Fundraising Job Descriptions: 4 Reasons To Change your Descriptions

When crafting fundraising job descriptions, organizations can fall into several traps that make it difficult to attract and retain the right talent. Fundraisers play a critical role in driving the financial sustainability of nonprofits, yet job descriptions often contain red flags that can turn off qualified candidates. This blog highlights the key pitfalls in fundraising job descriptions and provides guidance on how to avoid them.
1. Combining Multiple Roles Into One Position
One of the most common mistakes in fundraising job descriptions is combining several roles into one position. This issue arises when organizations look for a candidate to be responsible for not only fundraising but also marketing, public relations, event planning, and donor management. While it might seem efficient to combine multiple responsibilities, doing so can lead to burnout and job dissatisfaction.
For example, requiring a fundraiser to handle public relations and event management on top of major gift solicitations and donor stewardship is not only unrealistic but also detracts from their ability to build relationships and bring in substantial donations. This also dilutes the candidate’s focus, leading to poorer outcomes in both areas.
By cramming multiple job functions into a single role, organizations risk losing focus on the unique skills and expertise needed for high-level fundraising. A better approach is to clearly define the role’s scope in the fundraising job description and focus on the key responsibilities that align with the organization’s development goals.
2. Setting Unrealistic Fundraising Goals
Expecting a new fundraiser to bring in $10,000,000 in their first year, especially from new sources, is a common but misguided expectation. Unrealistic fundraising goals often appear in fundraising job descriptions, where organizations hope that a newly hired development officer will instantly generate significant funds. However, setting such ambitious targets without considering the current donor base, available resources, or existing relationships can set both the organization and the fundraiser up for failure.
Successful fundraising requires time to cultivate relationships and understand the donor landscape. New hires need to learn about the organization’s mission, meet key stakeholders, and assess the potential for growth before making substantial contributions. Pushing for large-scale results immediately can lead to quick burnout or a revolving door of fundraisers who leave because they were set up for failure.
A more sustainable approach in fundraising job descriptions is to set multi-year fundraising goals that consider the organization’s fundraising capacity and growth potential, rather than short-term results.
3. Expecting Fundraisers to be at 100% Immediately
A common misconception in many fundraising job descriptions is the expectation that new hires will hit the ground running and start securing large donations immediately. However, donor relationships take time to develop. Fundraisers must first understand the donor’s motivations, build trust, and demonstrate the impact of their contributions. This process doesn’t happen overnight.
Expecting fundraisers to achieve 100% efficiency immediately disregards the nuances of relationship-building. It’s important for fundraising job descriptions to recognize that success in fundraising often comes in stages. The first few months might focus on stewardship and cultivation, with actual solicitation happening later.
Organizations should set reasonable expectations and timelines for success. Instead of focusing on immediate results, a good fundraising job description will emphasize long-term relationship-building and set benchmarks for early success based on actions rather than immediate outcomes.
4. Looking for a Unicorn or Rainmaker
It’s tempting for organizations to look for a “unicorn” fundraiser who can solve all their financial problems overnight. Some fundraising job descriptions paint a picture of a “rainmaker” who has a magical ability to secure large, transformative donations with little effort. Unfortunately, these fundraisers simply don’t exist. Fundraising is a strategic, long-term process that requires careful planning, relationship-building, and persistence.
Hiring for a quick-fix mentality often leads to disappointment when the new fundraiser doesn’t live up to these unrealistic expectations. It’s crucial to recognize that even the most skilled fundraisers need time, resources, and organizational support to be effective. The best fundraising job descriptions should focus on practical skills, a track record of building relationships, and an understanding of donor stewardship, rather than expecting someone to perform fundraising miracles.
5. Not Listing Salary Expectations or Offering Embarrassingly Low Salaries
One major issue in fundraising job descriptions is failing to list salary expectations. This omission signals to candidates that either the organization hasn’t thought through compensation or that the salary may not be competitive. In some cases, organizations list salaries that are embarrassingly low, especially when considering the level of responsibility expected.
Offering a fair and competitive salary is crucial for attracting and retaining top fundraising talent. Fundraisers have specialized skills, and the market is competitive. Failing to offer a fair salary can result in a limited talent pool, or worse, high turnover when employees realize they are being underpaid.
When creating fundraising job descriptions, organizations should research market rates for fundraising professionals and include clear salary ranges. This transparency builds trust with candidates and ensures that expectations are aligned from the start.
Conclusion
Fundraising job descriptions are a critical component in attracting the right talent, but they need to be crafted carefully to avoid the common pitfalls outlined above. By avoiding the temptation to combine multiple roles, setting unrealistic goals, expecting fundraisers to perform immediately, searching for a unicorn, and offering inadequate compensation, organizations can create more effective and appealing job descriptions.
It’s essential to focus on long-term relationship-building and realistic expectations to ensure sustainable fundraising success.
For more insights on hiring the right fundraising professionals, consider working with Nonprofit Freelancers. This platform connects organizations with talented freelancers who can meet their fundraising needs and help avoid many of the pitfalls discussed in this article.