Stars of the Sector Note Keys to Success
The winners of FundRaising Success’ 2007 Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards are nonprofit fundraisers and consultants whose accomplishments have enriched the nonprofit sector. Each of their successes are a testament to their passion for the work that they do, and their ability to harness this passion for good.
I asked award winners to share the keys to their success with FS Advisor readers. Here, a sampling of their responses:
* Dixie Ost, director of direct marketing, Heifer International, and one of our Top Women in Fundraising: Find the smartest people, give them opportunities, reward success.
* Chuck Longfield, chief executive officer, Target Analysis Group, and winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award (Agency): I have always put my clients first. I tell my staff that they don’t work for me, they work for my clients. If my clients are happy, then I’m happy. I also believe in continually investing in our products and partnering very closely with my clients to develop those new products.
* Jo Sullivan, senior vice president of development and communications, ASPCA, and our Fundraising Professional of the Year (Organization): Always look ahead, hire people a LOT smarter than you and work hard to give them every tool they need to do their job.
* Kurt Aschermann, president/COO, Charity Partners, and one of our Top Men in Fundraising: Move quickly; be authentic; know what you are talking about; make sure you have done it if you are telling them to do it.
* Marc Sirkin, chief marketing officer, International Rescue Committee, and one of our Top Men in Fundraising: Finding time to experiment and think outside the box. In 2001, we’d argue over online fundraising. I remember telling some execs that one day, online fundraising would be the majority of funds coming in. It’s happening faster and faster each year, but convincing people back then was hard.
