One of the biggest misconceptions people have when transitioning into nonprofit work is that they must leave business principles behind. While many nonprofits lack strong business systems, the reality is they need them. If someone suggests otherwise, trust your instincts and experience.
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Fear shows up in fundraising more often than we might want to admit. I’ve been a fundraiser for almost 30 years, and I can still remember being absolutely terrified the first time I met with a donor. A little negative voice was whispering doubts to me: What if I stumble when I ask for a gift? What if the donor says no? What if I get fired if this doesn’t go well? What if the donor just doesn’t like me? What if, what if, what if…?
Read MoreFear shows up in fundraising more often than we might want to admit. I’ve been a fundraiser for almost 30 years, and I can still remember being absolutely terrified the first time I met with a donor. A little negative voice was whispering doubts to me: What if I stumble when I ask for a gift? What if the donor says no? What if I get fired if this doesn’t go well? What if the donor just doesn’t like me? What if, what if, what if…?
Decades later that little voice still pops up on occasion, although I’ve learned to push through anyway. As fundraisers, we’re advocating for people, for change, for our community, by just doing our jobs. Fear around fundraising doesn’t make you or me weak. It makes us human.
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Do you ever have a moment when you think, “I can’t do this?” In recent, unsettling days, I occasionally watch too much news or look at Facebook or LinkedIn and think, “How in the world am I going to make any kind of difference at all? What’s the point?”
And then…when I feel useless and ineffective…a client shares the story of someone’s life who has been changed or impacted by their growing mission. And I stop and realize that each person counts for SO much. Each day counts for SO much. I can’t save the whole world. I can’t solve all the problems. I’m not going to be everything to everybody.
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Has this question ever crossed your mind? Maybe you’ve been working at a nonprofit for 10, maybe 20, years. You’ve led a successful development team or program team for at least half of that time. And you’ve watched two or three Executive Directors come through your organization. You think, “Yeah, I can do this.”
I love your confidence – that’s the first step to Executive Director success! Feeling called to lead a nonprofit organization to help make the world a better place is an equally important step. It’s truly admirable. However, what else should be considered when passion alone can’t sustain you forever?
Read MoreAs a seasoned grant writer, I’m all too familiar with the sinking feeling that a blank page can bring. That feeling is why using AI has become so tempting for writing and editing tasks: it promises to do away with that sense of dread and keep you moving along at a brisk pace, no pauses or long stares necessary.
Read MoreI firmly believe that a new era has dawned for emerging fundraising professionals of color.
Reflecting on the early days of my career, I stumbled into this field with little understanding that a non-profit fundraising career even existed. In 1990, fresh out of undergrad, I took on the role of a departmental secretary in alumni relations at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. I was not only the sole Black individual in alumni relations but also on the fundraising side of the massive alumni and development shop.
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