WHAT THE FUNDRAISING
From Curiosity to Purpose: Revolutionizing Higher Education with David Hurwitt
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“Too many of us get into the how too quickly, but you want to stick to your why first.”
– David Hurwitt
Episode #154
Overview
In this episode of What the Fundraising Podcast…
Join us for a thought-provoking and inspiring podcast episode as we delve deep into the mind of David Hurwitt, a visionary entrepreneur with a unique perspective on business and its role in society. David takes us through his experiences, sharing insights that have shaped his mission-driven approach to entrepreneurship.
David Hurwitt is the visionary Founder and CEO of Troove, a groundbreaking software company aimed at transforming the landscape of higher education admissions. Troove leverages the power of data science and machine learning to harness the predictive insights derived from the experiences of past college attendees. By matching this invaluable experience data with the values, abilities, priorities, and ambitions of prospective students, Troove revolutionizes the college selection process.
Throughout the episode, David’s insights and personal journey are an inspirational guide for anyone looking to bridge the gap between business success and meaningful impact. His belief that businesses can change the world and his practical steps make this podcast a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs, business leaders, and anyone seeking to make a difference. David’s story reminds us that when we start with a powerful ‘why,’ we can truly change the world, one purpose-driven business at a time.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS
- [01:37] A Journey of Problem-Solving and Impact
- [05:37] Empathy in Innovation: Learning from the End Users
- [09:18] Reimagining Higher Education
- [14:58] From Intellectual Interest to Deep Commitment
- [18:40] Mission-Driven Capitalism: Shifting the Focus from Profit to Purpose
- [23:42] Starting with Why: The Foundation of Purpose-Driven Business
RAISE MORE FROM THE RIGHT FUNDERS
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David Hurwitt
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Many thanks to our sponsor, iWave for making this episode possible. Our friends at iWave help nonprofits identify, qualify, and retain donors to raise more major gifts. Using their comprehensive software, iWave gives you access to the industry’s highest quality wealth and philanthropic information so you can determine who to ask, how much to ask for, and when to ask. To get a demo and learn more, check out iWave.
- If you haven’t already, please visit our new What the Fundraising community forum. Check it out and join the conversation at this link.
- If you’re looking to raise more from the right funders, then you’ll want to check out my Power Partners Formula, a step-by-step approach to identifying the optimal partners for your organization. This free masterclass offers a great starting point
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TIPS AND TOOLS TO IMPLEMENT TODAY
- Start with "Why": Clearly articulate your mission or "why" as the foundation for your actions and decisions.
- Immerse yourself in your target audience's world to better understand their needs and challenges.
- Be open to questioning your assumptions to foster creative problem-solving.
- Ensure your business mission aligns with your audience's needs and values.
- Shift your focus from inputs to outcomes, emphasizing the importance of achieving goals and making a positive impact.
- Tailor your approach to align incentives with different constituents, whether customers, investors, or donors.
- Be open to the evolution of your ideas and solutions as you gain a deeper understanding of the problem or market.
- Seek insights and practices from other industries that can be applied to your current challenges.
- Actively listen to your target audience to gather valuable insights and understand their pain points.
- Continuously test your ideas and mission with potential constituents and refine them based on feedback.
FAVORITE QUOTES
- “Too many of us get into the how too quickly, but you want to stick to your why first.” - David Hurwitt
- "I have such deep respect for the role of admissions officers in this country, and that they are trying to do noble work, and they're trying to help young people to better their lives, to extend their lives to enrich their lives. And if I can help them with that, then I need to bring that motivation in full disclosure." - David Hurwitt
- "The easiest thing in the world or the most natural thing is for us all to bring our own lens, our own presumption about what that person they need, or is going through." - David Hurwitt
- "I wonder why it's done that way. And is there a better way?" - David Hurwitt
- "Remember that you have two ears and one mouth. Proportionally, you should listen a lot more." - David Hurwitt
- "Immerse yourself in their environment, ask a lot of questions, listen attentively, and ask them and repeat back is, am I seeing this right? Am I seeing that right?" - David Hurwitt
- "The problem Americans have is not getting into college; the problem is getting out. It's a very different issue." - David Hurwitt
- "I believe that capitalism can be good, but it's horribly misguided and broken at the moment." - David Hurwitt
- "It's not about the money, but about the mission. And my customers who are in higher education administrators, I believe that they would smell it coming a mile away if all I was trying to do was to grab some of their money." - David Hurwitt
- "The obsession that America has with chasing acceptance letters, as opposed to chasing diplomas, makes no sense to me." - David Hurwitt
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Get to know David Hurwitt:
Dave Hurwitt is an innovator. Over the course of his career, he’s led the development and launch of new products and services – from toothpicks to wind turbines – that have generated well over $1 billion in sales. If you have a large, front loading washing machine in your house, that was Dave and his team at Whirlpool. They re-envisioned the traditional, small European washer for the US market and took front loaders from 1% of the market to over 50% today, saving billions of dollars in electricity and water consumption in the process. Dave has lived and worked around the world, and is now based in Burlington Vermont with his wife and two Golden Retrievers. Their 3 “kids” have now graduated from college, but it was his experience with them on their college journeys that started his innovator’s brain cranking on what became Troove. Having worked in admissions through grad school, he was amazed by how little technology and the internet had impacted the college search and admissions process. And even more, he was dismayed to discover how often students were transferring or dropping out altogether. In early 2020, this led directly to his founding Troove, a 2-sided, AI powered platform to help students discover their passions, people, and place based on the real experiences of recent alumni and current higher education students. An accomplished photographer, lover of history, and avid traveler, Dave has made it to every state but Alaska (so far!) and some 50 different countries, camera always in hand. The same curiosity about people that shows up in his photography also shows up in the new products he creates – always with a focus on human interaction and how we can better blend the old and the new.
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I teach nonprofit fundraisers to bring in more gifts from the RIGHT donors… so they can stop hounding people for money. Fundraising doesn’t have to be uncomfortable.
- CEO & Creator of the Power Partners Formula™
- Disruptor in the funding sector, changing lives everyday
- Relentlessly committed to the movement of money into the nonprofit sector
- Focused on win-win partnerships that allow fundraisers to be authentic and empowered in their work
- Over 15 years working in nonprofits (managing director and ED of multiple fast-growth organizations)
MALLORY ERICKSON
