How can you identify the right people for your fundraising team?

Here are the qualities I look for: 1. Optimism: Fundraising comes with a lot of rejection. 2. Curiosity: The best fundraisers are natural question askers. 3. Attunement: Can they dial their natural presence up or down to match the person they’re talking to? Do they seem to have an innate ability to understand others? 4. Ownership: An entrepreneurial mentality is an unbelievably huge contributor to fundraising success. 5. Smart: The best people in any field are often the ones constantly learning more about their craft. 6. Hungry: Are they constantly looking for ways to grow and improve? Are they driven to do more? 7. Humble: They seek the good of the team without concern for who gets credit. *Thank you Patrick Lencioni for 5-7

Top 5 qualities I look for: - Proactive - Doer - Gets things done - Loves building relationships - Great communicator and storyteller - Perseverance

This ain't about wallets, it's about hearts! Every team member needs to believe in your mission, bleed your cause colors, and have that fire in their belly that ignites donors. From boardroom pitches to casual coffee chats, your team needs to speak donor-fluently. Tailor messages, connect on emotions, and build bridges with words that inspire action. Think outside the bake sale box! This team thrives on innovation, dreaming up fresh fundraising ideas, exploring new platforms, and turning "oh that's cool" into "oh yes, I'm donating!" Forget egos, think high fives! Collaboration is key. Trust is the rocket fuel of fundraising. Every member needs to own their goals, deliver on promises, and uphold the highest ethical standards.

Every member of the team must be an individual that understands the business or individual providing the funds is a partner and needs to benefit as much as the recipient.

Its essential that each person on the team has a strong set of 'soft skills' because most of the fundraising work is relationship building. Also, team members have to genuinely care about people and the organization's mission.

Fundraising goes beyond the immediate goal of securing financial resources; it encompasses a broader vision of building enduring relationships based on trust, shared values, and mutual respect. One of the pivotal roles of a fundraising team is to cultivate this culture of philanthropy within the organization. This entails not only raising funds but also instilling a deep-seated understanding of why philanthropy matters and how it aligns with the organization's mission and values. Educating others on the importance of philanthropy is a cornerstone of this culture-building effort. This involves workshops, seminars, and internal communications that highlight the transformative impact of charitable giving.

Many nonprofit organizations operate with a collective effort. While we may have specific roles and responsibilities outlined, it's crucial for everyone to be adaptable and ready to support the mission in any way necessary. Over the years, leading various teams has shown me that those who truly excel possess a mindset of adaptability, teamwork, and a heartfelt commitment to the cause. While many abilities can be imparted through training, one's intrinsic attitude remains a foundational aspect they carry into their role.

I recommend hiring for heart. Yes, the basics need to be there. The person needs to have some skill in the specific requirements for the job, but heart isn't something you can train. What do I mean by "heart?" Hire someone who has a great attitude. Hire the person you want to sit in a one-on-one with and feel energized afterward. Hire the person who will happily take on new tasks, who generates ideas (or can get ideas done), and wants to push themselves to get better. When I hire someone who has a heart for the role, I find they make me better as a manager and elevate our overall team. When you build a team of people with a heart, you'll blow past your annual goals ... and love your job!

When recruiting new fundraisers to your team, ensure you clearly: - Outline the job description - Specify the work environment - Share expectations and goals - Speak to growth opportunities - Check references Once you make the hire: - Dedicate time to onboarding - Schedule necessary trainings - Coordinate meetings with staff - Share 30/60/90 day plan

It's really useful to have a broad range of experience in your fundraising team, as well as on your board. So I would say, outline a range of areas of expertise that may be beneficial to you in the brief/ job description. It helps to know and align the former with the potential funders' support areas as well, as members of the team will then be able to speak to these effectively.

Some of the best training you can provide is experiential. For donor reps, join them on a coffee date with a donor or listen in while they make a donor call. This also works for other roles such as someone managing reporting: there are few better ways to learn than to jump in and do it.

Nonprofit organizations can retain their fundraising team members by: - Ensuring fundraiser salaries are competitive. - Encouraging staff to use PTO and take breaks. - Providing transparent growth plans. - Training and mentoring junior staff members. - Allocating professional development stipends. Additionally, it's important that leadership celebrates not only the wins, but also the progress along the way!

With burnout being one of the leading causes of team members leaving, it's important organisations pay particular attention to team capacity and expectations. While training teams to manage their time effectively and flag concerns is essential, it is also important to continuously highlight what support is available for team members to take quality rest, offer advice on work-life balance, and celebrate wins. I agree with Mike that highlighting progress is another way of ensuring kudos (one of the key pillars of job satisfaction) is given where it's due, thus ensuring higher staff retention.

The high-performing fundraiser usually has a high dose of "constructive dissatisfaction" that underlies every day of its work. For each improvement achieved and each goal surpassed, it seeks new challenges and higher targets inspired and guided by the cause its defends.

Fundraising is about building personal relationships. Take an interest in the person representing the business, not just the business.

Training a team within the nonprofit sector goes beyond just imparting technical skills; it's about instilling the core values and ethos of the organization. This involves not only understanding the mission statement but also mastering the language and nuances that best convey its essence. Each member, in essence, becomes an ambassador for the organization. Thus, it's imperative for them to deeply resonate with the mission and have a comprehensive grasp of the target audience and communities the nonprofit serves.