Frequently, my clients ask for help in hiring new or first time development staff. Hiring an exceptional development director takes real skill.
There are a few things I look for:
- a specific fundraising skill-set;
- a willingness to learn and grow;
- a good work ethic, and;
- a good personality match for the organization.
Hiring a Development Director: Start with a Good Job Description
The first task is to write a job description. Feel free to copy aspects from other similar job descriptions, but make sure yours is brief and unique. Don’t be too specific with requirements, because potentially great candidates have all different types of backgrounds and experiences. You wouldn’t want to scare applicants off by having too many restrictions or requirements.
Most importantly, include a starting salary and other benefits. This is a must in today’s job market.
Two things you’ll want from candidates: a cover letter with a resume or bio (you want to see their writing style), and salary requirements.
Where to Post Your Job Description
Once you are satisfied with your job description, it is time to post. Determine where you will get the most bang for your advertising buck. These days, I post electronically on the following sites:
Bookmark these sites!
In addition to the listings, share your job description with your contacts and on social media. Be sure to share with board members, volunteers, and fellow staff members. Ask them to post on their LinkedIn and Facebook pages. Be sure to get the word out as widely as possible.
What to Look for When Hiring a Development Director
Depending on the position, you may or may not be looking for prior development experience. You might be looking for someone with only one or two years, or just out of college.
If they’ve been in the job market for several years, you’ll want to consider longevity at jobs (do they job hop?), increasing levels of responsibility, and — if applicable — dollars raised.
Any fundraiser’s resume without dollar figures included on it should be a RED FLAG. Of course, the size and type of organization will determine what is or is not an impressive amount. Someone at a large, national organization should have raised significantly more than someone at a small, grassroots nonprofit.
Depending on the position you’re looking to fill, credentials and certification may or may not be important. I always favor someone with a CFRE, because I know they are committed to the field of fundraising. That being said, it’s not a requirement as certification takes time and financial resources, so not everyone has it.
A Note to Development Director Job Seekers
For those job seekers out there, a very important note: don’t lie on your resume (or in the interview, for that matter). I know it sounds obvious, but unfortunately, it needs to be said.
I had an “A” candidate on paper. His resume was right at the top of my “to interview” pile. His resume stated that he’s was a longstanding member of NSFRE — RED FLAG. (For those of you old-time AFP members, you know that’s a big lie. NSFRE hasn’t existed for nearly two decades.) This lead me to ask what else he’s fabricated (or worse) on his resume? He was clearly out of touch.
The Growing Shrinking World of Fundraising
The world of fundraising is very small and even smaller now, thanks to LinkedIn. The chances that I know someone who knows you or someone who works at your organization is very high.
One time I received a fantastic looking resume. Unfortunately for that candidate, I knew several people at the organizations where she’d worked. So of course, I picked up the phone to get the scoop on her job performance. Guess what? Because of my snooping around, she didn’t get an interview.
Finally, once you’ve sorted through the good, the bad, and the ugly, it’s time to pick your favorites and schedule interviews.
Interviewing Your Future Development Director
The first interview will determine that the person knows what they claim to know on their resume. In other words, do they have the skills and personality you need? It’s extremely helpful to have an experienced fundraiser in the first interview to help determine whether or not the candidate knows what they are talking about in fundraising terms.
Narrowing Down Your Finalists
After that, hiring decisions are often about the personality fit for an organization. After all, the executive director will need to work with this person day in and day out. They will need to get along, enjoy each other, and trust one another.
After narrowing it down to two finalists, it’s a good idea to bring candidates back for a second interview with additional staff and board members. Make sure they present themselves well a second time and the good vibes are still there.
Once you’ve made the decision, offer the job and negotiate terms. Then you’ll be well on your way to having a fantastic development director working with your organization.
Your Hiring Experiences?
What about you? What sort of experiences have you had hiring development staff? Any winners? Any nightmare candidates? Do tell in the comments.
Amy, great and thorough advice! Unfortunately, an employer I know that was in charge of hiring his new development director didn’t heed such good advice. This was several years ago and it was between me and another candidate. I had the fund raising experience and the other person had little experience but was from the area and had “connections.” To make a long story short, those connections didn’t pan out and before long he was calling me to save him! (Must say that I enjoyed that just a little. 😉 It has to be the right combination of experience and fitting in with the organization – just like you advise.
Thanks, Betsy. And, as any member of AFP knows, an ethical development director can’t bring their “connections” from one organization to another anyway.
Oh…development directors…I have worked with some good ones and some awful ones. I found those that make the biggest deal of how many millions of dollars they are going to raise usually fail miserably. There is a small section of the development director community that are snake oil salesmen (or women). All flash and no substance. Good points Amy on what to look for and how to find the best.
Great tips Amy! I’ve also known one or two of ‘snake oil salespeople.’ I’d suggest that part of the reason that organizations fall for that is that (1) some see fundraising professionals as sales people – rather than people building and facilitating long-term relationships between the organization and donors. And (2), sometimes there seems to be a belief that the development person will be bringing donors with them. It’s a great opportunity for some education about the ethics of fundraising.
You and I are cut from the same cloth Amy! I always encourage folks to get very clear about the job they want the new Director of Development to do. Once they know that, it’s easier to find the right person.
Hiring isn’t easy, but you can hire someone who has the potential to be a GREAT staff person!
Sandy Rees
Yes – there are plenty of qualified candidates these days. It’s just a matter of finding the right one.
Whether hiring development staff or any staff, hiring is a resource-intensive process. Amy, you give great advice for making the most of those resources so an org isn’t going through the process again in just a short time.
Great post, Amy! The one push back I have though is the idea that “committed fundraisers” have a CFRE. I have been fundraising for over five years now and absolutely LOVE the work that I do. Fundraising is a great fit for my personality and I honestly don’t see myself leaving the field for any reason. Sometimes a person’s passion for their skill set just IS and a piece of paper doesn’t necessarily add or subtract from that…
Hi Amy
I enjoyed and agree with it has to be a great fit to work.
I have a friend, who runs a rescue as a 501c and has had to stop
taking in any more animals in need till something changes and she may even have to close.
Is there some knowledge that you could share with me to be able to hire someone to help one time, or part time till enough money was coming in to provide for a full time hire?
The name of the rescue is witts end in kissimmee fl,
Thank you for your time
Jim
Hi Jim,
Unfortunately, it often takes money to make money. Until you can afford to hire someone full time, you will need to use volunteers and part time staff to raise as much money as they can. There’s no easy answer, except to rely on people who love the organization the most to help with fundraising until professional staff can take over. Has your friend considered merging with an existing shelter. This is often the best solution.
Best,
Amy
Amy,
Your article is very informative and I am sure very helpful for any organization looking for tips on hiring that “perfect” Development Director. However, I came across your article in search of an insight to what hiring managers are looking for when interviewing for these positions. Personally, I have been struggling to even get an interview for these type of openings when applying for them. I have been trying to find a way to stand out among the crowd to get that interview. One thing I lack is experience. While I do have a degree in Public Relations, I lack the job experience to back up my knowledge. Do you have any tips on how a person with little experience can get their foot in the door to begin their career in donor relations?
Thank you again for your wonderful article.
Tara
Hi Tara –
Yes! My suggestion is to volunteer or get an internship at the type of organization you’d most like to work at. You can volunteer 5-10 hours per week – it certainly doesn’t need to be full time – which will get you experience while continuing your job search. It will help you build skills and references! Good luck.