Development Directors Who Stay Longer Raise More Money

A good development director is worth their weight in gold. Fundraising, especially major gift fundraising, is based on relationships. It takes time to build trust and confidence. The longer a development director stays at an organization, the more likely it is they really get to know the donors and volunteers and that the donors know them!

And yet, many development professionals hop from one organization to the next.

Job-Hopping Development Directors are the Norm

It makes sense that development directors hop from job to job. That’s because fundraising is hard. And development staff are often underappreciated.

Working at a nonprofit, which is often under resourced and understaffed, can be frustrating. Expectations are often high or even unrealistic. This can set a development director up for failure form the start.

Unfortunately, when development directors leave their jobs, it’s bad for donors, organizations, and development directors too. The organization is left to scramble to fill the position and provide consistency in their fundraising programs.

Of course, it’s understandable that development directors look for their next opportunity when there’s no perceived room for growth or promotion at the organization.

But, it’s up to you — at least, in part — to create opportunities for growth.

You Must Create Your Own Opportunities for Growth

Recently, I was speaking to one of my clients who has been at her organization for 5 years. Like many good development directors, she feels under-valued and under-appreciated. And there are some serious challenges at her organization.

She told me she was offered another position and was really tempted to go. However, it was clear she would prefer to stay at her current organization and continue to see the fruits of her labor blossom. Still, the new position was offering significantly more in salary. Plus there were other challenges at the existing organization.

So what’s a good development director to do?

I recommend she go to her boss and share her situation. After all, honesty is always the best policy.

4 Ways to Stay On as Development Director at Your Nonprofit

Before you consider leaving your nonprofit for what you think might be greener pastures, determine what would make your job work for you and express that to your boss.

Remember — staying at your nonprofit is better for your donors, your organization, and you! In that spirit, try a few of the following before you pack it in.

1. Ask for a Raise

It costs your organization money in lost fundraising income and hiring costs when you leave. Ask for a raise as part of an incentive to stay. That doesn’t mean you should blackmail your current employer, but make a case for why it’s valuable and good ROI to keep you.

2. Develop Realistic Goals

Suggest reasonable, realistic goals. Show why you believe you can raise the goals you present and/or why current goals aren’t realistic. Don’t be afraid to experiment and take calculated risks.

Goals can include hiring additional development staff, if and when you meet specific fundraising milestones. One goal might be to hire a grant writer or event planner within the next 12 months so you can focus on raising major gifts.

3. Identify Opportunities for Growth

If your goal is to expand your team, set the expectations that new hires would report to you. Request opportunities to expand your responsibilities and learn new skills. Request time and resources for professional development.

4. Try Something New Every Year

Create professional development opportunities for yourself. Learn a new skill and/or try something new.

If you haven’t raised major or planned gifts, there’s no time like the present. Don’t make excuses, take a class (even if you have to pay for it yourself) and apply what you learn.

For Executive Directors…

Ask Yourself — What’s Your Development Director’s Value?

If you are an ED, really think hard about what your development person is worth.

Consider the opportunity cost of losing your development director. It takes time and effort to identify and train a new team member. It will take a year or more for the new person to come up to speed and develop relationships.

Guess What? Every Nonprofit is a Mess

You may have a touch of the “grass is always greener” syndrome. In my experience, every nonprofit is a mess in its own special way. It’s a matter of deciding what you can live with.

But There are REAL Red Flags to Watch Out For…

Here are some red flags and reasons you might consider leaving your nonprofit:

You’re not allowed at board meetings or to communicate with board members (if you’re one of the top development people at your organization).
The development goal is set without your input.
No regular meetings with the ED/CEO (if you’re one of the top development people at your organization).
No professional development/opportunities for growth.

No Job is Perfect

Bottom line — no job is perfect. The question is, can you help create the perfect job for you?

If you create staying power for yourself, you will have a much more successful, satisfying career. So do what you can to stick it out and make your situation better for you and the people around you.

So What Happened to My Client Anyway?

Remember the client I mentioned earlier in this post? The one who was offered another position, but really preferred to stay at her current nonprofit to continue to grow?

Well, she followed my advice and ended up with a nice big raise, a change in reporting structure (so she now reports directly to the CEO), and a few other benefits. So she decided to stay at her organization rather than take a new job and she couldn’t be happier.

Best of all, SHE made it happen. And so can you!