Craig Shelley, Orr Group

By Craig Shelley, CFRE, Chapter Treasurer &
Managing Director, Orr Group

There’s a lot going on in our sector right now.  We’re debating the ethics of fundraising in the wake of the college admission and Epstein scandals.  We continue to worry about fundraiser retention as yet another study illustrates many of us are unhappy in our jobs and planning to make job or career changes.  In the midst of these scandals we approach the “giving season” and I am certain are daily faced with looming fundraising objectives and the need to increase philanthropy to support the work of our organizations.

In this hectic environment it would be easy to ignore the Association of Fundraising Professionals, our own professional development and our peers.  That would be a mistake.  When our sector is stretched as it is now is the most important time to ensure we’re investing in ourselves and our profession and connecting with our peers.  Our AFP New York City Chapter is a safe place in which you can discuss the crises we face, learn from peers facing the same challenges you are and, yes, if you’re one of those fundraisers we keep reading is eager to change jobs network to your next professional adventure.

Through our professional development events, member only gatherings, Emerging Leader Happy Hours, National Philanthropy Day and our signature event, Fundraising Day in New York, AFP NYC offers unique opportunities to grow as a professional and grow our profession.  Now more than ever I know we all need that.  I encourage you to check out and attend one or more of our upcoming events.  You won’t be disappointed and you can find the calendar here.

If you have ideas or suggestions for our AFP chapter please always feel free to contact me directly at cshelley@orrgroup.com.  If you’re interested in my thoughts on fundraising and news in the sector, sprinkled with the occasional picture of my kids, please follow me on Twitter @craigshelley.

Thank you for everything you do.

By Susan Fields, CFRE

For years nonprofit organizations, as well as for-profit businesses and corporations, have been talking about achieving “diversity and inclusion” in the workforce. Unfortunately, over the past twenty-five years little has changed with 18% of nonprofit CEO positions held by women, and one woman of color at the helm of a Fortune 500 Company. The “glass ceiling”—an invisible barrier that separates women, racial and ethnic minorities, as well as other marginalized groups from access to leadership positions—seems to be alive and well in the workplace. Even in fields that are traditionally labeled as “female dominated”—education, social services, and nursing—the few men hired are often fast-tracked to administrative positions.  We could explore the reasons for the affinity toward white male leadership and put forward ideas for correcting this form of discrimination, but the purpose of this AFP educational program was to provide hands-on tools that women and other minorities could use when acquiring the leadership positions they are seeking. The five strategies below for “climbing the ladder” as well as the attached handout distributed at the event are tailored to provide every advantage toward reaching that goal. 

FIVE STRATEGIES FOR NAVIGATING CAREER ADVANCEMENT

1. Know who you are and exactly what you are seeking. This requires clarity of goals and an arduous search of the type of organization that best fits your skills, talents, personality, and work style. If you detest bureaucracy and need “space to move around in”, the last workplace you should be considering is a large university or hospital that separates its employees into silos and discourages creativity. Also understand in advance exactly what skills you will need to excel at the job from the very first day and make sure that you come prepared to “hit the ground running.” If you are still uncertain of your preferences, the best course to take might be to seek a position that isn’t completely perfect, but interests you—and put 100% of your effort behind it regardless of its drawbacks and limitations. By doing this you will develop confidence in your ability to succeed, define your likes and dislikes, and build the skills which will hold you in good stead once you decide to take the next step in advancing your career.  

2. Learn your organization’s culture. A company’s personality lies deep within its expressed and unexpressed values, and determines acceptable and unacceptable behavior on the part of employees. Notice the way in which your peers and administrators dress, talk to one another, and the manner in which meetings are conducted. For instance, if you are working in the development office of a large private high school, you will probably find yourself working with divergently different groups of people. Talking to a group of teachers will require a different approach than meeting with the school’s development committee or a group of alumni. In situations like this you might learn that the head of the athletic department holds almost as much power as the President—so tread lightly until you know the ground you are walking on.  Also avoid politics like the plague, steering clear of involvement with factions that might crop up around certain issues. The best course of action is to work hard and keep your own counsel.

