misconceptions

Titles for Fundraisers Revisited

April 16, 2013 By Benjamin Mohler

businessman sitting sofa question mark over head Not long ago I bookmarked a blog posting by David Lawson asking the question, “philanthropy, when did it become about fundraising?” In his post on Working Philanthropy, Lawson correlates the role of fundraising and a healthy nonprofit organization to the legacy of Steve Jobs. “Fundraising is a necessary part of philanthropy, but it in no way should define philanthropy any more than the marketing and sales department at Apple defines their products.”

This brings to mind my ongoing conflict regarding the use of professional titles for fundraisers. In a past post titled reconsidering the titles we give professional fundraisers, I explored the titles fundraisers use and the occurrence of personal pronouns for professional areas versus the ways donors and organizations refer to their fundraising practitioners.

“Professional titles (doctor, accountant, lawyer) brings with it connotations of trust, confidentiality, expertise, and ethics. I proudly wear the banner of ‘fundraiser,’ but know that this title is not fully descriptive of my profession and of my responsibilities.”

Nearly two years later and this issue is still front of mind. I find it reassuring to know I’m not alone. Since posting that original article, the search term “titles for fundraisers” has directly resulted in over 350 visits to this site. With all this latent curiosity, I wanted to give a little more attention to exploring available options.

Titles for fundraisers usually contain two or more elements from the following categories. Mix and match

Positional descriptions: Chief, Director, Manager, Associate, Assistant, Coordinator, Officer
Functional titles: Development, Advancement, Fundraising, Philanthropy, Strategic Partnerships, External Relations
Discipline details: Major Gifts, Principle Gifts, Annual Gifts, Leadership Gifts, Planned Giving, Campaign

Using these elements, the pieces for fundraiser titles that give me pause are the functional titles and the discipline details. The functional titles lack specificity. They are also not broadly recognized by people outside the main of professional fundraising. The discipline details, on the other hand, are overly descriptive and focus on the transactional nature of the position.

My ideal professional fundraiser title would include a positional description and some functional title that communicates an emphasis on encouraging philanthropy that is mutually beneficial to both the giver and the recipient. It would be nice if this title also reflected the importance of social investment, positive change, and ongoing stewardship. I still don’t know what that title would be.

Any suggestions?

The Nonprofit Development Companion – Development and Fundraising are NOT Interchangeable [Book Review]

July 25, 2011 By Benjamin Mohler

The Nonprofit Development Companion: A Workbook for Fundraising Success (The AFP/Wiley Fund Development Series) has a wealth of information which I have recently found helpful in crafting a fundraising plan in light of the all encompassing development plan. This is because this book clearly delineates the differences between “development” and “fundraising.”

While attending a recent Association of Fundraising Professionals chapter meeting, Karla Williams challenged the audience on their title within their respective organizations. By a show of hands it was amazing how many fundraisers held the title of “development officer.” To an outsider, or newcomer to the nonprofit sector, these terms are used interchangeably. However, doing so is a disservice to nonprofit professionals and the sector as a whole. I recommend purchasing this book as an adjunct to the seminal work on fundraising, Achieving Excellence in Fundraising (Wiley Desktop Editions), because it completes the context of fundraising within the wider construct of development.

Reconsidering the Titles We Give Professional Fundraisers

July 6, 2011 By Benjamin Mohler

Yet another member of the front-line fundraising team at my organization is departing for a position at another institution. So, as we’ve done in the past, the team gathered last night to bid farewell to Sharon — a valued colleague, trusted confidant, loyal friend, and in my case… my fundraiser?

About two years ago I decided that if I was going to be supporting my institution with philanthropic support, I should have a contact that could help set up my gift and would steward my support. Even though the research I wanted to support was literally thirty feet from my office door, I felt I should still have a chance to have a full donor experience and get to work with a fundraiser in that journey. I asked Sharon if she would be that person.

In Sharon’s departure I’ve had to consider who I’d want to represent my philanthropic interests with the organization. I believe I know who I’ll ask, but the hard part is figuring out the right way to pose the question.

Within the profession we use awkward terminology to refer to the relationship donors share with the person that represents their connection with the organization (e.g. development director and major gifts officer). Neither of these titles reflect the balance that professional fundraisers negotiate between donor intent and organizational need… a highly difficult task in light of donor advised funds, restricted gifts, and performance-driven grant making. These titles also fail to address the other aspects of the fundraising profession, the trust relationship. [Read more…] about Reconsidering the Titles We Give Professional Fundraisers

How Long Will it Take You to Raise the Money?

November 17, 2009 By Benjamin Mohler

All too often well intentioned staff or board members will come to you, the seasoned fundraising professional asking for help securing funds for a need not originally in the strategic plan and more specifically, the integrated development plan.

These requests are usually for last minute programs, non-budgeted expenses, “silver bullet” fundraising events, and my personal favorite consultant fees… upfront payment for somebody promising to write grant requests.

When these requests come across my desk I’ll typically ask these questions:

Is the (insert urgent need here) worth alienating the donor most likely to fund the request? Not usually. If you have been properly cultivating and stewarding your donors you might have somebody interested in helping with urgent needs. If this is true, be sure to link the funding need to your mission and provide a clear case for support that resonates with your donor’s personal interests.

Why wasn’t this in our original budget? Usually last minute financial needs are not considered in the original budget because they are not essential to your ability to satisfy the organizational mission. If the emerging need is critical for organizational success, ask yourself (and the board) “what can we cut from the planned budget to fund this unplanned item?”

If we pay upfront for somebody to write grant requests, how do we keep them accountable for meeting performance benchmarks? You can’t. Staff performance should be built into the strategic plan and should be reviewed by the board at least quarterly. Adding staff or consultants to the payroll without clear performance expectations, and which are paid irrespective of performance sends a terrible message to the remainder of the organizational staff being held accountable by the strategic plan and proper board governance.

So when I’m asked “how long will it take you to raise the money?” I typically respond that it will take anywhere between four months and a year. This range varies depending on how the specific item relates to organizational mission, strategic plan, integrated development plan, budget priorities, board oversight, and donor linkage, ability and interest.