Staffing & Human Resources

To avoid the common pitfalls that often come with a leadership change and make the transition as painless as possible, nonprofits should carefully consider the following.

Please be very diligent to write good job descriptions for each major-gifts officer. It is so important that these good people know what they are supposed to do and know how they will be evaluated.

If you're in an organization that is overly dependent upon single-source funding, especially the structured variety of public and institutional sources, the time to create a program of diversification is now, not when you're faced with the sudden loss of a major source of your revenue.

The interview process in the nonprofit fundraising sector is what you make of it, but having a proper interview process is critical if you desire a highly performing team.

If you are struggling with an employee or a board member and your gut says to move him or her along, then make a plan and do it!

Fundraising isn't painless — but the joy it brings makes our profession amazing.

When you are looking for a staff replacement in the nonprofit fundraising profession, it is easy to immediately place an advertisement and hope for a quick match. That usually doesn't happen. Take the time to reflect on the position and person needed for the position as it is needed today, not several years ago when the departing staff member was hired. You now have a new opportunity to make changes based upon the current and future strategic direction of your fundraising program.

You cannot control leadership transition, but you can control how you deal with it and you can be prepared for it.

I've been asked to define the characteristics of a successful fundraising professional. To answer this question, I've thought about my own experience, the success of my peers and people I admire, and I've listened to what other experts in the field have said on this topic.

Here's the compilation of these ideas, which I hope will help attract new people to the fundraising profession, remind people now in the field what it takes to succeed, and help executive directors and boards recruit talented fundraisers.

Forty-five percent of nonprofits plan to add jobs this year, about the same share that created new positions in 2013, finds a survey. As the economy continues to improve, nonprofits are not only adding jobs but are increasingly avoiding layoffs: Only 7 percent intend to eliminate positions this year. The study of 413 organizations was conducted by Nonprofit HR, a human-resources consulting firm, and the Improve Group, a consultancy whose clients include charities.