t really sure what my intent was — but I ended up learning yogic philosophy and these really old scriptures. The wisdom in it made me view everything differently. It felt like connective tissue to everything I’d ever learned.

And when I looked at fundraising through that lens, I could see what had been missing — and I could see it differently. That’s how the concept of Responsible Fundraising came about. I ended up developing the Responsible Fundraising framework, and it wasn’t something I planned. It was more like an organic birthing from that journey. And that’s where I am now.

Dominique: Amazing. It’s so interesting when you step away from something and come back — your perspective shifts. You’ve had an experience, you’ve changed. And I think when you have children, you start thinking about the future differently — your own future, and the future of the planet.

Charities are inherently doing good — but they don’t always do the good… that well. So tell me more about Responsible Fundraising. What do you mean by that?

Maz: You’ve kind of hit the nail on the head. The intent is there — there is Responsible Fundraising happening all the time. We care so much, and we’re doing a lot really well. But fundraising is hard. There are evolving technologies, added pressures, cost pressures — and I don’t think we’re always set up to thrive in doing good.

So the framework came from asking: how do we enable ourselves to do good more easily — consistently, and sustainably?

Responsible Fundraising is the conscious practice of fundraising in an ethical, sustainable, and accountable way that uplifts all people involved — the fundraisers, the beneficiaries, the donors — while enhancing the mission.

So it’s not like it’s totally new — it’s what’s already happening — but the framework helps plug operational gaps so we can operate in a Responsible Fundraising way ongoing, in all that we do.

Dominique: And you’ve only just started out with this — you’re dipping your toe in. What are some of the key areas charities should be looking at if they want to get to a point where all aspects of their fundraising are genuinely responsible?

Maz: It can work at a macro or micro level. The big thing is it doesn’t replace what’s already happening — it joins the dots and plugs the gaps.

For example, if an organisation is about to start a new campaign — maybe a digital campaign or face-to-face fundraising — looking at it through a Responsible Fundraising lens helps ensure the full, holistic impact has been considered.

It looks at leadership and transparency: does this align with our goals? How are we measuring it? Do we have multidimensional measures of success, not just campaign performance?

It looks at the financial side: is it sustainable? Is it a good investment long-term?

It looks at staff capacity and capability: will this put pressure on staff? Do they have the skills?

And then it looks at compliance and integrity. Something like face-to-face has unique compliance needs — so bringing that together makes it easier to be compliant. But then it goes beyond compliance and asks: what’s the more ethical choice here?

It also looks at constituency care: the people we’re bringing on the journey, and the stories we’re telling. Are we telling stories truthfully? Are we using empowering tactics that teach the joy of giving — rather than guilting or bombarding people?

So it pulls it all together, end-to-end, through a Responsible Fundraising lens.

Dominique: I’ve worked in the space for about 22 years, and so many organisations still do things in a very ad hoc way. They respond to outside forces without really planning, strategising, or checking organisational capacity. There’s pressure to be innovative — especially if one program isn’t working.

This feels like a way to stop, take a beat, and look holistically before jumping into the shiny new thing.

Maz: Exactly. We understand why those pressures are there. This is a conscious breath — to think about long-term impact — but not in a way that creates more work. Ideally it becomes easier because everything sits under one framework.

Instead of compliance sitting in one corner, and donor thanking in another corner, and campaign strategy somewhere else — it’s all pulled together. And it becomes an ongoing practice, not something you “implement” and forget.

Dominique: Yeah — not a report sitting in a drawer. When we were preparing for this interview, you mentioned you felt a little reluctant to bring in the yoga side for fear of sounding a bit airy fairy. But it is a big part of the story. What did you draw from it?

Maz: Yoga was a key component in how I got here — but it’s not the only influence. I’ve been inspired by Adrian Sargent and Jen Shang at the Institute of Sustainable Fundraising and their work on philanthropic psychology, the Conscious Leadership Group, and the work Bambuddha is doing in responsible leadership. There’s a lot of research behind what fed into this — it’s not reinventing the wheel.

But yoga helped me shift how I approached Responsible Fundraising. Some key aspects are the yamas and niyamas — moral guidelines in the Yoga Sutra — especially ahimsa, non-harming.

