Fundraising Leadership (TM)

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

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…]

Strategic Organizational Design for Larger Advancement Teams

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One of the most important decisions a Chief Advancement or Development Officer for a large team can make is picking the right people, particularly in leadership roles, for their shop. As the supply of professionals in our industry continues to play catch up to demand, it becomes critical that you keep and retain your leaders and their teams. [Read more…]

Retaining Fundraising Leaders – Invest in Them So They Can Leave

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CFO asks CEO: “What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave us?”

CEO: “What happens if we don’t, and they stay?”

I am sure you have seen this quote many times on social media. It is a thought provoking quote, although it does play into some outdated stereotypes about CFOs.

Framing this quote in the context of the nonprofit sector, we have observed at Fundraising Leadership that most nonprofits invest in fundraising training. Where we see the gap is investing in growing leadership capacity. As David Hutchinson, President of Cause Leadership Inc., explains the social profit sector is currently facing one of the most significant leadership transitions.  And there is an urgent need to develop the next generation of leaders. [Read more…]

How to Hire (and Retain) a Top Fundraiser

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In the marketplace for fundraiser talent, we know that demand currently outstrips supply. Consequently, advancement and development leaders often say that one of the most significant challenges they face is the hiring and retention of fundraising talent. While the economic forces of supply and demand are putting upward pressure on salaries, a common misconception about fundraiser recruitment and retention is that it’s “all about the money.” That’s a management and leadership cop-out.

[Read more…]

Finding Exceptional Talent is Difficult…Especially Now!

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TalentThe economy is growing again and hiring in the private sector has spiked amid improved corporate profitability.  Unemployment hasn’t been as low as it is right now (4.4 percent) in a decade according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  This is placing significant pressure on nonprofit organizations to recruit and retain the best employees, especially for Fundraising and Leadership roles.
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The Three As to Impactful Performance Reviews

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Recently I attended a panel presentation that included an HR representative from a large hospital foundation. This organization is moving towards a coaching-style of management. One of the major decisions they made was to do away with annual performance reviews. The audience audibly and positively reacted to this decision, which is not surprisingly since performance reviews are often dreaded by both managers and staff alike.
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