3. Stand out from the crowd. Do anything and everything to make sure those who are in power know who you are and how hard you are working. Seek out extra tasks that will make the job of your boss and the people around you easier. Arrive early and leave late, and involve yourself in organizational events and activities that will give you the opportunity to make valuable contacts. It’s interesting how popular the employee who organizes the company holiday party can become almost overnight! Avoid negativity, give a helping hand to fellow workers when necessary, and foster your trustworthiness and dependability in all that you do. Along the way it is also a good idea to seek feedback from your boss now and then, implementing his/her suggestions in the projects you are working on. Know that whatever you put out will be returned to you in the form of respect and possibly that promotion you are seeking.

4. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. All too often employees would rather struggle with a project than ask a team member or the boss for help. This doesn’t mean throwing up your hands and becoming impatient and irritable. But sometimes it’s necessary to have a meeting with your supervisor to discuss the problems you are undergoing and review possible solutions. For instance, the last thing that you want to do is conceal the fact that one of your organization’s publications—about to be distributed within a week—has a glaring error on the cover, or that one of its most generous donors is about to bail because they had an argument with the board chair. It’s at your discretion when to seek help, but be certain that you aren’t trying to “go it alone” when seeking advice might be the best course in avoiding a catastrophe. The same might be true with requesting additional assistance with a project that has become far more complex and work intensive than planned.

5. Make a move or create your own career. If you find nothing you do seems to work in getting that promotion, maybe it’s time to seek employment in an environment more amenable to your skills. Warning! This does not mean that you immediately quit your job and assume that you will find another within a week or so. If you haven’t already done so, join a professional organization to support you in your search and speak to a trusted mentor who can also assist you in the process. Contact people in your network who can send out the word, and review websites that have job listings in your field. If you are really ready for a risk, possibly it’s time to look into starting your own business. Whatever you do, keep in mind that in order to move to a higher level position, your work in your current job needs to be both extraordinary and exemplary! So the best thing to do is review the four suggestions prior to this one to make certain that you are living them out each and every day. 

Click the link below for
Tips for Women in Leadership Positions
distributed at this AFP Educational Program

Gary Laermer, AFP-NYC President

Much has been said and written about a recent Chronicle of Philanthropy survey that found that 51% of fundraisers plan to leave their jobs within the next two years, and 30% plan to leave the fundraising profession altogether.  An article in the last edition of Fundraising Matters’ Leadership Brief noted that the survey found that about 55% of fundraisers feel unappreciated. Why? Pay was certainly a factor, but it was also due to management and Boards not understanding the challenges of development work.

I thought I would comment on the finding that Boards do not understand fundraising challenges. I would offer that as fundraising becomes more sophisticated, requiring an understanding of compliance issues, use of in-depth research, communicating impact data, effective appeal and proposal writing, and how artificial intelligence is continuing to disrupt donor prospecting and campaigning, the role of Board members in fundraising will continue to change at a rapid pace.  While I am convinced that volunteer leadership remains critical for campaign success, I also believe the role volunteers play in a campaign will change.  I am confident that the need for highly competent, visionary, and resilient fundraising staff will only become greater in the coming years, along with the need to change the model of Board involvement in fundraising to better support each other and reduce both groups’ frustration.

Over decades of work in the field, I have found Boards are often frustrated with fundraisers when asked or expected to do things beyond their capacity, outside of their sphere of influence, and not in alignment with the reasons they joined the Board in the first place. 

It is vitally important that Boards and fundraising staff share a common understanding of each other’s role and capabilities.  If the Board and staff need additional resources to achieve fundraising success, they should look to other volunteers (non-board members) who bring certain assets that a campaign might need. These roles could include assisting with introductions, convening groups who might be moved by your case, helping to advocate throughout a community or on social media, and providing professional or legal advice. Fundraising success will only become more dependent on well trained development professionals.

