Have you ever had difficulty filling key fundraising roles and keeping them filled? If so, you’re not alone.
Nonprofit leaders across sectors consistently report one of their biggest challenges is filling these important positions and the problems resulting from turnover.
Forbes reported 45% of nonprofit employees will look for a new job within the next five years, and 23% of those don’t plan to pursue nonprofit organizations. Why?
If you’ve worked in fundraising at a nonprofit, you may feel like you already know the answer. In fact, it’s widely known fundraising positions have a notoriously short tenure. Why is that? Why haven’t nonprofits been able to shift this trend? Why are fundraisers leaving?
Our firm, DickersonBakker, is conducting a research study, surveying nonprofit leaders and fundraisers, to gather quantitative data on both hiring and management practices of fundraising professionals. The research is aimed at better understanding how to increase retention and reduce turnover.
Your own personal experience can be a part of this research study by completing the short survey found through the link below:
In order to understand the challenges surrounding the role of fundraising professionals, it’s good to know what characteristics make a good fundraiser in the first place.
We published a whitepaper years ago —Top Ten Characteristics of Top-Producing Fundraisers— that remains one of our most popular. The characteristics range from having emotional intelligence and high energy to natural intuition. At a glance, these characteristics seem like they’re describing individuals who stick around, those that have thoughtfully accepted their positions with the motivation to be successful. So again – Why are fundraisers leaving?
Certainly, burnout is a real problem in the nonprofit world. It’s not unusual, as the need for funding rises, so does the pressure on fundraisers.
Many CEOs/Presidents/Executive Directors have admitted they’ve often wondered, could we be raising more? Would a different fundraiser have better results? I don’t need to convince you this type of disconnect can create a challenging work environment.
In fact, with such high turnover and high demand for quality fundraising professionals, is not a leap to acknowledge there are better paying opportunities around every corner. One could argue, that’s where long tenure begins. Hiring.
It’s critical to understand the hiring process when examining the landscape of nonprofits and fundraising roles. Furthermore, exploring the reasons why staff leave fundraising positions, and to what extent organizations have attempted to address those reasons, is key to providing the insight needed to reverse the trend.
These are just a few of the topics addressed through the study in order to find the core issues surrounding the challenges of hiring and retaining fundraising professionals.
I invite you to include your own personal experience to support the research by clicking below:
All responses are confidential. By participating, you’ll receive a free copy of the study’s findings and recommendations.
You CAN help fix one of the biggest problems threatening nonprofits today.
Did you know…
Our sister firm, DB&A Executive Search and Recruitment, has helped dozens of nonprofits just like yours recruit highly experienced, accomplished, and personable professionals for key fundraising and chief executive leadership roles.
Serving the nonprofit sector is not just part of what we do. It´s all we do.
We have the marketplace knowledge, understanding, expertise, and access to networks and relationships that are critical to succeed in recruiting top talent. Why not put our team to work for you?
Contact our team at DB&A Executive Search & Recruitment today to see how we can help your nonprofit reach it’s goals.
