Fundraising Leadership (TM)

Executive Coaching, Professional Development, Training, and Career Advancement for Nonprofit Leaders in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

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Managing to Retain Fundraisers

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In the marketplace for fundraiser talent, demand currently outstrips supply.  There are currently thousands of job postings for fundraisers listed at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and LinkedIn.

In the face of this demand, advancement and development leaders often say that one of the most significant challenges they face is retaining fundraising talent. While the economic forces of supply and demand are putting upward pressure on salaries, a common misconception about fundraiser retention is that it’s “all about the money.” That’s a management and leadership cop-out, and the situation is dire. According to a recent Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) report, half (50%) of fundraisers surveyed reported that they intend to leave their jobs in the next 2 years. [Read more…]

Refocus for 2020

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As the year 2020 approaches, it is such a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the past year’s successes, what we learned and what we want to create in the year ahead. It’s so easy to just let life take us down the river and to end up in a place where we don’t want to be. Creating a system to check in with your team to make sure you are heading in the right direction is important. And it can be a fun and creative process that you all look forward to each year. [Read more…]

Leaders Listen Before They Speak

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When you think about leaders and managers who have brought out the best in you, what qualities come to mind? I remember those who listened, empowered me, demonstrated trust, offered support, and were dedicated to my growth.

Workplaces are starting to recognize and promote the idea of coach-like managers. Someone who asks more questions, acknowledges strengths, and empowers their team members to develop and grow as employees and human beings.  [Read more…]

The Move from “Doing” Fundraising to “Being” a Fundraiser

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Recently, I woke up to an inbox full of resources that aim to improve the “doing” of fundraising. At first glance, this made me smile.

Just 10+ years ago, I had to dig deep into cyberspace to find insights like the ones that came in like clockwork on this particular morning. Think: winning major gift strategies, proposal budgeting tips, mid-level giving mastery, donor retention via text, year-end strategies that sell, and so many more!

There is, remarkably, no shortage of tactics in our field.

[Read more…]

Dealing with VUCA. Practice #1 – Acceptance and Compassion

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The world has gone mad. Or, so it seems.

Volatility. The world is constantly changing, and becoming more unstable each day.

Uncertainty. It’s becoming more difficult to anticipate events or predict how they’ll unfold.

Complexity. Problems and their repercussions are more multi-layered, harder to understand.

Ambiguity. Not everything is black and white.

[Read more…]

A New Conversation About Philanthropy

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I’ve been earning my living as a professional fundraiser for almost 15 years. I’ve worked with some awesome donors and volunteers to support important causes, but I’ve often thought that the cause I’m most passionate about is philanthropy itself. I recall hearing this word for the first time when I was in my late teens. I remember thinking, “I want to be a philanthropist!” and calculating how much of the income from my retail job I could afford to give away to others. (It did not occur to me to make as much money as possible so that I would have more to give away, a strategy espoused by some in the effective altruism movement.) 

But philanthropy has gotten some bad press lately. Writers like Anand Giridharadas, Edgar Villanueva, and Rob Reich have argued there’s a hypocrisy to making your fortune in ways that harm others and then being celebrated for giving (some of) it away. They’re not wrong. How many know that Carnegie and Rockefeller were ruthless industrialists but now are mostly remembered as benevolent patrons of libraries, universities and concert halls? And sure, Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have promised to direct 99% of their Facebook stock to curing every disease, ever. But should that give Facebook license to mine our data and undermine our democracy?  [Read more…]

What Does Leadership Have In Common With Parenting?

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Prior to becoming a parent, I managed a development team and relied heavily on my HR experience to shape my management style. I managed to make it work. However, there was room for improvement.

Little did I know that, for me, improvement came in the form of parenting.

I became a parent nine years ago. And as many new parents do, I read a lot on how to be a better parent. Aside from the practical tips of how to install a car seat, I read books on how to get children on a path of healthy sleeping, how to manage toddlers and their raw emotions, how to raise confident children, and this list goes on and on.

At the same time, in my professional life, I found myself again building a development team. I was also reading books on leadership, some of it was a review from my corporate years in HR, but some of it new. [Read more…]

Fundraising & Career Strategy: The Benefits of Playing the Long Game

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We live in a world of “Insta”, that is constantly playing the short game.

Fundraising has suffered from a transactional, derivative and acquisition mindset forever. We are haunted by our bake-sale origins.

Being almost 20 years in the charitable sector I have become a career-anthropologist. Observing the careers and strategies of leaders and organizations I admire. It’s what leads me personally on my own career path to specialize in ‘gift-planning’ while most of the sector is always trying to maximize major gifts. Now in 2019, they are one in the same. [Read more…]

The Power of Play

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“Do you want to come out and play?” I have childhood memories of knocking on my neighbour’s door and issuing that invitation. Today I am more likely to be texting a friend to set up a “play date.” But play remains an important part of my life.

When I begin a new coaching engagement, I ask clients to rank their satisfaction in eight areas of their lives using a tool called the “Wheel of Life.” One of these categories is “fun and recreation.” As nonprofit professionals, we often focus on other areas of the wheel such as career, family, money or personal growth. And sometimes play gets lost. 

So I was excited to get some insights by reading Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Dr. Stuart Brown, founder of The National Institute for Play. Also reading is one of my favourite activities.  [Read more…]

Financial Literacy for Early Career Nonprofit Professionals

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Financial literacy is: “The ability to understand financial choices, plan for the future, spend wisely, and manage the challenges that come with life events such as job loss, saving for retirement, or a child’s education.” [source: US Government Accounting Office]

Unfortunately, the education system of one of the wealthiest countries in the world does not teach children, teenagers, and young adults how to “understand financial choices, plan for the future, and manage money.”  Here is some of the evidence according to several recent surveys: [Read more…]