I've spent $4,479 on my professional development and am looking to double it in 2020
When was the last time you did something for yourself?
Not your team…
Not your organization…
Not your donors…but simply Y-O-U.
(I’m sensing a quiet pause)
The truth is - at least in my experience in the nonprofit space - we are running so fast on the treadmill that we rarely stop, pull up and work to develop ourselves personally or professionally. And guess what - we are not better for it. Seriously, I’ve never met a person who thinks: I’m SO glad I didn’t spend any time on myself working to get better.
Real talk: Another thing I see happening a lot in the nonprofit space is IF an organization does carve out resources for professional development - they are only reserved for the people at the top. You can see where I’m going with this right? It is beyond me to understand why an organization would only focus on the people who are likely already developed.
Luckily, I see some organizations are changing their attitudes. They are realizing that all professionals, but especially development professionals, need resources to not just get better at their jobs, but to remain in their current position and be happier doing the work. Do I need to remind you that 52% of nonprofit fundraisers plan to leave the profession entirely in the next two years? I bet it’s safe to say that these organizations who’s fundraisers plan to leave aren’t giving their staff a lot of resources to help them figure out solutions to complex donor psychology of learning the tricks of the trade when it comes to marketing or how to crunch numbers to active data in your storytelling.
“Many nonprofits are not taking the time, energy or resources to invest in their employees’ working potential. This could be due to an outdated organizational theory which dictates that employees are obligated to ‘remain loyal’ to their employer for an ill-defined period of time (Korkii 2011). Outside institutions have also decreased their funding for employee growth. Funding for professional development and capacity building from foundations has decreased from 1.24 per cent to 0.8 per cent of total awards to nonprofits from 1992 to 2011 (Stahl 2013). This is a reduction by nearly half and represents a significant drop in funds available to increase the effectiveness of staff. This lack of investment and external funding in growth appears to let the employee know that they should remain in a specific job until an unspoken tenure was satisfied.”
So what do we do about it and what have I done myself?
As you know, nearly three years ago - I stepped away from my in-house role as a Director of Development to consult with and coach nonprofit fundraisers. In a nutshell, that means: I work for myself aka entrepreneur. One of the things leaders say left and right is: If I could go back in time I would have started investing in myself in the beginning. So, like the good student I am - that’s what I’ve tried to do. Here is a breakdown of what I’ve spent professionally developing myself in 2019:
Online courses: $2,502
Business coach: $1,182
Copy writing course: $159
In-person conference: $497
Books: $139
TOTAL: $4,4,79
Maybe I’ve had my head in the sand. Maybe I’ve been totally out of the loop (not my style) - but I never knew the wealth of knowledge I could gain in such a short amount of time. For example:
I’ve adopted a morning routine which has me set and ready to go to dive into work by 8am
I’ve started a pre-bed routine that includes staying the EFF off my phone and a nightly brain dump to make falling asleep extra easy
I’ve realized that this work - fundraising - is 90% mindset. For me, doing things like saying mantras, visualizing the end goal, naming goals out loud (no take backs!), and giving gratitude daily have almost scared me how much they work. Insane.
So, even though I work for myself aka I am paying for all $4,479 myself - I’m looking to double that amount in 2020.
If you are thinking:
We don’t have a budget for that
I don’t have time for that
My organization is barely making payroll
I’ve been constantly underwhelmed by the professional development I’ve tried
My manager won’t sign off on that
My friend, you owe it to yourself to make it happen. You need to shake things up. As the saying goes, if you want something bad enough - you will find a way to make it a reality. Maybe it’s as simple as just asking - you never know until you try.
What’s your FAVORITE professional development you’ve put into yourself? I’d love to know!
PS: A word to the managers out there. I believe by you setting the example of professionally developing yourself - others on your team will follow. That means:
Setting a per person professional development budget that staff members know is theirs to use
Make suggestions of professional development opportunities that come across your desk
Ask you team what they want
Bring your team members along - there is no reason you need to professionally develop solo