Making a Professional Impact on Your Organization

Like every other person I know who works in the fundraising field, I fell into the career. My first job was at a computer peripheral manufactuer, working on ISO 9000 implementation and Total Quality Management. After more than five years there I decided I wanted to further my education and decided to look for a job at a University where I could get a deal on tuition by working there. I responded to an advertisement in the paper for a job in the fundraising department for a School at a major University. I remember leaving the interview thinking that with as much money as this university charged per unit, why in the world did they need fundraising? This was how little I knew. For some reason, they hired me anyway and opened me up to an incredible career opportunity.

I loved everything about it. I loved the variety of activity – from project management, to writing, to meeting with committed volunteers and donors. I loved the way being in fundraising gave you entrance to all areas of an organization – you had to be an expert on everything about your organization. Having mastered all previous jobs in a six months or so, the ever-changing and responsive nature of non-profit management kept me engaged and interested in what was happening next. Different jobs, different organizations – the phones have not stopped ringing and the e-mails have not stopped coming since I started this career. I’ve rarely had a moment where I truly felt caught up.

It is because of the diversity and pace of our work in the non-profit sector, as well as a pretty universal lack of appropriate resources, hat it is so important to keep you focus on the big picture and your priorities as a fundraiser for the organization you represent and to be a professional. This post by Tom Suddes of the For Impact blog was a great reminder about what we need to be doing as development sales professionals.

A Development Sales Quiz

via For Impact Daily Nuggets by Tom Suddes on 5/7/09

This is a recycled note from last June. After a coaching call yesterday, I thought it was a timely reminder to be a PROFESSIONAL.

Are you a DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL?

(Answer honestly… and then take action!!!)

DO YOU:

Always appear on time with prospects/investors?

Know the difference between a legitimate question (objection) and an ‘excuse’?

Write down everything? (Take notes? Dictate a memo for the record after every call? Write out your goals, your numbers, etc.?)

LISTEN 3 times as much as you talk?

Follow-up on important things? (Pending requests, appointments, etc.) Special Note: FOLLOW-UP alone will move you to the top five percent of our profession today!

Constantly learn/grow via reading, listening, attending, etc.???

Create Win/Win partnerships and relationships instead of “taking orders”??

Know your own GOALS and PRIORITIES.

Schedule daily/weekly time for thinking and planning?

Spend a minimum of 50% of your time in front of prospects/ investors? (Go ahead, you can add in preparation and follow-up time… but you still need to be making 15 or 20 visits a month.)

Have some kind of personal contact with your Top 10/Top 33 investors weekly? Monthly?

Think of yourself as “PROFIT” and not as “OVERHEAD”? (What does your CEO think?)

Dress appropriately.

Have fun… and celebrate your success with family, peers, volunteer leadership and staff?

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