That’s where our AFP Chapter comes in.  The Greater New York Chapter of AFP is fulfilling its greatest potential when we’re viewed as the training and learning partner for our great profession.  I hope you see the Chapter that way and take advantage of all of the great learning experiences offered.  Please be sure to check out the Events page for upcoming professional advancement programs.

Steve Jacobson, AFP-NYC President-Elect and CEO, JCA, Inc

By Steve Jacobson, AFP-NYC President-Elect and CEO, JCA, Inc.

Say It Ain’t So!

For some of you, the phrase "Say It Ain’t So" might harken you back to the mid-90's when rock band Weezer released a song on their first album by that name. For others, it might have the literal meaning of disbelief and the hope that someone will assure you that what you just heard isn’t real. This was the feeling I had when I read an article published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy about a recent survey* that found that 51% of fundraisers plan to leave their jobs within the next two years. Moreover, about 30% of fundraisers planned to leave the fundraising profession altogether. Why, you might ask?  It seems that three factors play a major role: 1) unrealistic fundraising goals, 2) low pay and 3) frustrating or broken cultures.

You’re probably thinking that this isn’t something new. And you’re right. As Heather Joslyn pointed out in this Chronicle article, there was a study conducted by CompassPoint and the Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr. Fund in 2013 that basically reached the same conclusion – but specifically for chief development officers. Now, we have statistical proof that the pressures to succeed don’t just stop at the top, they extend throughout the ranks of fundraisers.

This new survey found that about 55% of fundraisers feel unappreciated. Why? Low pay was certainly a factor, but it was also due to management and boards not understanding the challenges we have in development. This lack of understanding often manifests itself in fundraisers being given overly aggressive goals and not enough resources and tools to succeed. And so the frustration builds…

Is there a final straw that breaks the camel's back? Yes. Survey respondents were asked why they left their most recent job and 85% said that there was no or little opportunity for advancement. So if you’re underappreciated, underpaid and don’t see an opportunity for a promotion, why stick around?

There are certainly management lessons to be learned from this survey. But, there are also lessons to be learned about how each fundraiser can break through and be successful. We, at the NYC Chapter of AFP, provide our members with the resources and tools to help them succeed. From our professional advancement sessions on critical fundraising topics, to Fundraising Day in New York, to National Philanthropy Day to great mentoring and networking opportunities, we are there for you. Take advantage of all that we offer.  You can start (or continue!) with our next professional advancement program on September 19th, "Climbing the Ladder, Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women Leaders in Fundraising."

Have a great holiday weekend!

--------------

* Survey of 1,035 fundraisers in the United States and Canada, conducted by Harris Insights & Analytics, through the Harris Poll, for the Chronicle of Philanthropy and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Jill Scibilia, CFRE, AFP-NYC Secretary

By Jill Scibilia, CFRE, AFP-NYC Secretary

So before I head out for vacation I thought I would share with you the values that our Development team created to guide our work.  We adapted them from the set of values we follow at Phelps Hospital—which are centered on providing the best patient care.  We use the acronym Phelps Pride. 

Many of them will be familiar to you—these are the values we hold dear as fundraisers including putting our missions first, using ethical fundraising practices, and outlining how we engage with donors. 

Patients First- Patients are worthy of the highest level of investment and support.
Humane - Every patient we serve should experience compassionate, dignified healthcare.
Ethical - We respect and value the privacy rights of our patients and their families; our fundraising program is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA), adhering to both the letter and spirit of the law. We also believe in, operate within and abide by the ethical codes and professional practices of the Fundraising Sector. Personal information will always remain private and is never shared or sold.

Loyal- Organizational leaders and staff are stewards of a public trust, accountable to those donors for how we spend their contributions.  We are loyal to the interests of our donors, patients, and community.  We believe in building strong, trusting relationships with our donors, as this will only enhance the dedication and commitment of all donors and prospects.  Every member of the Phelps family can help foster these relationships throughout the hospital.
Proactive - Building lasting relationships with our donors is among the highest priorities of our fund development program; we consider it both a responsibility and an opportunity to keep them informed about our activities and offer ways they can deepen their engagement.

