What will you hope for in the coming year? Recently a college classmate asked me and others this question, ruminating on how hope and optimism are similar yet different. It struck a chord with me You see, I’m not generally an optimist. Yet I’m often hopeful. I’d just never taken time to actively consider how…
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Fundraisers report money is the number one reason they leave their jobs. While I do believe too many fundraisers are underpaid relative to their skill sets and performance, I’ve a strong hunch it’s not the real chief culprit for fundraiser dissatisfaction.
What is causing so many fundraisers to leave their jobs? Or leave the nonprofit field entirely?
Support. Culture. Infrastructure.
Or, to be specific, the lack thereof.
Alas, in interview after interview with fundraisers working in the trenches, I find these essential components of a productive and joyful work environment sorely lacking. This situation doesn’t usually arise out of malice. It’s born of a desperate lack of understanding about what it takes to manage people well. Of course, that’s a topic unto itself. But there’s something else that happens with people hired to work as development staff. And that’s what I want to address here.
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What will you hope for in the coming year? Recently a college classmate asked me and others this question, ruminating on how hope and optimism are similar yet different. It struck a chord with me (Thank you David Mahoney). You see, I’m not generally an optimist. Yet I’m often hopeful. I’d just never taken time…
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