6 Nuggets of Fundraising Wisdom I Wish Someone Shared With Me

It feels like yesterday that I was the youngest professional in the room. But the reality is that that’s not been the case for many, many years. In fact, today I’m probably closer to the end of my career than the start of it.

As I look back, there are a number of “life lessons” I picked up through personal experience that I wish someone had shared with me when I was starting out.

And so, that’s what I’d like to do in this post — share those nuggets of fundraising wisdom with you.

6 Nuggets of Wisdom for Fundraising Professionals

These days, I field many calls from people young and old who want to be fundraising professionals or even fundraising consultants. Here’s some nuggets of wisdom I’ve picked up over the last 25 years. Use them well!

1. Don’t waste your time when 1 + 1 = 2

Leverage your time and talents. If you’re doing something where one plus one equals two, it’s probably not worth it. I remember reading this when I first went into consulting and the author was speaking about taking a business partner.

If you have the same skills as the people around you, then one and one equals two. However, if you partner with or surround yourself with people who have different skills, the sky is the limit! Gravitate toward people with different skill sets and leverage their time and talent to allow yours to shine brighter.

2. Don’t burn bridges!

This should go without saying, yet I just experienced a crazy bout of bridge burning where none was necessary. I know the bridge burner was upset, but they could have bowed out graciously. Instead, they threw a grenade on the way out. Totally unprofessional (and unnecessary) and will likely come back to bite them when they least suspect it.

The life lesson here? Be gracious, even when emotions run hot. You never know where your career will lead you over time.

3. Become an expert in your field.

If you want to be an expert on any given topic, read ten books on the subject and you will know more than 95% of people know about that topic. You can also listen to podcasts, read blog posts, attend workshops, and so on. Think for a moment — when was the last time you read a fundraising book? Or ten?

4. Try at least one new thing each year.

This is an absolute must for all professionals. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result (if you’ll remember, that’s the definition of insanity). Use a new technology or try a new program or service. Experiment with something you’ve always wanted to try.

Periodically, you’ll discover something that boosts your productivity (and your career) in remarkable ways… but only if you’re willing to try new things. (See the end of this post for a couple examples of new programs to try.)

5. Invest in yourself.

You know the cliché: if you’re not growing, you’re dying.

I’ve made a commitment to invest in myself for more than a decade. Sometimes it’s a small investment, like taking a class at a local Adult School in my community. Other times it’s a larger investment, like hiring a coach or attending a conference. Don’t shy away from growth — embrace it.

6. Progress, Not Perfection (Perfection is the enemy of the good).

I look back at my first book (and second and third) and grimace. They’re good, but not as good as they could be. Regardless, I can proudly say I’ve published three books. If I held them until they were “perfect” (whatever that means), I would never have released them. Same is true for my weekly blog posts (please forgive the typos).

New Nuggets of Fundraising Wisdom

If you found any of these nuggets of wisdom helpful, why not join a program where you can regularly benefit from my guidance and years in the field?

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I designed MMG as an ongoing monthly program that shows you, step-by-step, everything I’ve learned throughout the years to raise large major gifts consistently and successfully. It takes the process and breaks it down into bite-sized steps, while providing continuous support from me, and your peers. Check it out!

Learn more about Mastering Major Gifts »

As an added benefit, you’ll earn 5 CFRE credits each month you stick with the program. On top of that, when you join this fall, you’ll get your first 30 days FREE. So if you discover it’s not your cup of tea, simply cancel and you won’t have lost a thing.

Try the Capital Campaign Toolkit for Consultants

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This time-tested collection of campaign tools means you won’t have to reinvent the wheel with your clients. Add your company logo to make the tools distinctly yours. You’ll find more than 125 items to help you guide your clients’ campaigns.

Try Something New and Keep Growing!

After reading through these nuggets of wisdom, you’ve probably noticed a theme — don’t shy away from trying new things, and make sure to embrace technology, knowledge and ideas that help you grow. Consistently do both of those things and you cannot fail. It’s a tried-and-true recipe for success. And I can definitively say that after 25 years in the field. 😉