Sensitive- Fundraising should be donor-centered, respectfully seeking alignment with the donors’ interests and intentions to accomplish their philanthropic goals while meeting the scope of Phelps’ mission, priorities, and current and future needs.

Professional– The Development team is a business unit committed to excellence and to advancing the health of our hospital and the community we serve by inspiring philanthropic support. It is our responsibility to be accurate, courteous, responsive and transparent in all aspects of our work.
Respect - Gratitude should be the constant theme of our fund development program. Every gift is received with the greatest respect, and we strive to communicate how each gift addresses unmet needs for patients or those who care for them.
Illuminate – Development should inform donors about advances we seek to make in our hospital and in healthcare. We share problems we aim to solve through donor investment in capital improvements, new technology or service delivery models. It is our duty to be honest a

By Susan Fields, CFRE

While special events serve as an excellent means of generating enthusiasm and attracting supporters, preparing for them can be a time-intensive endeavor for staff, volunteers, and board members with less return on the dollar compared to other fundraising vehicles. Of course, there is always the challenge of keeping events fresh and engaging each year in an effort to attract more attendees and sponsors. This APF-NYC Educational program provided both trending and time-honored ideas for sustaining and improving existing events as well as creating memorable and lucrative new ones:

1. It all begins with the budget. Planning an event without a budget is like steering a ship without watching for icebergs. Determine in advance projected revenues vs expenses based upon your goals for table and seat sales, sponsorships, journal sales, and other pre-event fundraising. Keep in mind that things can happen! Inclement weather, a power outage, or a less-than-compelling speech from your board chair can seriously boondoggle your night-of-event fundraising.  Although many events lend themselves to making a direct ask in the room, if at all possible, try to reach your fundraising goal before the event and rely on live auctions, paddle raising, texting, pledge asks, etc. as an on-site boost to fundraising success.
    
2. Don’t get stuck in the honoree dilemma. Many organizations have reached their limit in recruiting corporate honorees as a means of raising funds and attracting attendees to their events. If you have tapped out all of your contacts, look inside your organization for honorees such as former donors, alumni, staff, community leaders, board members emeritus, local politicians, and other prominent people. Many organizations have several honorees receiving different awards to maximize table sales, sponsorships, and other fundraising. Remember that most people do not come to your event to meet a corporate honoree and will probably be more interested in hearing about people they can identify with.
    
3. Examine all the options before retiring an event. Before doing anything drastic, determine who is displeased with the event and why. Sometimes only the staff feels this way with your board, donors, and other supporters having a very different perspective. Sometimes only minor or incremental changes are needed to create a fresh, new feeling such as shorter programs, a “wow moment” from a celebrity, or a buffet dessert table where people can mingle. Of course, the financial success of the event also needs to be considered. Keep in mind, however, that ceasing to continue an event can be a very political move and all effort should be taken to discuss this decision with your board and other major players in your organization. 
      
4. Keep the length of your programs in check.  There is no polite way to get a speaker off the stage, but you can minimize the chance of them going overtime by providing a detailed run-of-show and requesting that their 2-3 minute speeches be written in advance. This will allow you to review the material and suggest eliminating redundancies. Rehearsing in advance or using a teleprompter can help keep speakers on track. Of course, not everyone needs to speak, and it is best to avoid having special presenters for each speaker.  Some nonprofits use pre-videoed presentations by family members or key individuals in the organization. Above all, avoid having a program with a long list of “talking heads” which can give your event a reputation of being painfully boring.
    
5. Inspire your guests. Everything that you do prior to the event, during the event, and after the event should speak loud and clear of your organization’s mission, goals, and value to the people that it serves. Make sure your guests are welcomed by people who are close to your nonprofit. Provide your CEO and five key board members with a list of who is in the room, where they are seated, and the cultivation and stewardship conversations that are necessary. The next morning, make sure to send an email blast to sponsors, attendees, and volunteers thanking them for their participation and informing them of the success of the event. Make everyone feel good about what they have been involved in and follow up with those who are likely to become more involved.
   

