Six qualities of a great fundraiser

It’s said that the difference between good and great comes from pursuing the things we’re passionate about. But if passion alone was enough, the world would be a very different place. As it stands, plenty of passionate people don’t achieve everything they want to achieve.

We’re not saying passion is a defunct quality. On the contrary, it’s essential for any fundraiser, but there are plenty of other qualities that distinguish a good fundraiser from a great one.

Let’s take a look at them.

1. Selflessness

If you want to be a fundraiser, you need to leave your ego at the door.

Fundraising isn’t about you – it’s about the people you’re trying to help and the wider cause. If you’re focused on doing things your way and getting praised for your achievements, you’re going to end up getting people’s backs up and potentially harming the charity.

That’s not to say there’s no place for career progression or personal ambition. You just need to be mindful that the mindset of a fundraiser in the charity sector is different to that in the corporate sector. i.e. charity fundraisers focus on organisational rather than personal success.

2. Social skills and emotional intelligence

As a fundraiser, you’ll spend a lot of time dealing with people, be it donors, beneficiaries, trustees, colleagues or suppliers. So social skills and emotional intelligence are a must.

You need to be able to:

• Put people at ease

• Be approachable

• Have a good memory for names and faces

• Listen and communicate well

• Connect with people from all walks of life

• Be self-aware

3. Adaptability

It would be nice if we lived in a world where everything went to plan all the time, but we don’t. Especially in the world of fundraising, stuff goes wrong – event funding falls through; grant requests get rejected; major donors withdraw their support.

Great fundraisers take problems in their stride and find ways to adapt, rather than getting stressed and letting things derail.

But adapting to unexpected changes isn’t the only form of adaptability that matters.

‘That’s how we’ve always done things’ is the enemy of progress. Being able to keep up with a changing world is a crucial skill for fundraisers. New information and new resources become available every day. If you can’t keep up, you’ll get left behind.

4. Great storyteller

Reeling off stats and figures can only do so much to convince people to part with their hard-earned cash. The best way to engage people with your cause is through storytelling.

Why? Human beings are wired to connect with stories. They evoke strong neurological responses in us. Our brains release the stress hormone, cortisol during tense moments, and oxytocin, the feel-good chemical that promotes connection and empathy, during happy moments.

Great fundraisers are able to relay emotive stories that demonstrate how their charities make a difference to the people they help.

Here’s a good example from Southern Pines Animal Shelter, Massachusetts:

This story packs an emotional punch by painting a vivid picture of the problem and how the charity (and the donor) can make a difference.

To be a great fundraiser, you need to find your organisation’s story, and it needs to be understandable, engaging, relatable, and impactful.

It’s also worth noting that, as fundraising is becoming increasingly digital, today’s fundraising professionals need to be comfortable telling stories across multiple mediums—from video calls to emails and live-streamed events.

5. Data-literate

This might seem counterintuitive considering I just talked about how stats and figures can only do so much, but it would be a mistake to write them off completely.

According to the Institute for Business Value, charities with more advanced analytics capabilities report higher effectiveness than those with basic ones.

In other words, data talks. A great fundraiser will notice patterns, and gain new insights from data, to drive future fundraising efforts.

6. Perseverance

It’d be great if we could see the results of our hard work right away, right? But just like you can’t lose ten pounds overnight, success in the fundraising world is rarely immediate. There are a lot of rejections and setbacks.

It can be easy to get discouraged.

Great fundraisers know how to avoid getting discouraged. They set manageable goals, try new approaches, and understand the need to be patient.

The truth is, a fundraiser with experience of failure may be better for your organisation than one that’s only ever succeeded. The fact they’re still trying shows they have that much-needed quality of perseverance.

Looking to recruit great fundraisers? Call us to discuss your needs on 0203 750 3111. 

A Day in the Life of a Major Donor Fundraiser

One of the lesser-known fundraising roles is that of the Major Donor Fundraiser.

Sian Welfare, Philanthropy Officer at the MS Society, tells us what the role consists of…

What does a Major Donor Fundraiser do?

As a major donor fundraiser, my role is to secure large gifts for the charity.

A ‘major gift’ will vary from charity to charity, but at the MS Society, we class anything over £5,000 as a major donation.

