Before founding Little Bean Group, I managed several large fundraising teams. I saw firsthand how sound management contributes to individual and group achievement. Yet, managing fundraisers also brings particular challenges.
What are the special concerns for managing fundraising teams? This question feels urgent now. We are in a national moment of high employee turnover across many fields, and we know that competition for development talent never ceases. Managing your team well improves retention, saves money, and bolsters organizational effectiveness.
While some of my observations and strategies tips work for a wide range of jobs, I think that fundraising comes with unique considerations for managers.
Managing across roles
Roles within fundraising teams can differ significantly. It’s important to approach management as a unique process for each team member. The needs of staff who are new to the organization will differ from those who have served the organization for longer periods of time. Similarly, the needs of staff who are new to development are of course different than those who have more experience. Here’s how I breakdown roles:
Managing a high performing individual contributor
An individual contributor is often a fundraising professional who manages a portfolio and has little to no management responsibility. Individual contributors can often be terrific fundraisers who truly love to work with donors and prospects. I have found that individual contributors thrive when their manager clears obstacles out of their way and allows them to be out of the office as much as possible. They can be some of your most productive fundraisers because they focus almost exclusively on donor work. I have seen that some individual contributors need guidance on how to effectively utilize systems and benefit from support around time management, task management, and focus. Of course, every team member has their own strengths and needs, but I have observed these traits over my 15+ years in managing fundraisers.
Managing a team member with both management and portfolio responsibilities
Team members who both manage staff and work with donors are your utility players. They are adept managers and fundraisers. The key for them is to achieve a balance between their internal and external responsibilities so they can achieve their goals. Helping them prioritize can propel them to success. Clearing obstacles out of the way is important as well. Always offer to pitch in and assist these team members, as they typically carry heavy workloads and can get bogged down with office work.
Managing support staff
Support staff is a broad category and can include those who provide administrative support as well as development operations staff, including but not limited to prospect research professionals, writers, and communications staff. What I notice about this group is that they are often overlooked and don’t receive the management support they need in order to succeed. These staff members should always be included in team meetings. I also suggest they attend planning meetings and prospect strategy meetings so they are up to date on the team’s work. Every single person has a role to play in the development process and support staff are a key anchor.
These roles can also serve as a professional’s first exposure to fundraising and I have seen many support staff pursue careers in front line work after learning the ropes in their support position.
Be a Sounding Board, Teacher, and Connector
Your frontline fundraisers will inevitably face difficulties. You can help them by being a sounding board for their struggles, sharing your experiences, and connecting them to mentors who can help them grow.
For example, fundraisers may become discouraged when they struggle to secure donor visits. This work entails rejection and non-response, and it takes a toll. Show your employees that you have been there, and share how you dealt creatively with roadblocks. Your experience is a valuable starting point to help them brainstorm innovative solutions.
You can also connect your team members to mentors, both inside your organization and beyond, who can provide worthwhile help and guidance. Sharing these connections freely illustrates that fundraising truly is a team sport, and that new relationships can be generative and invigorating. I have seen that the fresh perspectives that emerge from mentor-mentee connections can add tremendous value and creativity to work. It’s also important to recognize that you may not always be the best individual to offer guidance, mentorship, or expertise. Recognize when you make a connection for an employee that will help them to learn and grow. Identifying others to help in employee development and engagement is a characteristic of a strong manager.
Set Attainable Goals
Setting goals is a delicate process. As a manager, you receive hard targets from leaders that may or may not have been developed with your input. This is the first place where your leadership matters. Fundraising goals cannot be stop gap measures. They must be informed by real costs and the donor pipeline. It’s important to be forthcoming with leaders about what is and is not attainable. Ask questions like “can you share with me how you arrived at these goals” and then be prepared to share data about past fundraising performance and those donors ready for larger asks.
As you take your targets and shape attainment metrics for your team, try to work together to the extent possible to ensure that goals are collaborative and feasible. Fundraisers know that a lot is demanded of them and a high level of work is expected. “Stretch” goals can be motivating, but they can also lead to burnout if they are unrealistic. Get input from your team on what they think can be accomplished, and take their concerns about obstacles seriously. Conversely, ask them what dreaming big would look like—is there an inspiring goal that you can achieve together?
What if you need to recalibrate goals? You can show flexibility and grace to employees by acknowledging how the environment has shifted – either up or down. Recalibrating doesn’t always mean reducing goals. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint” is especially applicable to fundraising, and part of being a good manager is the ability to support your employees through the ups and downs of the yearly cycle and external realities that are out of their control.
Advocate
A core obligation of fundraising managers is to advocate for your employees. This is especially crucial publicly in your organization. This means asking for the resources that your team needs, and also finding opportunities to share their achievements with a wider audience.
On the opposite end, when dealing with poor performance and employees who do not pull their weight, never resort to public badmouthing. Pursuing this route not only ensures that the poor performer will not improve—embarrassment is a poor motivator and you should have a formal performance improvement process in place—it also drives away good employees and has a devastating impact on morale.
Managing employees brings huge challenges and rewards, and I believe that fundraising brings excess quantities of both. I hope that these tips helped you think about some of the special considerations in our field. As always, please reach out if you have other tips to share.