Almost 70% of nonprofit’s don’t know what they are going to do if their leadership resigns or retires. [1].

Yikes!

That means 69% of fundraisers likely think they have to leave the nonprofit they are currently in to advance into a leadership role. Too many fundraisers are working in organizations where their bosses aren’t talking to them about their career development within their charity, or helping them get ready to take the next step in their career.

No wonder we fundraisers are so unhappy and quick to change jobs.

The shocking lack of succession planning helps explain the retention issues our sector is having.  According to Canadian Penelope Burke, “87% of top Development executives agree that the rate of staff turnover in fundraising is a problem”[2].

Nonprofits need to develop programs that nurture and develop their emerging leaders.

(By “emerging leaders”, I mean the staff in your organization that has ability and potential to contribute more than they are in their current roles.)

Creating an emerging leaders program will help to:

• Keep great people: Fundraisers are more likely to stay in a role where they feel they have opportunities for career progression.
• Lower the time a position is vacant when a staff person leaves.
• Fill vacancies with people who already understand your organization’s culture, and have institutional memory.

So, how do you create an emerging leaders program?

Step #1: Spot the talent

First and foremost, you need to be on the lookout for the members of your team who have true potential. Get to know your staff. Talk to them. Listen to them. With all of the many things competing for a fundraising director’s time, this is an easy thing to let fall off the radar – but make no mistake, this is an important thing to do.

Step #2: Create a vision

Once you’ve spotted your emerging leaders, you will need to work together to create a vision for their career – and to make sure you are on the same page. It’s important you both know and understand where the destination is, so that you can make smart decisions about how to get there. 

Step #3: Invest in them

It is essential that emerging leaders be given opportunities to develop their technical fundraising skills as well as their leadership skills. Work with your team to find meaningful professional development opportunities that are in line with your goals.

Traditionally, people think of professional development being all about having the money to go to conferences. This can be a struggle for many nonprofits. But, there is now an abundance of affordable and accessible training online. 

You can also look outside traditional training routes – encourage your emerging leaders to serve on the board of another nonprofit. I’ve spoken to many fundraisers who agree being a director of a board is one of the most rewarding and educational experiences of their careers.

Step #4: Make time for them

The biggest investment you can make in someone is time.

Make sure you are taking the time to mentor and engage with your emerging leaders.

I’m currently in a role where my boss takes the time to help me understand her job, the issues she deals with and how she makes decisions. I feel incredibly lucky to have the chance to talk through the real life challenges a fundraising director faces, and better understand how those challenges can be approached.

You can also look to your own network of peers, and ask for their help in mentoring and coaching your staff. Why not try a mentorship exchange with another fundraising director?

Step #5: Let them take risks & fail

This is probably the most challenging step of all. It involves giving your team space, and trusting them. Step back, and give emerging leaders the chance to try new strategies and take on new projects. Do this knowing that they may fail – because failure is ok. Failure is an amazing source of real learning.

 “When you take risks you learn that there will be times when you succeed and there will be times when you fail, and both are equally important.” - Ellen DeGeneres

This problem isn’t going to go away without some serious work. And that’s where you come in. Join the conversation! Have you experienced a lack of leadership at your organization? What do you think can be done to address this issue?

This blog post is a follow up to The fundraising leadership crisis – is it real? Stay tuned for more on this topic to come.