Fundraising as a Profession--What Does it Take to Succeed? fundraising as a career Mar 05, 2021

Perseverance

One thing that senior development professionals have learned is that perseverance is a highly needed quality. Major and planned gifts, in particular, require building long term relationships; perseverance pays off. If donors think the organization has forgotten about them they may...

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Advance in Your Fundraising Career by Following Three Simple Steps fundraising as a career Feb 23, 2021

When I first entered the wonderful world of philanthropy back in the dark ages (before email, can you believe that?), I realized if I wanted to advance in this career (and I did want that) I simply had to follow the same three steps I followed when I advanced rapidly in my banking career. They...

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Advancing in Your Fundraising Career fundraising as a career Feb 23, 2021

At some point in the career of every development professional there comes the time when some tough decisions must be made. Is it time to ask for a higher-level position within the organization? Do you “stick it out” in a position that has reached its potential, or is it time to...

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Advancing in Your Fundraising Career: Moving to Another Organization fundraising as a career Feb 23, 2021

Sometimes you wake up in the morning and just do not want to go to work! It happens to everyone. If it is just that it has been a bad day or a bad week, these thoughts usually disappear and you are ready to jump back in. However, if every day is starting to become a drag, then it may be time to...

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Fundraising as a Profession—What Does it Take to Succeed? fundraising as a career Feb 23, 2021
  • What are the key characteristics of a successful fundraiser?
  • Are these characteristics inborn or can they be acquired?
  • What can I, as a fundraising professional, do to acquire or strengthen these characteristics within myself?
  • What do I look for when hiring development staff people?

Many...

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Fundraising as a Profession--What Does it Take to Succeed? fundraising as a career Feb 23, 2021

Good Listener

Good listening is definitely a quality that can be learned. A class in communications can help emphasize that listening is the most important part of good communication skills. (There may be a very good reason why human beings were created with one mouth and two ears!)

Active...

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What Options are There in Fundraising Careers? fundraising as a career Feb 23, 2021

So, what are some typical specialties one finds in the development office?

Planned Giving:

This is a career path often chosen by attorneys, financial planners or bankers who want to leave the for-profit world and work in development. While not usually as high paying as a career in law or the...

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