You’ve likely heard the expression, fundraising is about relationships.
You may also know that development director tenure can be very short. I’ve heard numbers as low as 14 or 16 months. I often think about what must be happening in nonprofits to make turnover in our sector so high — especially in a sector that depends on relationships for success.
What Makes Development Director Tenure so Short?
As a development director…
- Are you quitting?
- Are you getting fired?
- Are there unrealistic expectations?
- Is the job simply too difficult?
- Are you unprepared?
Whatever the reason, I know there’s a better way.
When development directors leave…
- it’s bad for organizations
- it’s bad for you personally and the other staff members you’re leaving behind
- it’s bad for donors
- it’s bad for our causes
In order to do my part in turning this negative trend around, one of my goals for this year is to do everything I can to help increase the average stay of development staff members at their organizations.
Part of that means getting to the root cause of why development directors are leaving their jobs so frequently and prematurely. (And if you’ve left a development job in the past, please leave a comment about why you’ve left and how long you lasted.)
2 Strategies to Stick with your Nonprofit Job
Here are two things I’d like you to try this year in an effort to stay at your job.
1. Set realistic goals and metrics, and provide regular updates.
Fundraising goals should be developed in conjunction with the entire team — executive director and development staff. Goals should never be handed down to the development team from the finance office or the board without consultation with the fundraising staff — this is a recipe for disaster.
Goals should not be based on the hole in your budget — you know, the difference between your expected expenses and revenue — or simply a percentage increase over last year. If you expect to raise more than you did last year, you need to give me a justification as to why that’s possible.
Ideally, you’ll be upping your retention efforts, trying strategies to increase major gifts, or even hiring a new staff member to help with the workload. These are all good reasons that you should be expected to raise more. But being expected to raise more simply because someone in finance wants you to is a terrible reason.
Fundraising goals should be set based on the prospective donors you have and the fundraising activities and events you have scheduled.
I’ll talk more about how to set appropriate goals and metrics in upcoming videos, so be sure to subscribe or join my list if you haven’t done so already.
2. Ask for what you want and need.
Development directors often hop from job to job looking for that perfect fit, or more flexible hours, or a better salary. Unfortunately, I’ve found that most nonprofits are messy — each in their own ways. So there’s probably no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
That being said, there are plenty of things that can make any job more enjoyable.
Start by working at an organization where you’re truly passionate about the mission. That will help other issues seem more bearable.
If you’re currently at a job and would stay with a few minor adjustments, don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Here are some ideas:
- Flexible hours — this means coming in a little late on some days and working a little later on others. This often helps parents get their kids to school or pick them up on certain days.
- Work from home — if you have a boss who’s uncomfortable with a work from home arrangement, ask for a trial period of one or two months to see how it goes. Be sure to communicate well during this time and offer concrete deliverables.
- More vacation days — something you value to reboot and recharge. This is something organizations can easily offer without laying out additional funding.
- A raise — of course, most of us want to make more money, and better pay is often the reason development directors leave for another job.
However, if your current organization considers the opportunity cost of having to hire someone else — with respect to search fees, revenue lost from time without a development directors, and ramp up time of the new hire, it often makes financial sense to provide a raise of $5,000 to $10,000 to prevent a good development staff member from leaving.
Conversely, it’s very bad for your career and your resume to job hop, so think twice before doing so.
Lead with the benefits for THEM.
The key is to have a good reason for whatever you’re asking for and explain to your boss why this will benefit THEM.
For example, if you’re seeking flexible hours, let them know you will be more productive and less stressed knowing you can drop your child off safely at school and don’t need to be worried about them walking alone every day.
You can also make a case for working from home and saving time and energy on your commute. Not to mention, you won’t be distracted with colleagues poking their heads in your office with questions and pop up meetings.
There’s a whole post on my blog about How to Ask for What You Want that goes into additional detail about this and uses asking for a raise as an example.
Now I want to hear from you. So why have you left past development jobs? And what are some other things that might keep you at your job longer? Be sure to leave a comment.
Thanks for raising this issue Amy. I generally stay at orgs 4-7 years, but only stayed 21 months at my last employer. There wasn’t a mission fit for me, and this made the fact that the work environment was extremely unfriendly to working parents a deal-breaker. I sensed both of these challenges in the interview process and should have listened to my instincts despite what I was told. I felt guilt about leaving, but did assist in hiring a replacement and have helped her transition into the role I previously held. Hopefully this minimized disruption. My goal moving forward will always be to spend at least 5 years at any future places of employment. You’re right. We need to do better as a profession.
Thanks for sharing. It’s important to listen to your gut, but sometimes it’s hard. I got myself into a similar jam early on in my career – the red flags were there in the interview process, but I took the job anyway. As long as we learn from our mistakes.
