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How to Talk About Your CFRE Designation With Prospective Employers

By Stacia Swanson posted 8 days ago
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One of the many benefits to earning and recertifying your CFRE designation is that it sends an important signal to prospective employers: I am a proven skilled professional who takes this work seriously. The truth is, most of us find our way into fundraising through a variety of channels. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone who said their childhood dream was to be a fundraiser! Or even to be a nonprofit executive, for that matter! In fact, I often hear the opposite: “I could never do what you do.” I could spend hours telling anyone who will listen that fundraising isn’t about asking people for money—it’s about relationship-building. ...
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Adapting to the Digital Age: 3 Online Engagement Strategies

By Kimberly Richardson posted 16 days ago
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Is your nonprofit doing everything it can to leverage technology to connect and engage donors? Social media offers a personal, immediate way to communicate with supporters, allowing nonprofits to build more intimate donor relationships. Additionally, tools like Artificial intelligence (AI) are being used by nonprofits (and across other industries) for anything from generating content ideas to building predictive models for prospect research. Because the marketing and fundraising technology landscape is constantly evolving, nonprofit fundraising professionals must stay on top of new developments and adapt their strategies alongside ...
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Engaging Asian Giving: A Guide to Philanthropy and Community Involvement

By Judy Zhu posted 10-26-2023
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As an individual who embarked on a transformative journey from China to Canada, I've been fortunate to witness and partake in the tapestry of cultural experiences, values, and traditions that distinguish both of these vibrant societies. It's in this delightful tug-of-war between my Chinese roots and my Canadian dreams that I've come to appreciate the unique ways we all think about community, charity, and helping others. It is against the backdrop of this unique perspective that I invite you to explore the dynamic and inspiring realm of "Engaging Asian Giving." In Asia and Canada, giving and philanthropy occupy unique places. The fusion ...
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5 Common Capital Campaign Myths & How to Educate Your Board

By Andrea Kihlstedt posted 10-16-2023
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While capital campaigns allow organizations to raise funds for significant projects that grow their capacity and impact, many board members have misconceptions about what they are and how to run them. This is understandable—they’re much larger projects than anything else most nonprofits attempt to tackle, rooted in major gift fundraising , and only come around roughly once a decade. Your board will play a pivotal role in your campaign’s success, so they should all be operating from a shared understanding of campaign best practices. Educating your board members will help ensure they don’t fall prey to the most common campaign myths. ...
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Charting Your Career Path: 5 Strategies for Fundraisers

By Jennifer Loftus posted 10-11-2023
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As a fundraiser, you source and secure funding that will ensure your nonprofit has a bright future. But what about your future? What does your personal career path look like? What can you do to take your career to new heights ? In this article, we’ll walk through five strategies to chart your career path. As you set clear goals for where you want to be and what you want to achieve as a fundraiser, you’ll not only discover personal fulfillment in your work, but be equipped to make a greater difference at your nonprofit. Let’s dive in. 1. Set Clear Goals To map out the journey you want to take throughout the course of your fundraising ...
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Crash Course for First-Time Managers: 12 Suggestions

By Bridget Murphy posted 09-05-2023
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A manager—good, bad, or well-intentioned but inexperienced—can make or break an employee’s overall experience and success in a role. For nonprofits, management is especially important. People are often drawn to this work for idealistic or community-minded reasons. They might feel personally invested far more than employees in other organization types. Nonprofit budgets are often tight. Relationships with donors, sponsors and governments are complex. Funding is a continuous challenge. It’s a lot to juggle and can create a hectic environment where the employee experience falls by the wayside. Nonprofit employee turnover ...
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5 Interview Secrets to Impactful Nonprofit Hiring

By Joshua Meyer posted 08-21-2023
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Hiring the right nonprofit employee can positively impact your organization for years to come. Unfortunately, the opposite is true when you hire the wrong person. But how can you know for sure that you’re making the right hiring decisions? Of course, you can never eliminate all uncertainty from the hiring process. However, the key to increasing the likelihood of bringing on the best new fundraising professionals lies in your interview process. Let’s review five impactful tips for holding better nonprofit interviews that lead to successful hiring. These tips help you look beyond just the CVs or resumes to assess candidates on multiple levels ...
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A Fundraiser’s Guide to Omnichannel Marketing: 3 Tips

