When you are hiring people as fundraisers what do you look for? The conventional current wisdom seems to be that we ask a few basic questions that revolve around; ‘What have you raised?’, and what seems to be the current inane question ‘Can you do the ASK?’
While I was in the UK one of my colleagues from London almost had a fetish to tell you every time that you saw him how much he had raised since he had been a fundraiser, I can still see the glint of pride in his eye when he told me that he had reached the £6 million mark. Then there are those who proudly trumpet their financial success in the bio’s that fill up the pages of conference brochures; almost as if it was a sole personal accomplishment. I would agree that there are times when all the skills that we have developed as fundraisers are crucial in getting the greater dollar for our organisation, that all those hours we spend with each other talking fundraising will give us insights and advantages in increasing our share of the philanthropic dollar.
One of my most enjoyable appointments was one where we did win a number of Chapter awards and even a national award, and I really enjoyed getting the pats on the back and the awe it generated in some of my colleagues (I wish!) when we got up on the dais to receive it at the National Conference. However the real story is that I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and everything fell into place around me. It really was an award for other people than it was for me. It also could depend on what organisation you are with. We are all familiar with those charities that tick all the lovely soft cuddly emotional hooks and then there are the charities where you have to explain in detail, sometimes teach people how to pronounce the name, before you get to tell them what it is you want. ‘How much money have you raised’? is not just as simple as it sounds, but we still see the bio’s that tell in every ‘gory detail’, how much someone has raised.
One of my most enjoyable appointments was one where we did win a number of Chapter awards and even a national award, and I really enjoyed getting the pats on the back and the awe it generated in some of my colleagues (I wish!) when we got up on the dais to receive it at the National Conference. However the real story is that I just happened to be in the right place at the right time and everything fell into place around me. It really was an award for other people than it was for me. It also could depend on what organisation you are with. We are all familiar with those charities that tick all the lovely soft cuddly emotional hooks and then there are the charities where you have to explain in detail, sometimes teach people how to pronounce the name, before you get to tell them what it is you want. ‘How much money have you raised’? is not just as simple as it sounds, but we still see the bio’s that tell in every ‘gory detail’, how much someone has raised.
So what do you look for in a fundraiser?
I have had the dubious privilege to sit in the interview rooms of a number of HR consultants looking to fill fundraising positions. Almost universally you will be in a small room with round table and three chairs, with a sheet to fill in your details and a promotional pen from the recruitment organisation. There will be windows that can vary from none to a panoramic view of the city that seemed to indicate that I would rather watch the view than engage in any sort of conversation about future employment. Then there is the ‘record’ that you have to put on and repeat what you have written, that often they have in front of them that is possibly unread. Plus all the other questions that have to be asked and trying to make that elusive contact with someone who you may believe is treating you just like a number. I also have little doubt that often they sit there and ask questions in their mind that have as a possible basis; “how can I tell them kindly that they have no show with this position?” And then that inane question; “Can you do the ASK?”
Over recent years with the apparent lack of effective members of Boards who have failed to ask for financial support because they give of their time and ‘they are really clever people’. The role of ‘asking’ has fallen on the shoulders of those long suffering people we call fundraisers, you and me and a whole lot of other people as paid employees without fully knowing what is required. The question is usually asked of us by people who have no understanding of how the process works and what I see as a general passing of the buck down the line to the next person in line who has ‘Fundraising’ as a KPI rather than a development role in the organisation. I was in one appointment where I did ‘the ask’, and all the board members said no! Was I successful in doing the ask? Yes. Was I effective at getting a result? No; this possibly poses questions that there is another criteria that we should look at rather than the bland, inane question; “Can you do the ASK?”
How often have we as fundraisers enthusiastically propounded in text books conference presentations, seminars, workshops that fundraising is more about people than it is about money. I would be one of those people who believe that this should be the holy grail of what we do. So why is it we spend so much time on the end result of a relationship without giving our full attention to developing that relationship? Yes of course we do talk about donor development but the vast majority of it is related to the process of upgrading them rather than on the development of the individual.
I am a big fan of Geoffrey Gittomer who is a marketing Guru from the states who is over the top in just about everything he does and says, but so much of what he says is proven common sense in any field of endeavour. One of his latest regurgitations is “All things being equal, people do business with people they like.” This is not rocket science friends, but how often do we spend time getting to know people so that we get to like them and possibly in the process they might like us and the organisations that we represent?
One of my fundraising hero’s is Kent Dove who is one of the Guru’s from the Indiana School of Philanthropy. I sat through a master class of his one time and it was all about managing and using fundraising staff. He saw a fundamental flaw in looking at a person’s fundraising history and how much they have raised, where they have worked, but took a completely different view. His view, and I believe him, is that most of the stuff we do in fundraising is based around process and can be taught. When you are looking for people for any position you look for integrity, intelligence and energy. With these characteristics you can teach them to do anything.
Am I ‘having a go’ at our FIA education system where we have taught people over many years how to fundraise? Am I calling into question the effectiveness of our skills 1-3 and all the multifarious offerings that are made around Australia every week? Yes and no! Why is it that after all these years we are still arguably, one of the most transient of professional populations with what seems to be an exciting group of new people entering the profession and a plethora of old stagers, but seemingly, to my observations very few in the middle looking for Skills 3 and the development of their careers?
The recent Chapter 1 two day event; ‘2’, was an attempt to bring in the intense people skills that we often call Personal Development. There was a mix of ‘Toolbox’ sessions where the practical sessions of some of the disciplines of fundraising were outlined well with enthusiasm, energy and professional expertise. The presenters were asked not to make them 45 minute talk fests, but we looked at ‘how’ the session was presented in equal proportion to the information that was presented. Each presenter in this session was asked to speak for a while explain the template that was included on a data stick and then respond to questions to ensure that the delegates had a good understanding of their subject. This worked well and was well responded too.
The Personal Development side was a different side to much of what we have done in the past. We started with an expert in networking who, over breakfast highlighted the need to build relationships into a prospect who may be a potential customer, client or donor. We had a Life Coach who described her journey and in describing a point in her life 8 years ago when on her way to work in a senior corporate appointment, looked in the mirror and asked herself the question ‘Am I living the life that I want to live?’ We have all been there and possibly asked ourselves the same question. We had someone who enlightened us with energy and enthusiasm and we heard about the importance of right thinking and positive affirmations around all that we do. Personal Development is not just about ‘personal’ development, it also about developing relationships with others, in our case; donors. What are some of the things that we can learn from others so that we can develop relationships to get closer to ‘The Ask’? It will also help us to focus again on what we are doing all this fundraising for to be effective at developing such effective relationships with potential supporters, so that they support you without having to be asked.
Now wouldn’t that be something!
No comments:
Post a Comment