by Kimberly Teller-Foss
Assistant Vice President, CCS Fundraising
Coming off the highs of the Men's World Cup, where community, camaraderie, and teamwork were on full display, I can't help but wonder: when was the last time fundraising felt like a team sport?
In fundraising offices across the country, gift officers are asked to work toward a common goal, raising critical funds to support missions, programs, operations, and growth. Yet despite sharing the same objective, many of us approach fundraising as if we're competing against one another. We compare portfolios, gift totals, and campaign results. Performance often influences recognition, promotions, and opportunities. As a result, too many fundraisers focus on scoring the game-winning goal while overlooking the value of the assist. When people don't feel comfortable asking colleagues for advice, sharing challenges, or seeking support, organizations leave fundraising potential, and ultimately revenue, on the table.
How did we get here? We didn’t get here by accident. Many of the structures we use in fundraising emphasize individual performance. We are measured as individuals, assigned individual portfolios, and held accountable for individual goals. We celebrate major gifts and fundraising successes, often highlighting the donor, the campaign, or the final result, while the collaborative effort often goes unnoticed. The problem is that fundraising was never meant to be an individual endeavor. Our collective knowledge, experience, and perspectives often lead to stronger strategies, deeper donor relationships, and better outcomes than any one fundraiser could achieve alone.
So, I ask - what would happen if fundraisers felt safe asking for help? What would happen if asking for help was viewed as a strength instead of a weakness?
Imagine a top-performing gift officer helping a newer fundraiser prepare for an important donor conversation. Imagine a fundraiser whose strategy isn't working approaching a colleague for advice rather than continuing down the same path.
It looks like colleagues gathered around a conference table, huddled on Zoom, or chatting in the hallway about a prospect they can't seem to move forward with.
Most importantly, it helps build confidence. Google's Project Aristotle found that psychological safety was the most important characteristic of high-performing teams, reinforcing the idea that people perform better when they feel comfortable speaking up, sharing ideas, and asking for help. (1)
When people feel safe asking for help, they are also less likely to avoid difficult situations. Mistakes happen in fundraising. Donors stop responding. Solicitation strategies fall flat. Relationships stall. Without support, it can be easier to avoid the challenge altogether. With support, fundraisers have access to the collective experience of their team. Someone may have faced a similar situation before, made the mistake already, or found a successful approach worth trying.
The result is faster growth, stronger fundraisers, and better outcomes. The goal isn't to create one superstar fundraiser. It's to build a team of strong fundraisers, people who have more confidence in donor conversations. And when more fundraisers are successful, organizations build stronger donor relationships, close more gifts, and ultimately raise more money in support of their mission.
For asking for help to become part of the norm, it must become part of the culture.
Culture drives performance far more than perks. A strong organizational culture isn't built through free snacks, unlimited happy hours, or committee events. While those things can contribute to a positive workplace, they don't create trust.
Culture is how people treat one another. It's whether people feel safe admitting they don't know something. It's whether they share both their wins and their struggles. It's whether leaders model vulnerability and create space for others to do the same.
So how can leaders build that environment?
- Normalize Asking Questions
When leaders demonstrate that they don't have all the answers, they give others permission to do the same. Encourage your team to talk openly about what's working, what's not, and where they need support.
- Celebrate Collaboration, Not Just Results
Most organizations are good at celebrating the fundraiser who closes the gift. We should be equally intentional about celebrating the people who helped make that success possible. Did someone help develop the strategy? Provide an introduction? Offer coaching before the ask? Recognize those contributions publicly. When collaboration is celebrated, people begin to see helping others as part of success, not separate from it.
- Create Mentorship Opportunities
Not all mentorship needs to happen through a formal reporting relationship.
In many cases, the colleague whose office you stop by or with whom you chat on Teams with when you're stuck can have as much impact as a supervisor. Peer mentorship creates opportunities to share knowledge, build confidence, and help newer fundraisers navigate challenges in a safe environment.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals notes that organizations that “invest in mentorship see benefits, including stronger fundraising results, higher retention, and a culture of learning and collaboration.”(2)
- Create Space to Share Challenges
Many teams regularly discuss successes. Fewer spend time discussing challenges. One practice I often use is asking people to share their "headwinds and tailwinds." What are you proud of this week? Where are you stuck? What could benefit from a few more brains in the room? These conversations create visibility, encourage problem-solving, and remind people that they don't have to navigate every obstacle alone.
Fundraising goals matter. Performance matters. Revenue matters. But if we want better results, we have to pay attention to the environment we're creating for the people responsible for achieving them.
When fundraisers feel supported, trusted, and comfortable asking for help, everyone benefits. Individual fundraisers grow, teams become stronger, and organizations raise more money. As consultants, we see these cultures in action, and the strongest teams rarely rely on a single superstar fundraiser.
A team where people freely ask for help will almost always outperform a team where everyone feels they need to succeed alone.
Personally, I'd rather celebrate a win with my team than chase one by myself. At the end of the day, fundraising isn't about who scored the goal; it's about whether we achieved the mission. Sometimes the most important contribution isn't the goal. It's the assist.
(1) Google re:Work. (2015). Understand Team Effectiveness: Project Aristotle. Google. Retrieved from https://rework.withgoogle.com/intl/en/guides/understand-team-effectiveness
(2) Association of Fundraising Professionals. Mentorship. AFP Global. Retrieved from https://afpglobal.org/career-support/mentorship
Kimberly Teller-Foss is an Assistant Vice President at CCS Fundraising and a nonprofit fundraising professional specializing in campaign strategy, donor engagement, major gifts, and organizational development. She partners with mission-driven organizations to strengthen fundraising performance, build meaningful donor relationships, and position their institutions for sustainable growth. Throughout her career, she has worked across a range of nonprofit sectors, helping leaders navigate change, align stakeholders, and advance ambitious philanthropic goals. Kimberly is particularly interested in the intersection of strategy, leadership, and philanthropy and enjoys sharing insights that help organizations cultivate stronger cultures of giving. She also serves as National Vice President of Sigma Delta Tau and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of women leaders.
