How to become A Fundraiser

Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving. Fundraisers are like the grains of sand that are inserted into the oyster shells to irritate them in the hope of creating pearls. They are the money-spinners of the charity world.

• Fund Collector
• Fund Canvasser

What do Fundraisers do?

A Fundraiser would typically need to:

• Effectively represent their organization's mission and purpose
• Plan and oversee campaigns and events to meet or surpass fundraising and other kinds of donation targets for an organization
• Research prospective donors to gain insight into their needs, beliefs and donation habits
• Create a strong fundraising message that appeals to potential donors
• Identify and contact potential donors, maintain complete and orderly records of donor information and manage regular donor communications
• Leverage technology and social media where possible and utilize online platforms, such as crowdsourcing, to spread awareness and raise funds
• Organize or assist in planning and coordinating campaigns or events such as sporting events, lotteries, and galas to raise funds and solicit donations
• Organize donor appreciation events to build upon existing donor relationships and form new donor relationships regularly
• Evaluate the success of previous fundraising events while assisting in brainstorming and creating new and more economical methods to raise funds
• Screen, train and coordinate volunteers as well as interns in fundraising procedures and practices
• Create marketing material, like flyers and brochures, to be used for the promotion of events and other fundraising pushes
• Collaborate with other organizations and groups within the community to build partnerships and enhance fundraising activities
• Know the Data Protection Act in cases related to donor databases; ensure that all legal reporting requirements are satisfied

Fundraisers spend much of their time communicating with other employees and potential donors, either in person, on the phone, or through email.

Some Fundraisers may need to travel to locations where fundraising events are held. Events may include charity runs, walks, galas, and dinners. Frequent travel may be essential to create networking opportunities anywhere at any time.

The dress code for Fundraisers depends on the location, sector, size, and type of organization they represent, but a business casual apparel is will suit work in an office. At the same time, meetings with donors and networking events would ask for more formal attire.

Fundraisers tend to work seven to ten hours a day. However, if you have to attend fundraising events, you may also have to work some evenings and weekends from time to time.

Vacancies in small organizations are likely to be advertised locally. Check out the community news sources such as charity newsletters and websites. Jobs in major organizations may be advertised in the national press and on specialist websites. Some recruitment agencies specialize in charity jobs. Search their websites and consider registering with agencies advertising jobs that appeal to you.

Fundraisers are generally employed by:

• Large and Medium-Sized Organizations
• Charities
• NGOs
• Foundations
• Hospices
• Community Groups
• Social Service Agencies
• Religious Organizations
• Educational Institutions

Professional associations and organizations are a crucial resource for Fundraisers interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more looks excellent on your resume to bolster your credentials and qualifications.

• Decreasing government funding and shrinking population of donors
• Misconceptions about fundraising leading to lower job satisfaction and more significant employee attrition
• Heightened and misinformed expectations of employers

Many fundraising campaigns rely on volunteers having face-to-face or over-the-phone interaction with potential donors. Internships and previous work experience are important in obtaining a paid position as a Fundraiser.

If you are entering the profession fresh out of university, your first step may be working as a fundraising assistant. Prior work experience in other sectors, such as advertising, marketing and PR, events management, finance, media, and sales, is acceptable if an aspirant Fundraiser who does not have a charity-specific experience.

Voluntary work with a charity or not-for-profit will strengthen your application. It will demonstrate that as an aspiring Fundraiser, you have some understanding of how the voluntary sector operates, and how funding and donations help keep organizations running. Look for opportunities via your university or contact your local volunteer bureau.

This field is very competitive, so obtaining an undergraduate degree in management, business, marketing, English, journalism, communications, or public relations is highly recommended. However, fundraising careers are open to anyone, irrespective of their academic qualifications.

Laws vary by location, but many locations require some types of Fundraisers to register with state authorities. Check with your regional government for more information.

Individual government entities do licensing. It typically requires the passage of an examination and interview in addition to fulfillment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship.

As Fundraisers progress in their careers, they tend to specialize in a particular area of the industry, such as corporate or major-gift fundraising. Other Fundraisers may move laterally into other functional areas of the third sector, such as marketing, campaigns, and communications.

Alternatively, Fundraisers could move into the private sector and take a role in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) department of a major commercial organization. Fundraisers can advance to Fundraising Manager positions. However, some Manager positions may also require a master’s degree, in addition to years of work experience as a Fundraiser.

Job prospects for fundraisers look promising because organizations are always looking to raise more donations. Candidates with internship or volunteer experience in nonprofit and grantmaking organizations should have better job opportunities. To thrive in this line of work, you will need to be driven, ambitious, confident, and tenacious.

Most of the training you receive as a Fundraiser will be under the supervision of experienced colleagues. However, some regulatory bodies and organizations do offer training courses for Fundraisers. Some universities also offer niche postgraduate courses that relate to charity fundraising.

Those interested in serving as a fundraising manager may need a master's degree. Candidates can pursue the Certified Fundraising Executive designation through CFRE International. It requires five years of relevant work experience and eighty hours of continuing education, with the option to renew every three years.

Essentially, the primary aim of a Fundraiser is to raise as much money as possible for their charity. This line of work isn’t about shaking a bucket of coins outside a train station; it’s all about building relationships, organizing events, and coming up with new and innovative ideas for how to capture the minds and hearts of potential philanthropists.

How to Fundraise

Fundraisers use a variety of strategies and methods in their quest to solicit donations from companies, wealthy benefactors, trusts, foundations, and members of the public. They might organize fundraising schemes and events, such as door-to-door collections, lotteries, auctions, raffles, sporting events, and summer balls. Alternatively, they might focus their efforts on charming, wealthy patrons, or establishing links with the corporate social responsibility departments of major companies.

While most charities rely on volunteers to work in their high street sales outlets or raise funds on the streets, there are several full-time salaried and part-time paid jobs. Most Fundraisers raise funds for an organization that employs them directly, although some work for consulting firms with many clients.

Specialization

It is common to specialize in a specific type of fundraisings, such as corporate fundraising, community fundraising, annual or capital campaign, major-gift donations, legacy fundraising, events, or trusts. The most popular categories in fundraising include social and civil services, marketing (media and sales) and administration (clerical, customer service, finance, and retail).

Political Campaign Fundraisers

They must be knowledgeable about campaign finance laws, such as the contribution limits of an individual giving to a specific candidate.

Annual Campaign Fundraisers

They solicit donations once a year for their organization. Many nonprofit organizations have annual giving campaigns.

Capital Campaign Fundraisers

They raise money for a specific project, such as constructing a new building at a university. Capital campaigns also raise money for renovations and the creation or expansion of an endowment.

Major-Gifts Fundraisers

They specialize in face-to-face interaction with donors who can give large amounts.

Planned-Giving Fundraisers

They solicit donations from those looking to pledge money at a future date or in installments over time. These Fundraisers must have specialized training in taxes regarding gifts of stocks, bonds, charitable annuities, and real estate bequests in a will.

The oldest recorded fundraising appeal was written by St. Paul around A.D. 55. It is a masterpiece of donor-centered fundraising, most of its words describing the benefits of giving.

Fundraising provides lifeblood to charities across the globe. What if you could go to your place of employment every day with a renewed sense of purpose and direction, confident that the work you do contributes to the greater good? When you work as a Fundraiser, this could be your life.

There are two ‘i’s’ in Fundraising – they should stand for inspiration and innovation, not imitation and irritation.