Do you ever find that your work is more than just “fundraising”? Especially in a smaller organization, I am often directly advancing and interpreting the mission through donor solicitations. This can happen through storytelling with a direct mail appeal, donor tours, and connecting donors with cutting edge ideas of program staff. With major gifts fundraising I spend a lot of my time interpreting the future direction of the organization and working with specific program leaders around what financial dollars would mean for their program development.
As a development professional you have a unique perspective connecting community need and interest. You have an understanding of what it takes to develop a proposal, what other organizations are doing as well as what other donors are funding. When you put this information to work for your organization you have an opportunity to take some of those brilliant fledgling ideas that program and operations staff have and turn them into fundable advancements for your organization. Donors love to fund projects that are cutting edge and relevant improving the organization.
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