I’m not a development director, but I was previously an assistant to a development director (she’s been in the position nearly 10 years), and I lasted there 2.5 years. I wouldn’t have left except my contract was up and there was no funding to renew it. I’m currently an annual fund coordinator and I’ve been on the job since September. I’ll be vested for retirement in 5 years, so I have to stay in this position until 2020 or 2021. That’s a long time to keep doing what I’m doing (I’m running out of fresh ideas for annual appeal letters after three years total in the development world.)
My ultimate goal is to work for an organization that works with people who have Parkinson’s Disease (something my family is affected by). Obviously, the Michael J. Fox Foundation is my stretch goal, but any organization that is doing good work in that field would be okay. It’s something I keep on my radar.
I’m currently in higher ed development and don’t love it, but it’s a long bridge to get to what I really want to do.
I have been in my current job for 5 years. I was new to development when I came here, and I have been pretty successful and happy with the organization’s mission and work culture. I am one of the highest paid staff here, but I took a pay cut to make this move. Because of the size of the organization and the fact that I am a one person shop, I am starting to feel like I may not be able to advance much more here professionally or financially. I feel guilty asking for the kind of money I need, because our wonderful direct service staff are not getting paid as much as they should. I’m feeling really torn – I don’t want to leave, but I’m now a single mom and I need to seize the opportunity to make significantly more money. Is there a way to really level up from within this job?
Hi Molly – I think that’s the rub! It’s hard to move up in a 1 person shop. That’s why I’m so insistent on major gifts. They are the way to supercharge even the smallest of shops. Set a goal of raising major gifts and hiring more help. Next step… raises for all staff members!
What I have experienced and also heard from peers is that CEOs/EDs don’t know how to work with an experienced Development Director. If you are going to hire a development professional for his or her expertise, then let that professional put that expertise and experience to work. Don’t second guess, micro-manage and resist change, especially when the change suggested represents best practices. This type of environment is demoralizing and exhausting to cope with day after day.
Well put!
Hi Amy–
I have left previous development positions because of these reasons:
1) Unrealistic fundraising expectations.
2) Board members not understanding their roles and involvement regarding fundraising.
3) Lack of team culture and miscommunication.
You do not know the true expectation and culture until you are actually working at the organization. There are some things you can implement (educating board member development, setting realistic goals) but there are also some things that are unchangeable (bad management).
Anne
Hi Amy–
I have left previous development positions because of these reasons:
1) Unrealistic fundraising expectations.
2) Board members not understanding their roles and involvement regarding fundraising.
3) Lack of team culture and miscommunication.
You do not know the true expectation and culture until you are actually working at the organization. There are some things you can implement (educating board member development, setting realistic goals) but there are also some things that are unchangeable (bad management).
Anne
I have left past development jobs for differing reasons. The first development job I left it was because there were no opportunities for advancement or professional development. I became hopelessly stuck. My director, who had fewer years in the industry than I did even realized that and gave me her blessing to leave to continue my career. The second time I left it was because of a family health emergency, so I had to leave the state to be closer to family and help. That was always a fun one to explain on my resume.
When I was younger, pay wasn’t a huge motivator, it was professional development and opportunities for advancement. Now, with a family to support, I can see why pay is a huge factor. I can’t leave my current position to work at another nonprofit even if I was passionate about the mission because I can’t afford a pay cut (it works both ways).
I know a lot of fundraising professionals who are exhausted working for directors with little to no experience or willingness to learn the industry. Finding a boss who is also a mentor and can broaden your skills – that is a dream job. Otherwise, we’re not learning anything new and innovative, we are too busy dragging our bosses and Board members to just catch up!
Hi Amy, I’ve enjoyed your videos. Thanks for this one. I was just notified I am going to be laid off after 1 year of employment at my current position. I am a department of one person. My boss helps when she can, but since we are a statewide office with 7 offices, she is out of town alot. We receive Federal money, and our budget has been reduced by $500,000 this year. Also, we were in a Capital Campaign with out much success due to a few reasons including a Board that wasn’t engaged, a competing organization that is 3 times larger than us who just completed their campaign, little name recognition in the community, or a well known CEO, and very few donors. I was their first Development person. All together, a tough situation. They said my position was a “luxury” and they were sorry to let me go. I live in Las Vegas, and my experience here is that non-profit organizations here are very cut throat when it comes to budgeting. The Development person is the first person to go. They think remaining staff will fill the gaps, even though they have no experience or desire to fund raise. It does not look good for the organization or for my resume. I went to a presentation recently called, “Decorating your new office? Don’t bother, you won’t be there that long.” This was an AFP breakfast meeting. This situation will make individuals less likely to consider a career in fundraising and is detrimental to our profession. We need more education for organizational leaders as to what it takes to raise money, and what we do. Most don’t have a clue how the process works. Please consider this topic for a national or even international AFP Conference. This is more important than all of the “diversity” topics seen in recent conventions. This is a REAL problem for fundraisers. I was at my first fundraising job for 15 years and was given lots of opportunity to grow and be expertly mentored. I went from being an entry level fundraiser, to being appointed the Special Projects Director in the President’s Office at a major university. I think there is a lot of education that needs to be presented to management and Boards on the intricacies of fundraising. They just don’t understand how it works. Thanks for trying to help or what their role is in the equation. It’s very disconcerting to be in a profession you love, but that others don’t respect. They see it as begging.
