So You Are a Short-term Fundraiser? NBD.
It's time to eat!
This is Paul’s response to last week’s column by Lisa Lewton, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Dickinson ND.
Thank you to my friend Pastor Lisa Lewton for her thoughts last week about long-term pastorates and feeding generosity over generations in congregations! It’s a beautiful thing when a leader has a long-lasting commitment to a place, and can go deep with people.
Did you notice what we changed? Normally my column comes first, and my guest responds to it the following week. But Lisa and I decided to flip the script.
First I want to focus on the benefits of a long tenure for fundraisers.
Then I will shift to exploring how to be a high-impact fundraiser when that lengthy tenure is not going to happen.
The Long Run.
What’s often true for congregations is even more true for nonprofits: A long-haul fundraiser can have a powerful positive impact for an organization.
It takes, on average, four years for a major gift officer to reach their full productivity in a new position. I’m not talking about a “rookie” gift officer — even a mature fundraiser in a new place won’t hit their full potential until year 4 .
A new gift officer probably won’t raise enough to offset their salary until year 2. The ROI jumps up in year 3. Eventually a well-established gift officer delivers 8-10x their salary annually.
The cost of turnover is high! When you figure lost opportunity, recruitment and onboarding, a revolving door costs the organization over $125,000 per cycle— some say twice that!
Transformational gifts — large, complex gifts that go beyond annual cash donations — require a trusted, mature relationship.
In major gift fundraising, the long run can be a very good thing.
Can’t Stay Forever.
But sometimes a long tenure is not realistic for you.
You are waiting for the position of your dreams to open up.
You don’t foresee living happily ever after with this employer.
You switch jobs at the age of 59. Retirement beckons.
For whatever reason, you aren’t going to be Player of the Decade, enjoying those long relationships and the big gift totals that can go with them.
I personally have enjoyed one long 12-year gig, and three fundraising jobs with tenures of 2-4 years. I can attest that there is a difference. I can also tell you this: It’s all good. Sometimes we move on, start over. You’ve done good work, you’re ready to do more of it elsewhere.
Hey, most “hires” don’t last for the long run. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that the average development director stays only 18 months! Other sources say 24 months. The point is, don’t feel that you’re second-best if you weren’t on the “Y2K Readiness Committee” at your current employer! Shorter tenures are standard.
Not only that — you may be the right person at the right time!
Build. Settle. Plant. And EAT! Jeremiah 29:5
Right on Time.
Even if you are not a long-haul person right now, you possess some advantages to exploit. You may even do some things better because you have less time there.
Let me list them:
Sharp attention. A long-term donor may be well known to others, but the first few times you meet with them, you are taking in everything you can! Your attention is heightened. You ask questions they may never have considered. You spot the little things. You note what’s not there and wonder about it. Familiarity lulls us into habit and dulls our attention. Think “fresh pair of eyes.” A second opinion.
Working the donor cycle. Because you can’t rely on your relationship to move a donor to give, you must stick with the basics: discovery, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship. This is the “blocking and tackling” of fundraising. It works when you do it. Do it, right out of the starting gate.
Involve other influencers. The seasoned fundraiser with the long relationship may assume they can handle the donor themselves; you, on the other hand, know you need to bring in some help. Recruit a board member to visit someone with you. Tap a great program staffer. Connect them with another donor. There’s strength in numbers.
Harvest. Pastor Lisa Lewton goes back to a Biblical word from Jeremiah for encouragement about remaining where you are: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.” (Jeremiah 29:5) Build. Settle. Plant. And…EAT!
When you’re new on staff, maybe the first thing for you to do is eat! The ministry of your nonprofit has been established; the work is happening, the gardens and orchards are planted. Someone needs to harvest.
Promote the donor to their highest level. Go for the legacy plan. Perhaps you are the one who shifts a long-term relationship into the near-term: they make their best gift this year. Because you are there, and you asked them to do it.
Long term has its distinct advantages. But so does your shorter-term tenure.
You are ready right now.
Kelly Wendell is the editor of “To Be a Fundraiser.” She is Coordinator of Communications for South Dakota State University.