We don’t intend to harm in this sector. Of course we don’t. But when there are gaps — like not honouring donor preferences, or poor data processes — harm happens. It might be small, but collectively, across the sector, it’s real harm to donors and to trust.

So I asked: how do we operate from a place where we aren’t causing harm at all?

And also — how do we stop operating from fear, guilt, panic, scarcity? There’s a lot of that in the sector. But what if we designed fundraising vehicles that allowed people to feel uplifted and enhanced — without compromising what we need to raise?

For me there was also dharma — purpose. This felt organic. It came from my skills, my influences, my experience — and once it was birthed, it felt like: okay, let’s put it out there.

And I really hope the sector collaborates to enhance it — to bring back joy and alignment to values for fundraisers. One of the measures of success is keeping staff longer — because they’re not being put in positions that compromise their integrity, even unintentionally.

Dominique: In larger organisations especially, different divisions come at this from very different angles. Finance is saying don’t overspend. The board wants innovation. Fundraising is trying to keep the basics running. The goals aren’t always aligned.

Maz: Yes — and that’s why we need a framework that becomes the thread between it all. So everyone operates from the same page.

Dominique: Another thing for me is environmental impact. Sometimes you get an acquisition pack full of plastic, or you go to a gala dinner and see the waste. For some charities, environment doesn’t seem to matter — and I get it’s not their cause — but do you see Responsible Fundraising as bringing that “responsible across the board” lens too?

Maz: Definitely. And I think Responsible Fundraising doesn’t necessarily stop evidence-based practices — like acquisition packs — but it connects them to the organisation’s values and policies.

So it might not mean “don’t do it.” It might mean do it with a different supplier, change how it’s produced, evaluate it properly, and build feedback loops that don’t just go into a void — they come back and drive strategic change.

Often the disconnect happens because there’s no mechanism to connect those pieces. People make decisions in silos without realising the broader impact.

Dominique: Do you think this has to be driven top-down — boards and leadership — or can fundraising teams drive it?

Maz: I think there has to be a top-down element. If it’s not in strategy and KPIs and filtering down, it won’t be embedded.

Fundraisers already try to operate in a Responsible Fundraising way as best they can. But implementing it in one silo doesn’t sustain. It needs the larger structure. It needs everyone working in the same way. It has to be embedded across fundraising and marketing — and supported from the top.

Dominique: And there needs to be a shared understanding. If you ask fundraisers, “Are you fundraising responsibly?” most will say yes. But if you drill down, it’s probably yes in some areas, and not in others.

So the framework sounds like scaffolding — building on what’s already good.

Maz: Exactly. The processes are often already there. For example, donor feedback mechanisms exist — but maybe there’s no structure for turning feedback into change. So it’s about completing the loop.

The sector’s intent is strong. You’re not teaching irresponsible people to be responsible — you’re asking: how do we make it sustainable, and how do we make it easier to do?

Because it’s getting harder — more compliance, emerging tech, higher expectations. The framework needs to be a living thing that evolves, because without support, it’s exhausting. And we’re losing good fundraisers to burnout.

Dominique: This could become something people ask about in job interviews: “Do you practice Responsible Fundraising?” Because so many people start a job in a charity and quickly realise it’s not what they were told.

Maz: Yes — and it’s also for donors. If donors understood organisations are moving toward Responsible Fundraising, it builds trust. Right now, donors often focus on cost of fundraising, which isn’t always the right metric. If Responsible Fundraising becomes another measure — ethical, sustainable practice — that gives donors another reason to support an organisation.

It helps fundraisers vet workplaces, and it helps donors choose who they trust.

Dominique: I remember Ken Burnett’s work on donor experience — when you actually listen to donors, it’s an eye-opener. How does donor input sit inside the framework?

Maz: One of the pillars is constituency care and respect — alongside leadership and transparency, and integrity and compliance. And constituency care isn’t just donors — it’s volunteers, advocates, anyone exchanging energy with the organisation, financially or not.

It’s about building feedback mechanisms that don’t disappear into a void — and knowing how to turn feedback into change.