By Kristin Priest posted 08-01-2023
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As a nonprofit fundraiser, you’re likely always looking for ways to sharpen and hone your craft. Improving your marketing strategies is a smart place to focus. With a robust marketing strategy, you can reach more new donors, strengthen relationships with existing supporters, and drive deeper involvement with your organization. An omnichannel approach allows you to establish multiple touchpoints with donors so you can build stronger brand awareness and recognition. In this guide, we’ll cover three key tips to implement an omnichannel strategy that will elevate your career as a fundraiser: Center data in your strategy. ...
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How the 4 Letters in “FORD” Can Help You Master Any Donor Conversation

By Andrew Polter posted 07-18-2023
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Fundraising often requires you to talk to strangers. Whether it’s mingling in the crowd at a gala or spending one-on-one time working with prospects, the reality is that to be successful in this profession, you’re going to need to connect continuously with new individuals who have the interest and potential to support your organization’s mission. For many, spending time talking with strangers sounds like a nightmare. How could you possibly talk with someone you just met? What would you even have to discuss? Fortunately, I’m here to propose a solution in the form of one simple, yet powerful, acronym, that will answer these questions plus begin to ...
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Professional Credentialing vs. Professional Honours: Understanding the Distinction

By Stephen Mally posted 07-13-2023
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In the professional realm, recognition and accolades play a significant role in acknowledging individuals' expertise and achievements. Two common forms of recognition are professional credentialing (such as Certified Fundraising Executive - CFRE) and professional honours (such as the Fellow of Fundraising Institute Australia - FFIA). While they both highlight accomplishments and skills, there are distinct differences between the two. In this blog post, we will explore and compare professional credentialing and professional honours to provide a clearer understanding of their respective meanings and implications. Professional Credentialing Professional ...
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Honing Storytelling Skills as a Fundraising Professional

By Dennis Meyer posted 07-11-2023
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Cultivating new skills is important for professional development in any career, but it’s especially valuable in the nonprofit sector where roles often overlap. Due to the pandemic and current state of the economy , many fundraising professionals now have to take on new responsibilities to meet nonprofits’ increased need for support. Soliciting this support requires fundraisers to get creative to genuinely connect with supporters. Spending time cultivating your storytelling skills can help you improve your asks, strengthen donor relationships, and jump start your professional growth. Let’s discuss how to hone your storytelling ...
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How to Leverage AI Effectively as a Fundraising Professional

By Joshua LaBorde posted 06-26-2023
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The AI takeover has begun. From generative AI tools and chatbots like ChatGPT to predictive models that help organizations anticipate donor behavior, AI tools are ready to provide support in multiple ways. As a fundraising professional, are you prepared to seize this opportunity? Taking on new challenges and learning new ways to improve fundraising efficiency will elevate your performance and the fundraising profession as a whole. This guide will help you learn how AI skills can further your professional development and your nonprofit’s fundraising success. Let’s dive into three ways fundraising professionals can prepare themselves to leverage AI effectively ...
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Not Offering PD? Your Staff Will Leave You for an Organization That Does

By Maegan Dyson posted 04-21-2023
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Great fundraisers are hard to find, and the real challenge is keeping them. Employers need to show staff they believe they are worth investing in. Budgets are always the bad guy, right? Does someone deserve a raise? Absolutely. Can your organization afford it, or are they willing to? Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. We can’t let this problem continue to force the loss of high-performing fundraisers to other professions. We must get creative about retention strategies. If an employee is exceptional, you want to keep them. As nonprofit leaders, we should be attentive to fundraisers’ needs if we want to improve retention. It’s about finding ...
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How to Interview After You’ve Been Let Go

