Skills Fundraisers Need to Be Competitive Job Candidates

Skills Fundraisers Need to Be Competitive Job Candidates Skills Fundraisers Need to Be Competitive Job Candidates Effective fundraising is a critical part of successful political campaigns, charitable organizations, community organizations, entrepreneurship, and even scientific research. Virtually any endeavor that needs money needs to engage in fundraising can benefit from hiring a professional fundraiser. Professional fundraisers can work at many different levels, from designing campaigns to simply following a telephone script. There are also different types of fundraising, from asking for big donations one-on-one (a process that might take several months of relationship building per donor), to grant writing, to organizing raffles or benefit dinners. What Skills Do You Need to Be a Fundraiser? As the name implies, fundraising pertains to using creative ways to raise funds for a worthy cause. The work can be rigorous and closely resemble sales, event planning, and marketing. Fundraisers are not necessarily required to have any particular academic background, and many get their start working as volunteers for community groups. Masters’ programs in fundraising, however, do exist, and a bachelors’ degree in a relevant field, such as public relations or journalism helps, and may be necessary for some jobs. For some types of fundraising, detailed legal knowledge may be necessary. In some states, independent fundraisers who work as contractors may have to register accordingly and follow stringent regulations. Types of Fundraising Skills Communication Its natural that people who work in fundraising need to have good written and verbal  communication skills. Its difficult to convince people to contribute their money to a cause without an excellent pitch. Fundraiser workers should be able to write letters, edit, proofread, and write grant proposals and press releases. Theyll also need to be able to effectively facilitate discussions, inspire confidence and trust in face to face communication, and effectively engage in public speaking. Public SpeakingOral CommunicationWritten CommunicationGrant WritingCollaborationPresentationFacilitate Group Discussion Interpersonal Individuals who work as fundraisers should have a wide range of  interpersonal skills. They should practice  leadership  and assertiveness. They should be able to build relationships with donors and motivate and train volunteers. They should also know how to effectively recognize prospective donors and be  persuasive  in their dealings with them. LeadershipAssertivenessNegotiationMotivationInspirationTrainingConsultingPersuasion Technology Fundraising employees need to be able to reach out to supporters on social media, as well as properly collect, analyze, and store donor data. Individuals who feel known and recognized by an organization may be more likely to donate. Conversely, sending an unsolicited fundraising call to someone who has already asked to be removed from the list could alienate a potential donor permanently. Common programs used in fundraising include Microsoft Excel,  Microsoft Office,  Microsoft PowerPoint, and  Microsoft Word, as well as Raisers Edge, DonorPerfect, and  Sumac. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) SoftwareDatabase ManagementCustomer SegmentationFundraising SoftwareGraphic Design SoftwarePresentation SoftwareEmail Marketing SoftwareMicrosoft Office Suite Sales People who fundraise for a living need to be good  salespeople. It often entails promoting events effectively, acquiring sponsors for events, developing a salesforce, and securing donations for fundraising raffles. Being a salesperson also includes identifying the selling points for the organization and thinking strategically about the fundraising campaign. Business StorytellingValue PropositionsLead GenerationCreating and Developing PitchesCold CallingPersistenceConfidence Judgment Fundraiser workers need to exercise good judgment. It means strategic planning, assessing the interests of prospective donors, coordinating logistics for events, and devising budgets for programs and events. This also entails measuring the effectiveness of fundraising initiatives, structuring fundraising campaigns, and structuring mechanisms for online giving. Theyll also need to draw consensus regarding goals and conduct research to identify prospects. Process ManagementProject ManagementStrategic PlanningCreating a Mission StatementVisionEvaluatingOngoing ImprovementDiscernment More Fundraising Skills DonorSearch Online ToolsFile990DonateKindlyDouble the DonationSocial Media ManagementMail ChimpMIP Fund AccountingQuickBooksForecastingFinancial StatementsBuilding Business PlansCustomer ServiceInformation ManagementCritical ThinkingPersonal EthicsDrivenProactiveDealing with ObjectionsPolicyAcquiring Sponsors for EventsCreativity  Measuring the Effectiveness  of Fundraising InitiativesRecruiting VolunteersPress ReleasesPublic RelationsMultitaskingOrganizationBudgeting How to Make Your Skills Stand Out Add Relevant Skills to Your Resume:  Include your most relevant qualifications on your  resume  to stand out from the crowd.Highlight Skills in Your Cover Letter:  Remember that desired qualifications will vary based on the position for which youre applying.  Read the job description carefully and include relevant skills in your  cover letter.Demonstrate Your Commitment:  The key to successful fundraising is believing deeply in a cause. While maintaining authenticity, you should demonstrate to potential employers in your  interview  the level of commitment to the organization’s cause.