When I grow up, I want to be a fundraiser!

How do people enter into the field of fundraising? 

While everyone’s story is different, rarely does someone set out to become a fundraiser.  No one says “when I grow up, I want to be a fundraiser!”  Until recently, it wasn’t something you could major in in college.  Some people are just naturally drawn to nonprofit work. 

In smaller nonprofits, sometimes the development person started out as a receptionist or an intern.  Or a volunteer.  They demonstrated passion for the mission and good people skills, and next thing you know it they’re in charge of development. 

I know one person who was hired as the finance director for a small nonprofit.  A few years later she absorbed the development function and became “director of finance and development.”  Now there’s a title you don’t see every day!

My own story is not much different.  I graduated from college with a liberal arts degree and no idea what I wanted to do.  I got a job working for a restaurant equipment company near my college town, and then a year later relocated back to the east coast where I grew up. 

While looking for a full time job I did some temp work.  Temping at the beginning of your career is a great way to test out different work environments to find the best fit. 

I spent a couple weeks at a private wealth management company and knew it wasn’t for me.  Then I was placed at a large nonprofit in the role of administrative assistant in the major gifts department, and a career was born. 

Within a few months I was hired full time, and ended up staying there for two and a half years.  I then spent the next 20 years learning on the job at various nonprofits.

Photo by Public Relations Society of America
at Flickr.com

So what’s the lesson here?  Given that there is often very little training before someone enters the field of fundraising, it is up to nonprofits to invest in professional development and formal training opportunities if you want your development staff to stay for long enough to really make a difference. 

While it may be hard to find $500 or $1,000 to spend each year on training for your development staff, how much more will it cost you to have your development person leave and have to find, hire, and train their replacement?

So what do you look for when hiring a new development person?  Focus on the things that can’t be taught – passion for the mission, positive attitude, and a willingness to learn – and when you find someone with great potential, invest in them. 

When employees feel invested in, they have higher job satisfaction and are more loyal to your organization.  Longer tenures mean better fundraising results.  It’s a small short-term investment with major long-term results.