There are three main facets to the role:

• Managing and cultivating relationships with new and existing donors, ensuring that they are kept up-to-date with relevant news, and reporting back on the impact their gifts are making. We call this stewardship.

• Working closely with Senior Volunteers by supporting their asks, discussing strategies, and exploring their networks

• Maintaining and developing my understanding of the cause I’m raising funds for 

What skills would you say are essential for the role?

Interpersonal skills are key (with internal and external stakeholders). You need to be able to talk to people from all walks of life. Also, asking for money can be a daunting prospect, but a solid relationship with the donor can make the ask easier.

Also, creativity is important. Sometimes, I need to come up with new and imaginative ways to ensure supporters remain interested, such as special events, new styles of communication etc.

The ability to write emotively and creatively is beneficial when contacting supporters.

You also need to have the drive to continue learning, as it never stops!

What does a typical day look like for you?

There isn’t one! I can do anything from writing a proposal, to meeting a supporter for a coffee, to coming up with a special thank you to acknowledge a donor’s support. Every day is different.

What’s the best thing about your job?

Making a difference to the MS community and sharing with donors the impact that their support has enabled.

What’s the most challenging thing about your job?

Some financial asks can take up to 18 months to solicit, which makes it incredibly hard to forward-plan.

What advice would you give a budding Major Donor Fundraiser?

Be prepared for rejection – it happens. But when you secure a significant gift, all the hard work is worth it! 

About Multiple Sclerosis

Sian works for the MS Society, the UK’s largest charity for people affected by Multiple Sclerosis.

For the uninitiated, Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition (which means it affects the nerves).

With MS, the body’s immune system attacks the nerves that control various parts of the body. The symptoms and their severity vary from person to person. Common symptoms include muscle stiffness and spasms, numbness or tingling in different parts of the body, blurred vision or blindness, and problems with balance and coordination.

Some people with MS end up in a wheelchair or bedridden. Others have minor symptoms and live an ordinary life.

Find out more on the MS website. https://www.mssociety.org.uk/

Five sure-fire ways to retain top fundraising talent

In the world of fundraising, it’s easy to become burned out or disillusioned when things aren’t going right.

In a 2019 survey, 51% of fundraisers said that they were likely to leave their charity role within two years. By now, those people have probably moved on. When pressure is high and the rewards are low, it’s no surprise that so many nonprofits are struggling to keep their talent onboard for the long haul. But that doesn’t mean you should stop trying.

Here are five things you can do to make your charity irresistible to join and impossible to leave.

1. Pay your staff a decent wage

According to the Living Wage Foundation, one in five third-sector employees earn less than the real living wage. You can have the best, most motivated fundraisers in the world but if they can barely survive on their income, they’re likely to leave if a better-paying job comes along.

If you’re reading this, you clearly don’t want to lose talent. But did you know that, on average, staff turnover costs organisations around £11,000 per person? It may seem counterintuitive, but it’s cheaper to increase wages than recruit and train new people.

2. Offer development opportunities

No one likes to feel stuck in a rut. And while ‘personal and professional development’ sounds like a buzz phrase, when it comes down to it, that’s what most people are seeking. We spend a lot of time at work - we want to feel like we’re learning new things, having new experiences, and making progress.

If you never promote from within or provide opportunities for people to expand their skills, they’re going to look elsewhere for progression. Your organisation will become a stepping stone rather than somewhere they intend to stay.

3. Be flexible

The demand for flexible work is on the rise, but are employers keeping up? Sure, remote and hybrid work has become more common than they were two years ago, but that’s not the only element of flexible working to consider. The opportunity to job share, or work non-traditional hours can be a popular perk, particularly in a world where we all have so many different demands on our time.

Let’s say you’re a new mum: Being able to fit work around the demands of parenthood is going to make staying in your current role much more appealing, right? Or maybe you’re a student looking to juggle work and study. Flexible working options will enable you to earn money to pay your fees.

4. Provide mental health support

Raising money for causes you care about can be incredibly rewarding. But it can also be testing. It’s easy to end up feeling like the issue you’re working towards fixing is too big, too upsetting, or too widespread for your work to be meaningful. And this can lead to stress, depression, and anxiety.

