The ears of executive directors and fundraiser managers everywhere are burning. This article from onPhilanthropy.com is a must read for anybody that manages a development staff.
I have found that nonprofit leadership (when removed from frontlines fundraising) often times loses touch with the character qualities that define a productive fundraiser. These managers replace quality with quantity and have a deadfast focus on contacts and moves rather than the soft skill of making and maintaining sustainable donor relationships. Their focus tends to favor the here and now, meeting nearterm goals. This approach is to the detriment of a philanthropic culture that will outlast the tenure of current leadership.
I have yet to see a management system or measurement matrix that recognizes and rewards organizational pratices and policies that orientate the management structure as a donor-centered and mission-focused.