Gary Laermer, AFP-NYC President

There has been a great deal of hype and discussion surrounding Ray Dalio’s book, Principles: Life and Work. It’s a New York Times bestseller and I encourage you to pick it up if you’re looking for a career-energizing summer read. As I was reading it made me think that as philanthropy professionals, we could start our own book of guiding principles and start to gather our collective wisdom.  So, I thought I would begin with this list:

• As a fundraiser, be transparent in thought and action.
• Think for yourself, act for the cause you’re representing, and above all care for the donors you’re working with.
• In organizations large and small there is often nothing too simple to complicate.  Keep the one big thing, the one big thing.
• Keep in mind that no one should feel better or more proud about a gift than the donor.
• An oldie, but still a good one: Ask for money, get advice; ask for advice, get money twice.
• Needing money generally doesn’t attract it, impactful solutions to societal needs does.
• Only you can decide for yourself what’s most important in employment: where you work or who you work for.
• There are no small donors, only gifts you hoped would be larger.
• When a prospective donor says NO, does it really mean not now? It’s OK to ask about the future.
• Generally, a case statement is best presented by people.  If you’re waiting for the written case statement to start the campaign, you’re probably not ready to start.
• If you’re confident that you have the right number of prospects to reach the campaign goal, you’re probably overconfident.
• A campaign feasibility study can help predict a campaign’s future results, but who’s sitting at the table in the role of campaign volunteer leadership is the reality of what can be raised today.

I’m sure you have many of your own rules and principles too. They can be fun to write down and more important, review when you find yourself stuck on a project to help you to the finish line and to feel great about your achievement. What would you add to this list?

Five Ideas for Creating a Successful Partnership

by Susan Fields, CFRE

AFP-NYC EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, July 18, 2019, Scandinavia House, New York City

	“Recruiting a CEO is a highly instructional process for a Board, especially when an organization seeks to become increasingly donor focused.” Rick Martin, Director of Development Ronald McDonald House
	“Collaborate with the CEO in targeting the hardest working  members of the team and validate them for their efforts. Jennifer Beirne, Chief Development Officer New York Cares
	“The greatest challenge of the Executive Director is  defining  the chain of command within the organizational structure."   Susan Newman, Vice Chair New York Edge
	“The CEO and Director of Development need to be strategic in sharing the institutional knowledge of the organization.” Gary Bagley, Executive Director New York Cares

The work of a fundraiser can be enormously difficult. There are many factors that contribute to this, but the one that has the most potential for generating stress is the relationship between the CEO/Executive Director and the Director of Development. This can be a marriage made in heaven or hell depending up the capacity and willingness of both individuals to accept the challenges of creative communication and collaboration. This partnership, when functioning optimally, will extend to all the organization’s constituencies, create profoundly positive change, and dramatically increase fundraising revenues.  People come to their jobs with distinctly different personalities, skills, and capacities, and there is no one recipe for building and maintaining a successful working relationship. For that reason, it is important to treat the ideas and concepts listed below as guideposts to understanding and avoiding the most common pitfalls and moving toward boundless professional growth.

1.  Accepting and working with imperfect situations. We have all heard about boards that contribute millions to their organizations as well as CEO’s who are eager to spend a lion’s share of their time soliciting major gifts. It is easy to wonder why these things aren’t happening in your organization and you may even accuse yourself of failing in some inexplicable way. Whether you are new at your job or have considerable experience, keep in mind that you do not have control over the culture and structure of your organization. What you can do, however, is define the barriers that stand between your nonprofit and successful fundraising, and take incremental steps in creating change where possible. You might also consider that some organizations are more apt to raise major gifts due to their history, the constituencies they represent, and the appeal of their mission.

