Hiring a development director can be one of the most difficult tasks for a non-profit. Their return on investment is risky and can set the sustainability direction for the organization. Before you hire, I strongly suggest that you ask your organization leadership these questions:
- Are we ready to support a development director position? (which will include an increase in our budget for items like servers for remote work, laptop and databases)
- Do we have the six months to a year of funding for the position to allow the person to create relationships?
- Is our culture set up for raising funds or are we an 8-5 desk culture?
- Do we have a multitude of assignments for the fundraiser or are we ready to embrace the necessary time out of the office needed for them to devote to networking?
- Is the board trying to off load their responsibility or are they willing to participate and support?
After you have truly decided that you are ready for a fundraising oriented position, take the time to define a job description, what your expectations are and write down some interview questions. In addition, define what budget allocations will be necessary for fundraising tools so when asked you are ready to discuss these issues. This list will include database, marketing/outreach, travel, and memberships.
While hiring an experienced person with a record of accomplishment in raising money is preferred, they are typically expensive. I find many non-profits have to recruit raw talent and work from square one. I If this is the case with your organization, I strongly recommend that you look at hiring a consultant to train and mentor thru the first few months to make sure the person gets a quality start. Here are some things that I always look for in a development person – seasoned or not.
Passion for the Mission. Any fundraising staff that I hire must be passionate about my organization’s mission. Passion is what will fuel the hire through the hours and activity that it takes to be successful. Passion drives focus on tasks that moves the mission forward financially, not just on the tasks.
Self-Starter and self-motivated. A person who is proactive, has high energy, a strong initiative, persistence, and organized would be on the top of my list. This type of person tends to be more of a risk taker.
Desire to Get Out of the Office. Successful fundraising requires outreach and being out of the office. In my estimation, fundraisers that are successful enjoy meeting people, get impatient with paperwork and process, can work from anywhere and understand the importance of connecting and networking on a daily basis. While I am not saying they do not think spreadsheets and paperwork are important, it is not typically, what they enjoy.
Outgoing personality. While I have seen fundraisers who are shy and quiet, they are not typically skilled at “the ask” and closing a gift. Outgoing personalities often understand that approaching new people is part of the process, and that without reaching out, fundraising does not happen.
Not Ego Oriented: Ego does not have a place in fundraising. Good fundraisers do not care who gets the credit for gifts, they just want the resources for their organization. Fundraising requires a team approach and every staff and board member has a role. Ego oriented people want to be the front and center of every gift versus the one who is facilitating the donor engagement process.
Listening Skills. The old adage of two eyes, two ears and one mouth is especially critical in fundraising. Prospective donors tell us what will motivate his or her giving if the fundraiser asks the right questions and then takes the time to hear answers.
Marketing and promoting skills. While not selling a physical project, the fundraising is selling the organization. That involves a wide variety of outreach tools. Without a basic knowledge of them, the fundraiser will not have the reach that he/she needs to build a strong base of donors.
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