Category: Career Development

So, You Want to Be an Executive Director?

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?

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Stay Human, Fundraisers: Resisting the Temptation of AI

As 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.

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The Color of Philanthropy: A New Dawn for Development Professionals of Color

I 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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New (Fiscal) Year. New You.

July 1 marks the new fiscal year for many of us. A former colleague would remind me, “You start back at zero and get to do it all over again!” He said it light heartedly, but he was right.

The new year (calendar or fiscal) brings on anticipation of what could be, plans that you get to implement (like a great vacation or how you are going to reach your goals), and…the clock resets and you get to dream and do something new and different in the new year. This is true for our personal selves and for our professional selves. We are development officers. We get the thrill of connecting the passions and interests of our donors with the incredible work we do to change our cities and world. It’s a new year. A new beginning. A new You.

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Is Your Heart in the Mission?

Philanthropy means “the love of human beings”…so nonprofit work is rooted in love. If your heart doesn’t skip a beat when you think about the nonprofit mission you support, ask yourself one simple question:  “Why not?”

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