Saying thank you could save you from having to hire a new fundraiser
Posted by [email protected] on Feb. 25, 2022 / Subscribe 0
by Valerie Johnson, VP of Education for AFP-GPC | Feb. 25, 2022
Fundraisers move jobs every 18 months on average, and there are a lot of factors that play into that. However, the biggest factor I'm hearing about right now? The fact that most of us never get a simple thank you from the staff and board members we're working so hard for. Especially in the age of the great resignation, a simple thank you could save you a lot of hassle.
Saying thank you could save you from having to hire a new fundraiser
Times are tough right now.
Before the pandemic seriously altered the way we do just about everything, fundraisers moved jobs every 18 months on average. Plenty of factors played into that: unrealistic expectations, bad leadership, being asked to do things that are either unethical or against your personal morals, and your run-of-the-mill burnout. There are a lot of fundraising consultants for a reason; many used to be fundraisers at nonprofits and decided they'd have a better quality of life being their own boss, despite loving the work.
Now, that atmosphere has been compounded by two years of a pandemic that seems to have no end. People are resigning at record-breaking rates. Fundraising jobs are being advertised left and right. What's going on?
Well, I think the simple answer is that we're fed up. Fundraisers worked hard and straddled burnout before we were forced to pivot, and pivot again. Before we took our in-person event virtual, then back to in-person, then last-minute to virtual because of a new variant. Before we entered the new grant battles that popped up with emergency relief funds on a first-come, first-serve basis (but only if your needs met the criteria!). Before we figured out how to tell our organization's stories without being able to physically sit in a room with our program participants.
We're going above and beyond every day, and yet, we feel less appreciated than ever. Many fundraising friends have reached out to me in the last few months to tell me they're flat out sick of feeling unappreciated. Their efforts go unnoticed. Their boards keep asking for more. Their executive directors keep piling it on.
I have one friend who routinely gets emails from their executive director forwarding grant announcements from local foundations titled "why didn't we get this?" What does this ED expect, a mind reader? Funding is never guaranteed, especially in these trying times (yes, I too am sick of that phrase). In some cases, the grants they're complaining about not getting are grants their organization doesn't even qualify for! Meanwhile, my friend has consistently exceeded fundraising goals for the last two years.
Another is struggling with the uneven workload at their organization. One member of the leadership staff has worked from home exclusively for two years, while the rest of the leadership team has been back full-time in the office picking up their slack in addition to filling in for the rest of their staff when there is a covid outbreak. It's hard enough to hold down my own job right now, much less prop someone else up so they can lounge at home in their pajamas all day. Trust me, I'm the queen of pajamas so I'll always advocate for working in comfies when it's warranted - but two years?! TWO YEARS?! While the rest of your organization is busting their butts to provide direct services in the middle of a pandemic? Come on.
If you're reading this and you're not a fundraiser, here's a quick fix: SAY THANK YOU. Say it a lot. Say it with feeling. Make sure your fundraisers know that you see and appreciate their efforts. Tell them that their work has not gone unnoticed. And then tell them again for good measure.
And then thank the rest of your staff while you're at it. Your organization is still functioning after two years of chaos because of the people who show up and do the work every day. Make sure they know that YOU know that they're responsible for holding it down, and doing it all while the world fell apart. It may not completely stave off resignations, but it might be exactly what your staff need to hear to know that the hard work they've been doing is seen and appreciated.
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