And it’s about multidimensional measures of success — not just financial performance. Things like satisfaction, commitment, retention. Because otherwise we might say a campaign was a success because we acquired lots of people — but we have no idea how they feel or whether we’ll keep them.

Dominique: Exactly. I meet organisations with thousands of regular givers who haven’t been properly engaged since the original acquisition push. It’s such a wasted opportunity. It’s harder and more expensive to get new donors than to keep people happy.

And the churn in the sector makes it hard. People come and go in 6–18 months. You can’t see things through, and you don’t see the impact of your decisions.

Maz: Yes. And charities are often operating on a shoestring. Corners get cut, not because people don’t care, but because they can’t invest in roles like donor insights or infrastructure.

When you’re under pressure from rising donor expectations, cost scrutiny, and short-term financial planning, it’s really hard.

That’s why I hope this supports the sector — not because organisations don’t know what’s missing, but because they’ve probably tried, and there have been failed attempts at sustaining it. The framework’s value is seeing it all as interconnected, and making it easier.

Dominique: And there’s also the issue of people getting bored after planning — or not seeing quick returns — so they abandon it and move to the next thing.

Maz: Exactly. That’s why measures and monitoring matter. You need to see signs of success and feedback. If donor retention is a metric, how are we measuring it? How often are we reviewing it?

Once you start seeing fruits from this way of working, you can trust the long-term vision. But you have to monitor and measure it.

And again, it’s not redefining what doesn’t exist — it’s bringing it together.

Dominique: It also comes back to supporters wanting to feel good about helping. People are passionate. They want to do something. They want to donate. And fundraising is a privilege — giving people that opportunity.

Maz: A hundred percent. It’s a real privilege. And it’s what our world needs: service, connection, reminding us of our oneness.

A lot of people don’t know what it feels like to give in a way that enhances their wellbeing. I love the philanthropic psychology work happening — the idea that fundraising can make people feel good, enrich them, not deplete them.

In gifts and wills, that journey is often done really well. But single giving is more transactional. With $5, it’s hard to know how much an organisation can invest in the journey — but there’s room for improvement.

These are beautiful experiences we get to design for people, to connect them to something bigger than themselves.

Dominique: And it doesn’t have to be fancy. I often tell organisations: make a donation to your own charity and see what happens. Is the form easy? Do you get thanked? Do you hear anything else?

Sometimes it’s surprisingly hard to donate. Or you donate and hear nothing. And it comes back to resources and focus.

Maz: It seems simple — “just thank them” — but to do that you need clean data, processes, comms written, the ability to send it, maybe automation, the technology, the skillset. It’s not that easy when you break it down.

And under pressure to keep expenditure low while raising more money, those things fall down the priority list — in favour of acquisition or shiny new things. Conferences can even feed that — we get excited about the new, while the fundamentals aren’t fixed.

Dominique: Sometimes big organisations have resources, and tiny charities can build deep relationships because the database is small. It’s the middle group — small teams, bigger databases — where things fall through the cracks.

Maz: Yes — and also growing teams. New staff come in, programs grow fast — and it’s hard to keep a Responsible Fundraising infrastructure embedded while scaling.

Money makes everything easier — but then you’d get kickback for spending too much. So it’s about scaling without compromising integrity and service, and without doing things just for the sake of growth.

Dominique: Exactly — getting bigger for the sake of it. Who are we serving? What do we actually need to do the good in the world?

So to finish up — what’s next for your Responsible Fundraising framework? You’re trialling it with an organisation?

Maz: Yes — we’re working with one organisation that’s very aligned to Responsible Fundraising, on certain projects and programs.

But I’d love more collaboration — people who want to enhance it, road-test it, give input. There are so many thought leaders who could contribute. If anyone is interested, I’d gladly open that up.

And I’d love to pilot it with organisations looking at their full fundraising and marketing teams — testing implementation, learning what needs improvement.

I hope it becomes something the sector can own, rather than something driven just by me. If it’s going to really work, it needs a lot of clever cookies involved. That’s the next step.

Dominique: Fantastic. I look forward to hearing what happens next. Maz, thank you so much for joining Change Loves Company in the studio today.

Maz: Thank you so much.

Dominique: It’s been lovely having you.

Maz: Thank you. Pleasure.