7 Things I Wish I Did Sooner When I Was Just Starting Out

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Isn’t it funny how the older you get or the longer you do something - the more often you look back? I know everyone says this, but how many times have you wondered: if only I would have started sooner?


Well - let me be your guide. 


I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again - I don’t know very many people who grow up dreaming of becoming a fundraiser. Somehow - it finds us and because of that - (in my experience) there isn’t a ton of mentorship to help teach us along the way. This may be one of the reasons there is an average of 18-24 month turnover in the profession, especially among less seasoned fundraisers. Something super costly for any organization. The results end up being a bunch of just so-so fundraisers who don’t create a lot of value to their organizations. They end up feeling burnt out and unaccomplished at their jobs - a no win for all involved. 


So, let’s fix that. Here are some things I would have done when I was just starting out that would have made me and even better fundraiser (if you can believe it ;)):


  1. Learn to manage up: As a newbie on the fundraising team, you have a lot of jobs. Of all of them - and I can’t stress this enough - get really good at managing up to your boss. I had a mentor who once told me that she, early in her career, took the role of “acting as a guard wall” seriously. For her (and thus me), that meant taking anything off her bosses plate that she could, problem solving low grade items that didn’t need to make their way to the bosses desk and protecting her time. Not only did this make her love and value me as an employee - it made me better at my job. Act as the reminder she needs, offer to draft emails or proposals, and yes - ask her if you can grab her lunch when she likely is too busy to stop for a break. You will get rave reviews while improving your skills faster than anyone else on your team. 

  2. Get super friendly with your program team: A lot of fundraisers get a bad rap for having their nose so far to the ground that they forget to look up and remember what they are actually working to raise money for. Yes - you can find out the latest program outcomes and stats from your annual report, but you can also make friends with your program team. Try inviting someone for a walk or sit with the program team at lunch to learn about what is happening on the ground. GO FOR DRINKS WITH THE TEAM. This will make you more informed, have more rich stories to tell your donors, and will be appreciated by all staff members. They are the experts on the program and the BEST people for you to gather anecdotal information from. 

  3. Practice team fundraising: I always say: fundraising is a team sport. In a job that is based on relationships - it is very important for a donor to have a relationship with more than one person at your organization - you included. Ask your boss if you can start joining her at donor meetings or tours when it is appropriate. At first, you should be an engaged observer - you should be mostly listening and watching the magic your boss is making, but also asking questions, nodding your head, or taking meeting notes. From there, you might be able to describe the program, lead the tour, or ask the starting questions with your boss observing YOU. This practice of team fundraising will teach you how it’s done, from describing your organization to making a pitch. It will also give your boss an opportunity to observe you and give you timely feedback for how you can improve. 

  4. Learn the power of the “I” statement: What is a more powerful statement? “Audra, our client specialist, told me about a client who just got his first job…” compared to “When I was talking to Alex about his first job, he told me…” See the difference? When you are able to connect yourself directly to the program work - you have just changed the game. To the best of your ability, carve time in your schedule on a regular and ongoing basis when you can directly touch your program: plant trees, tutor children, walk the rescue dogs, play chess with the seniors. Give yourself the opportunity to learn the stories and create impact. The results will be endless: not only will you be a better fundraiser, but a better person who truly understands the inner workings of your organization. 

  5. Be a networking boss: This may not be the most original advice, but it can’t be ignored. Make friends, go to coffee meetings, join groups, volunteer, get people’s cards and then follow up, be active on LinkedIn. The sooner you work at building your network - the sooner you have a big network. Why is that important? You just never know who you might want to connect up with in the future. 

  6. Educate, educate, educate: When I was growing up, my parents who worked in sales would be sent away for weeks if not months to be trained when they started new jobs. There, they learned how to prospect, how to deliver a pitch, how to cultivate and steward customers, and how to answer questions about the product. At least in my experience, this type of attention to training doesn’t exist within fundraising shops. Therefore, it’s on you to learn as much as you can - from your bosses, your peers, or experts. Does your organization provide professional development resources? If so, take advantage of them. If not, ask if you can be sponsored to attend whatever workshop/conference/webinar that interests you. You will likely be surprised at how easily your training gets approved. Some other resources I follow regularly include: The Agitator, Tom Ahern’s Communication Newsletter, and the Bloomerang Blog. A little shameless plug, if you aren’t subscribed already - you can sign up for the Out in the Boons weekly newsletter here. We promise to never spam you and to only send you goodness. 

  7. Build your tribe: When I was fundraising in-house, I would often times find myself feeling alone. I didn’t want to always go to my Executive Director for information or advice and my program counterpart didn’t always understand what I was going through. In search of peers who could relate, I reached out to a few foundation program officers and impact makers in my area asking them who they thought were movers and shakers in the fundraising world. A short list of about 15 fundraisers popped up and I reached out to all of them to see if they would want to meet up as a part of a group who leaned on one another and learned from each other too. We would get together monthly, where someone would host and pick a topic. From there, we might workshop ideas, vent, or brainstorm. I looked forward to it each and every month. To this day, I still reach out to the group when I have a question or want to run an idea by someone. Bottom line - find your tribe - and if you can’t find one - build it yourself. 



***COMING SOON*** I’m actually obsessed with this idea of fundraisers having more support and resources to be better versions of themselves on a professional level. What is the saying? High tides raise all ships? I truly believe that when we all improve, our industry will get better as a whole and in turn, we will raise more important resources for the organizations we serve. Stay tuned for more information about being a part of an official Out in the Boons Tribe.