By Robin Merle posted 04-14-2023
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Rest assured; it is possible to have a great interview even when your separation from your last job was not ideal. Here are some guidelines, gleaned from my research with both job seekers and recruiters, with a particular shout-out to Deb Taft, CEO of Lindauer Global. 1. Acknowledge that a job interview is emotionally triggering, especially for someone who is finding their way after being let go. Give yourself the gift of self-compassion. This will help you slow down and prepare for that first interview that comes your way. Otherwise, you may come across as defensive because you haven't anticipated how you'll feel answering questions about your job history. ...
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Elevating Your Career and the Profession

By Wesley Scott posted 03-28-2023
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“Let’s be honest. What we do is sales.” Ugh. How many times have philanthropy professionals heard this, from our own ranks, nonetheless? Just recently, at a professional development luncheon, this very statement was exclaimed. To my dismay, many nodded their heads in agreement. While I certainly recognize the foundation our noble profession has in sales, marketing, and other fields, we have evolved to be so much more than “sales.” Let me be clear. There is nothing wrong with sales, but we know our profession—philanthropy—is about the betterment of humankind, not the benefit of a bottom line. Our profession has seen a great evolution over the last 30+ ...
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5 Tips for Successfully Taking on a New Donor Portfolio

By Andrew Polter posted 02-23-2023
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Taking on a new fundraising role can be equally exciting and daunting. You may be mentally prepared to hit the ground running, but here are five tips to consider before you start making those asks. 1. Get the Lay of the Land While your role may be responsible for developing relationships with donors, remember that building internal connections will be just as critical to your success. Take time to meet with your new teammates and understand how you fit within the group. What are their various roles and areas of expertise? How will you interact with them and when should you partner with specific individuals? Spend at least 30 minutes meeting ...
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Making the Complex Simple Through Action

By Kimberly Karol posted 01-24-2023
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Like most children, I reveled in the days that found my classrooms in the dark to illuminate images on TV. On those days, I’d get lost in the action projected on the screen and forget that I was different. When the lights were turned off and the blinds closed, we were all the same—no shades of black, brown, or white skin to separate us. In my young mind, I could just fade into the shadowed room and be like everyone else—or at least invisible—for a few hours. I could recast myself and no longer be the Black girl—the one of these who didn’t belong. I was just another kid, and I felt safe. Growing up, these thoughts followed me as I aged. Just blend in. Don’t ...
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Why Introverts Make the Best Major Gift Fundraisers

By Emma Lewzey posted 01-19-2023
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When people think of a talented fundraising professional, many immediately imagine a gregarious outgoing personality with the gift of the gab—but not so fast. Introverts have their merits, too. The past few years I have been sharing and reflecting on being an introvert and how it contributes to my fundraising success. As a consultant with Blue Sky Philanthropy, I have had the pleasure of working with many fundraisers. I know that those who count themselves as introverted bring a special set of skills to every table. For me, being an introvert simply means you gather, regain, or recharge your energy in a different way than extroverts do. The “Extrovert Ideal” ...
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12 Questions That Lead to Hiring the Best Professional Fundraisers

By Parool Shah posted 01-05-2023
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Good professional fundraisers are hard to find…and difficult to retain. So, what can we do as prospective employers to hire fundraising talent that suits our needs and organisation? Screening Tips From a Recruiter in the Sector As a former fundraiser who has moved into the fundraising, philanthropy, and advancement recruitment sector, I know first-hand that screening is crucial to hiring success. It is the first step that any applicant must face, and it is important to ensure you don’t miss out on your dream candidate. Hiring the “right” talent requires an investment of time and energy. The last thing you want is to be so restrictive you lose out on quality ...
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Scared What an Impending Recession Could Mean for You and Your Team? Tom Berekoff on Why Fundraisers Shouldn’t Panic

By Ashley Gatewood posted 12-15-2022
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CFRE International Board Chair Tom Berekoff, MA, CFRE, knows a looming recession shouldn’t put terror in the hearts of fundraising executives. With 30 years in the sector, he’s seen the procession of countless challenges (and sometimes downright scary ones) development teams can come up against. I recently interviewed him and he shared his wise advice for any fundraiser feeling on edge about what may await in 2023. Fundraising during a recession is nothing new to you. For development staff looking to prepare now for a possible 2023 recession, what are your top pieces of advice? Tom: This is a very important question. We often presume because there is an ...
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