Is your fundraiser screwing up? What to do

Maybe you’ve been in this situation. You’ve hired a fundraiser. You want to support them to do well. But they aren’t meeting their goals. Or maybe they don’t have goals to meet. You just expect them to raise money without you setting goals.

First, how are you managing them? Are you giving them realistic expectations?

What are realistic expectations? If you raised $100,000 in grants last year, don’t expect them to raise $200,000 this year. And the same for any other fundraising method. No matter what the “hole in the budget” is, this person is not going to be a wizard and solve it for you.

Are you helping cultivate a culture of philanthropy? (if you don’t know what that is, check out this interview with Linda Lysakowski, on how to create a culture of philanthropy).

Maybe they’ve been trying to communicate a problem to you for months but something is holding them back.

When your fundraiser has a problem, here’s how to hear it.

1) Receive, wait. Don’t assume.
2) Reflect, ask questions.
3) Rephrase. Make sure you’ve got it.

When you want to hold their feet to the fire, consider a different approach.

7 Things to do when your fundraiser is not performing

– Say it face to face, one on one

– Talk from common goals

– Offer reasons. Why it’s lacking as you deliver what is lacking

– Speak to their needs. How will your comments help them do their jobs better? How will it help them grow?

-Talk about actions not motives. You’re coaching performance, not personality. Confine your message to what they do, not who they are.

– Assume your fair share of responsibility.

– Provide choices, options and opportunities.

Do you have any other ways you’d work with a fundraiser who wasn’t performing?

Feel free to share your strategies in the comments!