Strategic Fund Development: Building Profitable Relationships That Last, Third Edition

Strengthen the Professional Fundraiser

I first expressed concern about the work of the professional fundraiser in 1997, in the first edition of Strategic Fund Development. Specifically, I was bothered by a tactical approach that developed technicians rather than a strategic approach that developed strategists. A decade later, Tom Ahern and I complained about the situation again in Keep Your Donors: The Guide to Better Communications and Stronger Relationships.1

The bad news: I haven’t seen much improvement since that early complaint. The good news: I have seen more acknowledgment that there’s a problem. Nonetheless, the focus still seems to be on fundraising techniques. So I’ll express my concerns again, here in this third edition. And I’ll expand more.

First, let’s start slowly with a gentle introduction, some overarching competencies, and a job description. Next? Well, next is a bit more candid, rather like tough love day on my blog at www.simonejoyaux.com.

By the way, this challenge to the fundraising professional has resonated with colleagues from Australia to Kansas City, Missouri, USA. What do you think? Read on.

That Gentle Introduction

Entitlement is over—and has been for a long time. Nonprofits/NGOs proliferate. There’s more congestion when seeking gifts. Donors demand more and communities examine nonprofits/NGOs more closely. In fact, the sector’s credibility wavers more than in times past.

Ironically, organizations that focus mostly on fundraising as a financial transaction ...