“Acknowledging that giving by diverse population groups or buying by diverse population groups is nothing new. But we need to understand how and why donors might give because one size no longer does fit all.“

Lilya Wagner

In this episode of The Beacon Podcast, Jeff Jowdy talks with Lilya Wagner, retired director of Philanthropic Service for Institutions, a consulting office specializing in services for faith-based organizations. In this conversation, Lilya shares her thoughts on the timeliest of subjects: cultural diversity and its important role in philanthropy.

Lilya and Jeff discuss and define cultural intelligence and cultural competence, “code switching between cultures” and how fundraising professionals can ensure a more inclusive and diverse environment for staff and for donors.

About our Guest

Lilya Wagner is the retired director of Philanthropic Service for Institutions, a consulting office specializing in services for faith-based organizations She is a certified fundraising executive and an adjunct faculty member at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. 

From 2005 to 2008, she was vice president for philanthropy at Counterpart International, an international development organization in Washington, D.C. A widely published author, Lilya’s writings include articles and books on philanthropy, fundraising and the nonprofit sector. Her book, “Diversity and Philanthropy: Expanding the Circle of Giving” is a research-backed resource that explains the traditions of philanthropy and explores various civic, cultural and ethnic groups and their influence on giving in North America. Lilya has received awards from CASE for her work.

Lilya holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln and a doctorate in education from the University of Florida, Gainesville.