The 10 Most Important Things I’ve Learned (so far) as a Fundraiser

I’ve always considered myself an introspective person. Which is somewhat odd given how little time I have these days to be just that. Yet a renewed sense of freedom and purpose was bestowed upon me recently when my former employer let me go. These past few weeks have provided me with the much-needed time to reflect on (what I still consider to be) my burgeoning career, and offer some words of wisdom to those who may be just setting off on their fund development journeys. 

1. Relationships Rule

When you boil fundraising down to its immutable core, what is left is relationships. Relationships between you and a program officer, marketing executive, trustee, monthly member, etc. Building and fostering these relationships with a strong dose of intentionality–along with all those “other” ones (with colleagues, counterparts, mentors, etc.) will set you up for success and a prosperous career in fundraising.

2. The Experts are Out There

Speaking of mentors…find one. Or find many. There are people that have been in your shoes before and went on to amass a thirty-year-long career in the field who are brimming with knowledge and insights. And my guess is that many of them are willing to share. We can all use strong mentors and folks we look up to at every stage of our career; stand on those shoulders of those who have been there and soak up all the wisdom you possibly can. Bring an open mind too.

3. Keep on KOM’ing (Keeping an Open Mind)

On the topic of an open mind–have one. Many people entering the space (or even those, scarily enough, who have been in the space for a long time) have preconceived notions as to what makes for successful fundraising (like the misguided notion of revenue diversification–see below). Oftentimes, they’re wrong. Fundraising is a skill that needs to be learned, a muscle that needs to be trained. Challenge your preconceptions and look to emerging strategies and tactics that are showing promise. 

4. Not Perfect? Perfect

You’re going to make mistakes–and not just when you’re starting out. You are human. You know who loves humans? Other humans. Humans that give, work for corporate foundations, etc. Mistakes make you relatable (dare I say, relationship-able??). Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good and certainly don’t let it be the reason you’re reviewing that prospectus for a 10th time. Don’t lose sleep over mistakes you’ve made. Learn from them and grow. 

5. Content, Content Everywhere

That newsletter you wrote that had a significantly higher open rate than your others? Boom–there’s your next series of social media posts. That 10-page grant report you prepared for that one foundation? I’ll bet you dollars to donuts there’s stuff in there your other supporters would love to hear. You rarely ever need to start from scratch with whatever project you’re working on–whether it's content for the upcoming newsletter cycle, an annual report, or a sponsorship prospectus. Repurpose what works–chances are you will be one of only a handful of people who notice.

6. Act on Impact

It can be easy to fall into the weeds of program execution–especially if you’re embracing the learner spirit (see #10 below). But unless you and your VP of Programs are wonking out with a program officer from your biggest foundation contributor, most people won’t be interested in the nuts and bolts of your organization. Many people won’t even be that interested in your organization itself–but rather the end result that is achieved. What they’ll want to know is what impact you’re having and whether or not you’re any closer to fulfilling your mission because of their support. Focus on that instead.

7. Stories Move, Data…is Nice 

Stories that communicate impact are the most valuable tools in your toolbox to achieve fundraising success. Don’t rely simply on numbers and metrics to communicate impact–instead, focus on the story behind the numbers. How did that family’s life change as a result of receiving those 20 meals last week? For causes that are inherently difficult to explain a tangible impact of your services (e.g, working to address climate change)--double down on telling the human side of the story. Find community leaders and other stakeholders willing to share the impact that numbers alone cannot explain. Weave stories and data together whenever you can.

8. Superuse your CRM

“Make Salesforce work for you–not the other way around.” These were wise words I heard when I was helping design our CRM architecture at a previous organization. I had become bogged down designing a system that had people painstakingly entering every minutiae of data they could. Design your system to maximize efficiency–not to maximize the amount of information stored within. Inputting data and information into your CRM should not feel like an onerous task but rather something that’s seamlessly integrated into your daily work. Design and use the system in a manner where you know who the real boss is.

9. Diversify your Revenue–the Right Way

Yes, an organization should have a large number of supporters–you should always be working to reach more individuals, foundations, corporations, etc. But you should rarely be looking to diversify across revenue streams in the name of longterm financial sustainability. Instead, embrace an “intradiversification” revenue strategy. If your nonprofit has a robust stream of revenue coming from, say, individuals–that is clear evidence that individual fundraising is what you do best. Don’t pursue other revenue streams at the opportunity cost of growing and expanding existing, successful ones. Imagine Steph Curry waking up one day and saying “You know, I’m really good at basketball. But I need to get better at baseball and football.”

10. Be an Ambassador

You’re not just a fundraiser for your organization–you’re an ambassador and oftentimes the lone point of contact for your corps of supporters. If the phone rings and it's a donor with questions, you should have the answers. Embrace a sponge-like mentality and learn as much as you possibly can about your organization’s programs, finances, operations, etc as well as trends across the field. Get in the weeds and get your colleagues to help you help them (and the organization). Being able to deftly handle questions that give supporters a 360 understanding of the organization–if that’s what they want–will build and solidify relationships that will help you achieve your fundraising goals.

There are, unquestionably, more things I wish I had known, yet these were the ones that have stuck out most in my mind as I navigate these foreign waters. I look forward to sharing more in the future!

All the best,

Drew