This is a very real issue, and it’s a sector-wide problem. 42% of charity workers told Unite, the UK and Ireland’s largest union, that their job was harming their mental health.

Employers have a 'duty of care', which means they must do everything they can to support their employees’ health, safety, and mental well-being.

Okay, but how can you do this?

• Treat mental and physical health as equally important

• Make sure your employees have regular one-to-ones with their managers, to talk about any problems they’re having

• Encourage positive mental health, for example, arrange mental health awareness training, and workshops or appoint a mental health ‘champion’ who staff can talk to

• Provide opportunities for fundraisers to step back and recalibrate for a few minutes, or hours, if they need it. This can prevent them from breaking and quitting when it all becomes too much.

5. Value talent

We’ve all felt unappreciated at one time or another. And it sucks. Being taken for granted can turn a fun experience into a draining slog quicker than you can say ‘you’re welcome’.

When it comes down to it, all of these strategies focus on this one key point: value. Even if it’s as simple as recognising the time and effort your employees put in with praise and opportunities to celebrate wins as a team, if you make your employees feel valued, they’ll value you.

Considering that 55% of fundraisers say they feel unappreciated, according to this survey by CharityChoice, going out of your way to support your staff will put you ahead of all those other organisations. Not only that, but your employees will also do a better job. Research from BetterUp found that when employees feel appreciated, they perform 56% better as well as being 50% less likely to leave. It’s a win-win!

Looking to find and retain fundraising talent? Give us a call on 0203 750 3111.

The 2022 Charity Governance Awards are open for entries

Have you got an outstanding Board of Trustees? Do you pride yourself on your charity’s high standards of governance? Could you do with an extra £5,000?

Then why not enter the 2022 Charity Governance Awards?

As the name suggests, the awards, which are sponsored and hosted by the Clothworkers’ Company, shine a spotlight on charities that excel at governance and trusteeship.

Open to national and local charities, large and small, you can enter under one of the following four categories:

1. Board Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: The judges are looking for charities that can demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and diversity within their Boards (in terms of approach, life experience, culture, ethnicity, disability, professional background, age etc.) Need some inspiration? The 2021 winners were TLC (Talk, Listen, Change). Read about their winning strategy here.
   

2. Transforming with Digital: Thanks to the pandemic, over the past year and a half, charities have been forced to move operations online. The judges want to hear from Boards that have championed technology to create long-term change for their organisations. Maybe your Board supported the executive team in creating an innovative app that’s transformed your fundraising. The Muslim Women’s Network won the award last year. Find out how and why here.
   

3. COVID-19: Embracing Opportunity and Harnessing Risk for Long-term Change: This award will go to a Board that has leveraged the charity’s response to COVID-19 to deliver long-term benefits and change. This could mean working in new ways and markets, raising funds in an untraditional way, or adopting a new financial model. To cut the mustard, your charity needs to have demonstrated considered risk-taking that has enabled the charity to meet the needs of more beneficiaries, raise the organisation’s profile or grow its income. The Green’s Windmill Trust excelled by supplying five times the amount of flour it normally produces during the first lockdown. Read about it here.
   

4. Improving Impact in Small Charities: There are two awards under this category: One for charities with 0-3 paid staff and the other for charities with 4-30 paid staff. If you fit the criteria and can demonstrate how your Board has increased your charity’s impact in relation to its cause, mission, and values, why not apply? Bear in mind, they’re looking for examples of boards that have increased social impact, not income. EdUKaid was last year’s worthy winner. See why here.

What’s the prize?

There’s £35,000 up for grabs. The winner of each category will win £5,000, runners-up will receive £1,000, and all the shortlisted charities will get a year’s paid membership to the Association of Chairs for their board members, plus one complimentary place on the Cause4 Trustee Leadership Programme.

The T’s & C’s

Entry is free. The only caveats are, your charity must have been established before 31 December 2018, and registered in the UK.

Shortlisted charities will be notified in April, and invited to a glitzy awards ceremony in May 2022, at the Clothworker’s Hall, London.

If you want to apply, you’d better get a wriggle on, as the deadline for entries is 12pm on 26 January 2022.

