5 Clues Your Fundraising Is Headed Downhill

Don't we all want fundraising that provides reliable, consistent revenue? Money we can count on year after year?

Sure, but that kind of reliable success doesn't just happen. It takes serious work and commitment. And many organizations have a hard time getting it right.

Here are five clues that your fundraising program is going to disappoint you:

1. Revolving door in the development office
There is an amazing amount of turnover of development directors in our business. And when staff leaves, the offices are empty too long — many months and sometimes years.

What's worse: More than 50 percent of development directors in a recent survey said they were planning to leave in two years or less.

So what happens when the job is empty? No one is nurturing your donors or your fundraising infrastructure.

We all should understand that consistency is everything in fundraising. You nurture donors by constant, cheerful communications with them. When there is a long silence from you, your donors drift away.

Leaving the development director position open for a long time is like shooting yourself in the foot. Don't do it. Better yet — try to hang on to and support your current development director!

2. Laying all the fundraising on one person
Wow, I could rant on this all day. Too many board members and nonprofit staffers (including executive directors!) still think that fundraising is "dirty." They want to go out and do all the good work of helping people. But they dang well don't want to get involved with donors, philanthropy or "asking for money." (They really don't understand fundraising!)

So they saddle the poor development director with everything. Then they walk away, relieved that they don't have to get their hands dirty.

Fundraising can't be a priority for just one individual. It has to be a priority, and a shared responsibility, for the board, the executive director and the staff alike.