AVI USA’s Second Auroville Partner Training
Every donor relationship is fundamentally a personal relationship.
Every relationship is rooted in love.
–Matthew & Binah
These two complementary concepts were the core of AVI USA’s second partner training in Auroville, held on October 16, 2024. The workshop was led by Matthew Andrews, Executive Director and President of AVI USA and Binah Thillairaj, AVI USA’s Director of Development. The training was held for our Auroville Partners partially in preparation for our December Matching Campaign, whose theme is “double the love.”
As a follow-up to the previous donor focused workshop held in March, Matthew and Binah introduced new themes in donor relationships, themes that aim to bring donor connections, a topic common to the nonprofit world, into the realm of spiritual development, and hold it in alignment with Auroville’s ideals.
The workshop focused on developing heart-centered donor relationships rooted in care and compassion, and opening an invitation to donors to be part of the exciting environment of the initiatives they support. It encouraged our Auroville partners to take the same focus they put on the quality of their work and use the same devotion in their efforts to grow a family of supporters.
Matthew articulated the workshop’s primary challenge:
We have to shift from a linear relationship rooted in the mind to a heart-centered relationship. The essential questions to ask of ourselves about a donor are:
How can I serve them?
What can I offer them?
How can I care for them?
Following Auroville’s own journey into the evolution of consciousness, these concepts and questions create a new paradigm for defining donor relationships. They mark a departure from traditional, one dimensional, transactional relationships based solely on material values. Matthew and Binah proposed shifting into heart-centered connections focused, for both project and donors, on personal and ultimately, spiritual growth.
Binah, who has developed these themes in her own work with donors in the last several years, shared some of her insights. She spoke at length about her challenges and successes in developing real connections and shared practical tips and insights about how to find and grow connections. Many participants were inspired and felt a real encouragement to approach donors in new and different ways.
For a project, a donor offers service, enabling the expression of a project’s potential through their financial or material gifts. For donors, the project’s offering is the opportunity to become an integral part of the project’s work, as a sustainer.
This type of mutually enriching support can last for years to come and can provide deeply meaningful experiences. It requires true commitment, attention, and reciprocity. Reciprocal relationships with donors can blossom for both the donor and the project and amplify the creative potential of both.
Binah’s kind words stood out. The way in which she connects with folks inspires me. It is genuine, true, and deeply rooted in the Auroville spirit. I feel uncomfortable asking for things, but her way of connecting with people and Matthew’s clarity of thought inspired me to get out of my comfort zone, connect, and ask.
The three of us from the team, all came away with some new ideas, and we want to implement them right away with a fun postcard campaign in December.
–Ribhu, WasteLess
After the initial concepts were introduced, breakout groups of 6 people each were, formed where the ideas were put into action. The challenge for the groups was to develop a general donor strategy rooted in care and love for the donor, within the framework of reaching them for the AVI USA’s December Matching Campaign.
While the groups had lively in-depth idea development sessions, it spoke to the newness of the donor relationships proposed that the sessions were an open ended exploration of how to bring love, compassion and care in donor relationships while the timeline of donor development became flexible.
A new way to describe the new fundraising goals: “Friendraising”
-Deven, Vidyamandir.
Projects experimented with starting with concepts from a traditional view of donor relationship, and moved into heart centered relationships with donors. Defining traditional ideas such as transactional responsibilities and responsibilities then transforming them into personal connections and creating an exciting, and meaningful project to invite donors to participate in.
The conversation initially revolved around peeling through dimensions of love relating to fundraising. Introducing the conversation about love in a fundraising workshop in a way that’s authentic and serious was an experiment. It was a challenge to have people think around love – a more surface definition of love revolving around pleasant exchanges and experiences, as opposed to love as responsibility, care, compassion, integrity, care and kindness.
The groups became thoroughly engaged in the conversation, and ideas and inspiration flowed. While no specific strategies arose for the December Matching Campaign, the seeds that were planted will provide inspiration for the weeks and months to come.
Below are some ideas and impressions from the workshop participants. We thank you all for participating and sharing your experiences.
A closed Facebook groups to share photos and memories to reconnect with former students, parents and volunteers from the schools to bring back memories and reconnect with the Transition School Community.
–Clare, Transition School
This sessions were a great opportunity for Auroville services to meet, as we do not meet this many people and have understanding of different projects.
Thank you AVI USA for this.
One key piece of information for me was to develop a personal connection with donors. I have been sending reports but was not able to connect with them personally. It was great that Binah is willing to support with this”
–Aurosugan, Aurokiya Eye Care
I participated in the workshop conducted by Matthew. It was great. I learned about how to retain the donors and wellwishers of our project by sending short reports, photos, and short video clips of our projects.
We have to love , care and offer our success stories and share to the donors.
We have to double the love and amplify the love with our donors and not only ask for money for the project.
I have learned not to focus on the problems and focus on solutions for the projects.
I have learned to expand the donors database and send annual reports and share our project activities to the donors.
The workshop was very inspiring and I felt confident .
Thank you.
With Gratitude,
Yatra Srinivassan
Yes, the workshop was interesting because in the small groups where the majority of the workshop happened, we had to focus on another person’s project completely, rather than our own. So that was refreshing, challenging and quite useful.
It wasn’t new but Binah spoke at length about building a human and consistent relationship with donors – to see them as human beings with histories, likes and dislikes, their own issues and challenges, interests, pet projects or peeves.
And to know that they need to hear from you, to see pictures of what’s going on and are moved by stories. They need to hear from the projects to have that human heart connection.
Matthew also spoke about the fact that our reports need to speak from the heart and have lots of pictures rather than dry data. We need to convey our passion for the work. This was good for me to hear considering how stuck I am with last year’s Annual Report.
–Mita, Language Lab
It is always a joy to attend Auroville International USA’s fundraising workshops. The experienced team generously shares their knowledge and insights with all participants, creating an atmosphere of learning, exchange, and celebration. Each time I leave with a spark of inspiration—a small seed that later blossoms in our office work.
During the most recent workshop, Binah shared her approach to building relationships with donors, which focuses on dedicating time to truly listen to them.
Her thoughtful perspective touched me and offered a fresh way to approach my work.
–Luise, WasteLess