Need help recruiting a top fundraiser to help you with your award entry? Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 

Four ways social media can turbocharge your fundraising campaigns

Social media is an indispensable tool for fundraisers. Why? Because 70% of the UK population is signed up to one or more social platforms. And, according to the Giving Report, 29% of those people consider social media to be the communication tool that most inspires giving.

This means social media isn’t a nice-to-have for your fundraising campaigns. It’s a must-have.

So, how can you use it to turbocharge your fundraising?

Here are four suggestions to get you started:

1. Add a donation button to your social media pages

If you haven’t done so already, add a ‘donate’ button to your social media page. It’ll give people a quick and easy way to donate. If you consider that 55% of people who engage with non-profits on social media end up taking some sort of action (i.e. make a donation), it’s a no-brainer.

How to add a donate button to your Facebook Page:

Click on your charity’s Facebook page

Step 1: Go to your charity's Facebook Page (must be Page admin).

Step 2: Select + Add a button from your Page header, or if you already have a CTA button, hover over it and click Edit.

Step 3: Select Donate through Facebook to let people donate directly through Facebook (you'll need to sign up for Facebook Payments).

Step 4: Click Finish. Using the Donate button to collect donations directly through Facebook is currently only available to charities on-boarded to Facebook Payments.

2. Launch a challenge 

The Ice Bucket Challenge. No makeup selfie. Movember. These are just three examples of challenges that set social media alight and raised precious pennies and awareness for charities.

The most famous is undoubtedly the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

First, it’s worth noting that the challenge wasn’t initiated by the charity. It was started by Patrick Quinn and Pete Frates (two US-based ALS sufferers) to draw awareness to the condition.

They posted videos of themselves doing the challenge in the summer of 2014 and before long, they’d gone viral.

Millions of people, including the likes of Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and George Bush poured buckets of ice-cold water over their heads in the name of charity – resulting in donations of more than $115 million for the little-known charity.

Think outside the box

While there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to replicate the success of the Ice Bucket Challenge, a challenge is a simple and cost-effective way to draw attention to your cause.

What can you do to get your charity on the digital map?

3. Take advantage of live streaming

A growing number of brands are using live streaming to connect with audiences.

British social media publisher, the Lad Bible, runs a live stream once a week. They cover all sorts of random things from legendary Welsh crooner Tom Jones talking about the biggest moments of his career, to advice on how to maintain an amazing moustache.

Believe it or not, they amassed 149,000 views with this Last Lolly Standing stream.

But it’s not just commercial brands adopting live streaming. Charities are doing it too. For example, bereavement charity Sue Ryder held a live Q&A with a world-renowned running coach ahead of the London marathon, and the RNLI hosted a live Q&A with lifeboat volunteers – although it was cut short by a call out!

What can you livestream?

While we wouldn’t recommend live streaming lollies melting, there are loads of things you can do to engage with donors, such as:

• Take viewers on a tour of your office/facilities

• Interview staff, trustees, and volunteers

• A fundraising event (with behind-the-scenes footage)

4. Collaborate with Influencers

Influencer marketing is essentially an individual with a significant social media following promoting your products or services.

An example of this type of marketing is the British exercise clothing company Gym Shark. Since launching in 2012, they’ve shunned traditional marketing methods in favour of using social media influencers to promote their products.

Within seven years, the company was worth over £100 million. So, they’re doing something right.

While influencer marketing can’t be directly applied to charity fundraising, elements of it can. Using celebrity ambassadors to promote your campaign is a surefire way to get eyeballs on your page, drive engagement, and increase donations.

One charity that embraces this form of marketing is mental health charity, MIND.

During lockdown, they published a video of their ambassador Stephen Fry talking about the effect COVID-19 was having on people’s mental health on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

The video was watched and shared by thousands, bringing attention to the topical subject of mental health and the work of MIND.

Final Thoughts

The beauty of social media is its reach (Facebook alone has 44.84 million users in the UK), its low cost (in fact it’s free, unless you decide to go down the paid advertising route) and it’s easy to use.

If you want to promote a fundraising post on social media, give us a call to talk tactics today on 0203 750 3111.