Hi Amy,
My first full-time development position lasted six glorious years, with a successful capital campaign and a doubling of our agency budget during my tenure there. Since then, my average stay has been about 14 months, just like you noticed. Of those, I’ve quit only two of my positions to go elsewhere.
Was just thinking I could write a book on the challenges of the nonprofit sector. In some of my orgs, the executives were just plain over their heads, not trained up for their positions. In others, the vagaries of nonprofit board politics, struggles with transition in power, or just plain ridiculous increases in office rent took out some of my most seasoned, professional directors, With those, I lost my job as a casualty.
There are some more personal stories of relationships with my nonprofit supervisors, but I’ll save them for now.
Very good advice. May I share the link to your video with the students and alumni of the graduate program in Fundraising at Humber College? We in the faculty want them to have good, stable jobs.
In a recent class discussion, students were asked what conditions were needed to keep them in the same workplace longer. Several said that their expectations were different than previous generations. Jobs for life were gone two generations ago, with their grand-parents. Long-term employment is so 1990s – that was their parents style.. They are part of the gig economy, the precariat who do contracts – and even side hustles – to survive. They said ‘we’re past mourning this, and looking forward to the fun of many new experiences.’ This may require a whole new attitude from employers, and new thinking about fundraising relationships. Maybe here too we have moved from the grand-parents who married for life, past the parenting model of the last century with serial monogamy and divorces, to a new relationship status: “It’s complicated”.
Yes, you may share this video and any others you think would be beneficial.
Hi Amy .I have gone through all the comments and came to a conclusion that they all have minute resemblances, they are intertwined rather. The reasons of leaving their previous jobs are basically the the same. Notable among these are: Poor Timing ( before we ask for a donation we should ask ourselves this question , Is it the right time to ask for a donation and why now), Asking the appropriate amount, Poor donor knowledge ( I am asking the right donor for the donation I am asking, ) , last but not least , there is a general tendency among fundraisers they tend to relax after getting two positive results. They tend to forget that the more calls we make per and more donor meetings we make keeps the ball rolling.
Poor communication within the organisation is also a chief cause of that All board members should be notified on the latest developments on fundraising. This is also coupled by high level of transparency. If you share all your developments with the organisation. need a professional Mentor to assist you , educate and groom you. A good example is Amy .I have used 95 % of the material she has shared with us , successfully, .Thank you guys
Hi Amy, I am in your major gifts class right now, and this article/video really made an impression on me. I recently applied for and was offered another terrific position in another state, which I sadly turned down due to it not being right for my spouse to move there after we visited the new site together. BUT, it was also a great opportunity for me to look at all the pluses in my current position, and to take all the preparation that I had done in applying for the new position and apply it to my current one. With the wise lessons you are teaching so well about retention, I have worked hard to take them to heart. I have since recommitted to my current position, asked for, and gotten, a title change, and taken on new projects that continue to excite me and provide stretch goals. I have now been in my current position almost three years, and am just beginning to really see the efforts of my extremely hard work begin to bear some serious fruit in terms of donor relationships and gifts. I’ve been in this world for two decades and needed a bit of “refreshment”. You’ve helped so much! In my current position, I am also learning a whole new industry which is truly a wonderful one — public gardens — who doesn’t need a little serenity today? That is one thing that I would share with others — if you are passionate about the mission of your organization but feel “stuck” at work, try digging deep into learning about, and contributing to leadership within your industry.
Thanks so much for sharing, Anne! That’s wonderful. Keep me posted.
Guy. Kawasaki was on record when he was quoted saying tha”The best reason to start a an organisation is to make meaning, to create a product or service to make the world a better place ” The aforementioned sentiment seems to hold much water here .It is our duty as fundraisers to deliver , to make the world a better place. Quiting is not a solution , neither changing jobs .However it is a clear indication that there is something amiss non other than effective TRAINING.
The same sentiment was clearly spelt out by one of the most popular writers who was quoted as saying “There is nothing training cannot do . Nothing is above its reach, it can turn BAD morals to Good morals, it can destroy BAD principles and recreate good ones, it can lift men to angleship. ”
I would like to suggest that it’s self explanatory, I have nothing to add nor subtract. My advice is we lack profound training and effective mentorship. It’s high time that we have to take Amy mentorship more seriously if we wish to be successful and to desist from bad morals that jet propel quiting .7 week course are the answers here just but to mention a few. We need someone to lean on in times of difficulties. I give a round of applause Amy once more .I hope to meet you personally at the AFP Conference in San Francisco.
Thank you again guys for your time