My move from Third to Private Sector…

The decision to move out of the charity sector, and to stop being a fundraiser (for my profession anyways, always a fundraiser at heart), was not an easy one. Following a whirlwind 8years, I didn’t think that I would ever leave. Yet, here I am, on week three of my new role and it already feels like home.

Like many of those working in charities, I somewhat fell into my first fundraising role. After volunteering for my local Cancer Research UK committee, I applied for a Local Fundraising Manager role with no real knowledge of what it meant to fundraise. I love people, I am passionate about doing good, and I am a positive person - fortunately, that seemed to be enough. I never thought that fundraising would turn out to be my career, though I am incredibly proud it has been.

Throughout my fundraising career I got to work for (in my opinion) the most amazing charities and with some of the most talented fundraisers out there. I was extremely fortunate that I was surrounded by exceptional leaders who wanted to help develop my career and supported me into a position where I could successfully lead large, multi-million-pound fundraising teams, quite quickly.

So, why the change in roles? Why move from something I am SO passionate about doing?

Shockingly, my move to the private sector wasn’t for the money, or for better hours, or even for a fun new job title. I won’t lie, the unlimited holiday is definitely a bonus(!), but again not the reason either.

I moved so I could make a difference to the sector I love.

Amid doing good and trying to raise vital funds, learning & development opportunities for fundraisers can often get lost in the chaos. And although the pool of passionate, talented fundraisers grows, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy report, a staggering 55% say they “often feel unappreciated” in their work and 30% of fundraisers are “considering leaving the sector all together”.

With rising pressure, stretching targets and a lack of career development opportunities, the average fundraiser stays in a job for just 16 months before assuming another position. And whilst spending funds on training & development for staff can be hard to justify if the bottom line is not being met, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), replacing these professionals doesn’t make sense either —on average it costs a charity 90% to 200% of a person’s salary in direct and indirect costs to find and train someone new.

But there is a solution!

In 2017, the Apprenticeship Levy was introduced to any organisation that has an annual pay bill of ￡3million. Putting that into perspective, say an organisation has an average salary of ￡28,000pa, they would only need around 107 employees to mean they are paying into a Levy pot. Now that is VERY rough math, but you get the picture. Charities all over the country are paying into a Levy pot, which they can’t claim back, and yet it isn’t being used to support their staff.

Gone are the days that apprenticeships are solely for those starting out in their career. Whilst there will always be a market for those vital routes into employment roles, more and more apprenticeship programmes are being used as cost-effective, accredited forms of training for those looking to upskill and empower existing teams who want to be developed.

Diplomas and certificates that offer professional coaching, peer to peer workshops and practical application to work, have opened a whole undiscovered world of qualifications, all of which could hugely benefit fundraising teams with no extra cost to their charity.

And that is why I took the leap of faith out of a sector I loved, so I could make a difference to those still in it.

Fundraising is hard; it is relentless and all consuming. And whilst it can be incredibly rewarding as a profession, it can lack recognition for individuals. I have moved to Corndel to work with third sector organisations to help change this. I want to help charities invest in their staff, and in-turn, invest in the future of their organisation.

If you are leading an amazing team and looking for ways to harness existing talent, or maybe an individual who wants to help engage their organisation in the next stage of learning & development opportunities, reach out and let’s see how Corndel can help you do more.

https://www.corndel.com/fundraising/