10 Steps to Professional Success as a Fundraising Executive

By Duke Haddad, Ed.D

Congratulations on your new executive position. By now, you have met the CEO, board members, key senior management, top volunteers … and possibly several other stakeholders.

The hiring process might have seemed like it would never end. But you survived and now you must thrive. You now have to determine how to have a positive impact during your first 90 days on the job. It all begins with a candid conversation with your direct report. You need to know the expectations of your boss so there are no missteps. The results of ongoing conversations should be documented for continual reference.

As you learn the ways of your new boss, find out his or her personality, communication style, background and history; who he or she depends on in senior management; who his or her executive assistant is; and how to best engage him or her in private and in public. Be sure to anticipate how to be a step ahead.

To thrive in the beginning of your tenure, follow these important rules:

1. Review the history, results, culture and opportunity for success, and determine a game plan for the total development process.

2. Meet with the CEO and determine his or her comfort level with philanthropy, and determine how to use the CEO on major-gift calls and other engagement opportunities with stakeholders.

3. Use the mission statement as the guiding principle for all fundraising and in all major communication vehicles.

4. Develop an integrated plan to include elements for annual gifts, major gifts and planned gifts, then research and determine after reviewing job descriptions how the staff can fill these roles.

5. Ascertain what resources are available to move the program forward and how to lobby for additional resources while maintaining positive program perceptions.

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Duke Haddad, Ed.D Author's page

Duke Haddad, Ed.D., CFRE, is currently associate director of development, director of capital campaigns and director of corporate development for The Salvation Army Indiana Division in Indianapolis. He also serves as president of Duke Haddad and Associates LLC and is a freelance instructor for Nonprofit Web Advisor.

He has been a contributing author to NonProfit PRO since 2008.

He received his doctorate degree from West Virginia University with an emphasis on education administration plus a dissertation on donor characteristics. He received a master’s degree from Marshall University with an emphasis on public administration plus a thesis on annual fund analysis. He secured a bachelor’s degree (cum laude) with an emphasis on marketing/management. He has done post graduate work at the University of Louisville.

Duke has received the Fundraising Executive of the Year Award, from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Indiana Chapter. He also was given the Outstanding West Virginian Award, Kentucky Colonel Award and Sagamore of the Wabash Award from the governors of West Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana, respectively, for his many career contributions in the field of philanthropy. He has maintained a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation for three decades.