2.  The source of conflict between the CEO and Director of Development. The structure of a nonprofit is inherently unique in that it requires leadership to manage and motivate a broad range of constituents and staff members, all with different goals and agendas: program staff, volunteers, board of directors, donors, community, and fundraising staff. While it is the prime responsibility of the CEO to direct the overall functioning of the nonprofit, the role of the Development Director is that of chief revenue generator. The former is the protector of the entire institution, with the latter serving primarily as advocate for the organization’s donors. When the CEO views fundraising as a necessary evil, spends limited time cultivating donors, and is reluctant to ask for money, the Development Director can easily feel unsupported in their role. On the other hand the CEO may justifiably feel torn in terms of priorities.

3.  Dealing with the “miracle worker” syndrome.  Often a Director of Development is hired to “save” an organization in financial distress. This unfortunate state of affairs is most usually a symptom of poor management and neglect of the fundraising process by the CEO and Board of Directors. For this reason it is important for job candidates to ask questions during the hiring process regarding the CEO and Board of Director’s commitment to fundraising. If you find yourself working in such an environment, accept the fact that you will be toiling long hours. At the same time this scenario can prove as a training ground for leadership and an opportunity to create substantial change in a nonprofit’s future. It is likely that during a crisis the CEO and board chair will be more amenable to accept counsel from the new Director of Development as to what needs to change. This can be fertile ground for building a relationship with the CEO in re-harnessing the power of the organization’s constituencies.

4.  The CEO as advocate for fundraising.  As the chief administrative officer, one of the most important roles of the CEO is to integrate the work of development team within in the organizational structure. This means educating the board and staff regarding the importance of fundraising.  As part of this process the CEO encourages the Program Director and Director of Development to work together in supporting one another’s goals. It is also the responsibility of the CEO to work with the Board Chair to create a document which defines the role of the board in fundraising which should include give/get expectations, attendance at events, and establishing a Board Development Committee. In support of the Director of Development the CEO also helps secure funding for the human and material resources needed to fulfill his/her responsibilities. Annual evaluation of the Director of Development allows for feedback and validation regarding performance as well as collaborative goal setting for the coming year.

5.  Personality Traits of the Director of Development. We all come into this life with a unique of combination abilities and a distinct style of relating to others. Because the leader of a fundraising team works with divergently different constituencies it is necessary to have the ability to switch communication styles with each group based upon their unique needs. This means possessing the intuitive skills to read the mindset and expectations of a major donor as opposed to a member of the program staff. A temperament of patience, flexibility, and the proclivity to create a calm and accepting work environment are paramount. This includes the willingness to work behind the scenes while giving others center stage to receive accolades for their achievements. Nothing is more important than bringing these personality traits to bear in working with the CEO in creating and maintaining a partnership that will best serve the mission of the organization that they represent.

Craig Shelley, Orr Group

By Craig Shelley, CFRE, Chapter Treasurer & Managing Director, Orr Group

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend the chapter’s summer Happy Hour organized by our Emerging Leaders Committee.  It was an inspiring event; not a word that typically comes to mind when describing a Happy Hour!

There was a great crowd gathered, which served to remind me just how vibrant our profession is here in New York City.  There were countless old and new friends in attendance and in nearly every conversation I was struck by the passion with which the fundraiser described the mission they were advancing.  The diversity of the work we do starkly highlights the many needs in our society, but to see that each of these needs was being supported by a committed and passionate fundraiser was inspiring.  At times it is hard for each of us to see the forest from the trees as we focus so intently on our own work, but at a night like that it was easy to see how collectively we’re making the world a better place.

The event featured some special guests who each shared highlights of their own journey as a fundraiser and shared their top career advice tips.  I soaked up all the advice as eagerly as the most junior fundraiser in the crowd.  I was also excited to see my friend Diego Aviles amongst the featured guests.  For nearly 20 years I’ve counted on his advice and counsel in my own career and life choices.  I was glad to see others benefit from Diego’s sage wisdom.  Most notably he shared some guideposts on selecting jobs.  He always attributes my having originated this advice though I think it was born from one of the many meandering conversation Diego and I have had about the “meaning of life.”  Diego encouraged the crowd to consider three things when selecting a job – who you work for, what you work on and who you work with.  I haven’t thought much about that in a while, but it made me smile as it has proven to be great advice for me over the years when I’ve been disciplined enough to follow it; without fail when I’ve ignored even just one of those three things in taking a job I’ve regretted it.

