In his recent post, Bruce highlighted the questions and opportunities that arise when there is change in leadership at the top of an organization. But what about a change in the Development Officer role?
Recent data from the AFP “2016 State of the Sector” states that the average tenure of development professionals across all nonprofit organizations is 3.9 years. Even if your development officer has no current plans to leave, how do you set your organization up for a successful “baton pass” in the future?
- Define the relationship. Development staff needs to develop systems that tie donors to the organization and not to themselves personally. While we know people give to people, we also know that by engaging donors with other leadership and program staff as well as volunteers, the relationship will be stronger because the donor s have multiple connections to your organization.
- Tie the donor to the impact. Remember to consistently communicate the value of a donor’s giving and the difference it makes in the community. A donor that is only trying to help a staff member or volunteer’s “goal” for fundraising will not be as loyal as one who knows why their gift matters.
- Take notes. Extensive and current notes on donors improve the odds of a successful transition following the departure of a Development staff member. If an interim or new staff member understands the history of the relationship, the better able they are to honor the donor’s wishes and intent going forward.
- Technology is no excuse. While you may not have significant resources to invest in a top-of-the line donor software management program, good Excel files and paper folders or a low-end contact management system can go a long way to documenting a donor’s history with your organization. Staff members need to understand that part of their legacy will be the quality of their records with personal information on donors. This shows a true appreciation for their support and engagement.
As you make plans to close out the calendar year at your organization, consider the implications of a development staff team member transition. What can you do to create systems to ease the strain in 2017?
For a quick checklist of additional opportunities as you move towards the New Year, check out the AFP 2016 State of the Sector report.