From Exploitation to Empathy: How to talk about our beneficiaries with dignity and truth

When:  Jun 14, 2019 from 11:30 AM to 01:00 PM (PT)

Since the term “poverty porn” first appeared in 1981, much has been said about the exploitation of human suffering to inspire charitable giving. Yet for all that we’ve learned over the last four decades, many organizations still struggle to communicate their impact in a way that authentically represents the issue and preserves the dignity of those affected by it. How do we portray our beneficiaries as their own agents of change, while admitting that they also need our help? How do we emotionally connect our donor to our clients, without simplifying their challenges or minimizing cultural differences?

In a refreshing take on this provocative issue, Caliopy Glaros of Philanthropy without Borders invites attendees to move beyond shifts in lexicon and imagery, and embrace methods that both challenge assumptions and inspire empathy. Drawing from her experience in international donor travel as well as research from social psychology, she provides an innovative approach to building our donors’ capacity for empathy through all forms of interaction: mass communications, one-on-one conversations, and experiential tours.

Attendees with leave this session with an applicable strategy and concrete process they can take back to their organizations and begin utilizing immediately. Join this workshop to learn to navigate this complex issue and transform your organization’s messages into vehicles of dignity and empowerment.


Caliopy Glaros has helped organizations worldwide transform their donor engagement strategies into catalysts for positive social change. As a consultant for Philanthropy without Borders, she works with nonprofits to create travel experiences that bring donors in direct contact with the programs they support. After seeing nonprofits struggle with power dynamics and exploitative elements often inherent in donor trips, she developed strategies and best practices for incorporating empathy into each journey.  Caliopy brings an intercultural approach to her fundraising tools and trainings, helping people communicate more effectively across differences. Her work is informed by a decade of on-the-ground experience in over thirty countries, as well as facilitating programs in more than fifty nations on five continents. Caliopy is a certified trainer in Intercultural Communication and Chair of AFP’s Diversity Committee.

Location

Multnomah Athletic Club
1849 SW Salmon
Portland, OR 97205