Lastly, I was inspired by the organizers themselves, our Emerging Leaders Committee.  As I get older, I’ve certainly done my fair share of grumbling about “kids these days.”  “They” don’t work as hard as I did when I was their age.  “They” aren’t as committed to the sector as I was at their age.  “They” aren’t me.  Well, thank God.  Because “they” are so much better and more committed than I ever was then and probably am now.  As a chapter we struggle to get great volunteers to handle the myriad tasks of a thriving professional association.  Not on the Emerging Leaders Committee.  They have many talented hands making many amazing projects and initiatives move forward.  The future of our chapter and our profession in New York City is surely in great hands.

It was a great night and I encourage you to engage in the chapter’s activities; I have no doubt you’ll be as inspired as I am.

If you have ideas or suggestions for our AFP chapter please always feel free to contact me directly at cshelley@orrgroup.com.  If you’re interested in my thoughts on fundraising and news in the sector, sprinkled with the occasional picture of my kids, please follow me on Twitter @craigshelley.

Thank you for everything you do.

By Steve Jacobson, AFP-NYC President-Elect and CEO, JCA, Inc.

The Fork in the Road

This past Wednesday, I had lunch with two colleagues whom I’ve each known for more than 20 years.  We get together once or twice a year to talk about everything and nothing (yes, all three of us are Seinfeld fans).  Sometimes, we forget that we haven’t met up recently.  After all, we have jobs and families and we just get busy.  This year, we ran into one another at Fundraising Day, which, by the way, had the highest attendance since the pre-Great Recession year of 2008.  So, we promised each other that we would set a date and meet.  And so we did.

Conversation always flows freely when we meet (no, there was no alcohol involved).  We’ve spent most of our adult lifetimes in and around fundraising.  At times, we’ve even worked with one another.  Fundraising has given us not only a common language, but a common bond.  We are not just colleagues; we are friends.

At one point during our lunch, the conversation turned to the question of how we all had gotten started in fundraising.  Oddly enough, in all the years we’ve known each other, we hadn’t delved into the deep, deep past.  As it turned out, like many of you, we never set out to be fundraisers.  We didn’t study philanthropy in college; we didn’t have career aspirations to be a chief development officer, run a charity’s operations or head up companies whose missions are all about making nonprofits successful.  But, that’s who we became.

I’ve heard some people use the term “accidental fundraiser” to capture the serendipity of our career paths.  And, to some extent, that’s true.  However, I think that it’s more appropriate to look at each juncture, each fork in the road, where we had decisions to make that ultimately led us down the fundraising path – or, for others, took them off on some other journey.  For the three of us, we had no idea that the seemingly innocuous choices we made early on in our professional lives would shape our future so drastically.

The first fork in the road for me was in 1985, when I decided to leave the corporate world and co-found a start-up (did that term even exist back then?) to provide technology to all types of businesses.  It wasn’t long before we landed our first nonprofit client, NYU Medical Center (now NYU Langone Health).  I really loved working with nonprofits and, in particular, their fundraising teams.  So, two years later, I created my own fork in the road: I decided to focus exclusively on providing technology solutions to nonprofits.

My two friends had very different stories to tell about their beginnings, but the one constant was that we all got to where we are, not by designing and following some grand plan, but by making small turns – or not – that carried us down a path to the land of fundraising.  It’s been a different journey for each of us, with highs and lows along the way.  But, in the end, we all agreed that we couldn’t envision a better alternative.

How about you?  Do you have a story to tell?  If so, please email me at steve.jacobson@jcainc.com and, with your permission, I’ll compile and post them anonymously. 

Have a great Fourth of July!