Bringing A Development Director on Board - Association … Bringing a Development... · Bringing a...

Bringing ADevelopment Directoron Board

AFP’ S R E A D Y R E F E R E N C E S E R I E S

ASSESSING NEEDS

RECRUITING

INTERVIEWING

HIRING

54398_brncvr.qxd:54398_brncvr.qxd 1/21/09 12:59 AM

THE ASSOCIATION OFFUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS

(AFP)

WHO WE ARE:AFP, an association of professionals throughout theworld, advances philanthropy by enabling people andorganizations to practice ethical and effectivefundraising.

The core activities through which AFP fulfills thismission include education, training, mentoring,research, credentialing and advocacy.

AFP members abide by the highest ethical standardsin the fundraising profession and are required to signannually the Code of Ethical Principles and Standardsof Professional Practice.

OUR VISION STATEMENT:AFP will be the recognized leader in the promotion ofphilanthropy by empowering fundraisers to servehumankind throughout the world.

To purchase additional copies, contact AFP at (800) 666-3863 or email [email protected].

4300 Wilson Blvd., Suite 300Arlington, VA 22203

U.S. and Canada: (800) 666-3863Mexico: 001+(866) 837-1948

Fax: (703) 684-0540Web: www.afpnet.org

41206_cover2_4 7/27/07 9:47 AM

Bringing aDevelopmentDirector on Board

• Assessing Needs

• Recruiting

• Interviewing

• Hiring

By Susan E. Geary, CFRE and Gayle L. Gifford, ACFRE

AFP’s Ready Reference SeriesAssociation of Fundraising Professionals

54398_brntxt.qxd:54398_brntxt.qxd 1/21/09 1:09 AM Page i

This booklet is the third in AFP's Ready Reference Series for professionalfundraisers.

Text by Susan E. Geary, CFRE and Gayle L. Gifford, ACFRE

©2003 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), 1101 KingStreet, Suite 700, Alexandria, VA 22314.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, storedin a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, elec-tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without theprior written permission of the publisher. Printed in the United States ofAmerica.

54398_brntxt.qxd:54398_brntxt.qxd 1/21/09 1:09 AM Page ii

Why Hire a Development Director? ................................................1

What Fundraising Is All About ........................................................3

Roles and Responsibilities ................................................................8

What to Look for in a Candidate....................................................11

Finding the Right Candidates for the Job ....................................14

Issues in Hiring ................................................................................23

The What and Why of a Job Plan ..................................................30

Summary ..........................................................................................33

Appendices

A: AFP Code of Ethical Principles and Standards of Professional Practice ....................................................................35

B: Sample Job Description: Development Director and SampleJob Ad ..........................................................................................39

C: A Sampling of Where to Post Jobs Online................................42

D: Some Sample Interview Questions............................................47

E: Where to Find Nonprofit Salary and CompensationInformation Online ..................................................................51

F: A Sampling of Online Sources of Employment Contracts......54

G: Sample Job Plan: Development Director ..................................55

Table of Contents

54398_brntxt.qxd:54398_brntxt.qxd 1/21/09 1:09 AM Page iii

kuef;;foivh;ogivnh;igh;i

54398_brntxt.qxd:54398_brntxt.qxd 1/21/09 1:09 AM Page iv

Virtually every nonprofit organization coulduse more financial resources to do itswork. It’s not hard to imagine how addi-

tional funds could be put to use…• Serve more children in need• Conserve more land or water• Expand arts and cultural programming• Build more affordable housing• Improve neglected facilities• Update outmoded technology • Provide health insurance and pension

benefits for staff• Invest in training and professional

development.

Statistics and experience indicate that many non-profit organizations have yet to realize the poten-tial resources that can be secured through a well-organized fund development effort. According toThe Urban Institute’s National Center forCharitable Statistics, in 1999 fully 73 percent ofthe more than 1.2 million charitable organiza-tions in the U.S. reported annual expenditures ofless than $500,000. A sizeable percentage struggleto operate with far less than that and are plaguedby chronic shortages in funding.

Even those organizations that do have a funddevelopment program often rely too heavily oncorporate, foundation, and government grants,ignoring a significant resource: giving by individ-uals. In its most recent report, the AAFRC Trustfor Philanthropy reported in Giving USA 2002 that

Why Hire a DevelopmentDirector?

1

Reaching PotentialDonors

54398_brntxt.qxd:54398_brntxt.qxd 1/21/09 1:09 AM Page 1

Bringing a Development Director on Board

U.S. nonprofit organizations received more than$212 billion in charitable donations in 2001, 83percent of which came from individual donors ortheir estates. Similarly, Statistics Canada reportedthat in 2000 individuals in Canada contributedmore than $5.4 billion to charity. Reaching thesedonors, however, requires something more than apart-time effort.

With the dramatic growth in nonprofitorganizations, increasingly more complicatedfundraising regulation from the IRS, and risingexpectations and sophistication of donors, it isvery difficult to imagine running a successfulfundraising program without the support of anexperienced development director. Finding andretaining the right person can be critical to thelong-term financial health of your organization.This guide is designed to demystify the recruit-ment and hiring process. It can help an executivedirector, or whoever may be responsible for hiring,evaluate the need for fundraising staff, craft arealistic and effective job description, determinean appropriate level of compensation, and puttogether a recruiting plan that will attract themost qualified candidates.

2


What DoesFundraisingInvolve?Before you can hire a development director,

you need a general understanding offundraising. Fundraising programs vary

greatly in complexity, magnitude, and sophistica-tion depending upon the size and mission of theorganization, its revenue mix, the make-up of itsconstituency, the maturity of its fund develop-ment effort, and its need for capital and endow-ment gifts.

Your organization needs to assess the promiseand challenge of each type of fundraising andthen focus its efforts on those that are most like-ly—given your unique financial and humanresources—to be effective and sustainable. Thedevelopment director you hire should have theskills and competencies needed for the type offundraising your organization expects to do.

As a general rule, annual giving programs seek toraise relatively modest gifts for ongoing needsfrom a great many individuals, as well as fromcorporations and foundations. Some organiza-tions—mostly those with larger, more mature, andsophisticated fundraising programs—are also ableto secure larger gifts in support of their currentoperations.

Annual gifts, by their very nature, aredesigned to meet short-term needs and must berepeatable. While the ideal is to receive at leastone gift from every donor every year, the reality isthat every organization loses donors who die,move away, take exception to an action, or loseinterest. This means that you must constantly

What Fundraising Is AllAbout

3

IdentifyingFunding Needs


DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MAJOR AND ANNUAL GIFTS

Annual Gift Major GiftImpact Maintains status quo Brings about changeAmount Up to $10,000 $50,000+(varies by organization)

Designation Current use Capital, endowmentSource Donor’s income Donor’s assets,

incomePayout period One year Up to five yearsWhen solicited Annually When donor is readyHow solicited Phone, mail, visit Face to face by peerTime to closure Immediately Two or more yearsPayment method Cash, charge, securities Many, some complexDonor involvement Low to medium High

Source: Susan E. Geary, CFRE, "It Takes a Village to Raise a Major Gift," slide talkpresented June 15, 2000, at NSFRE Rhode Island Chapter education seminar.Permission to use this chart is granted to the Association of FundraisingProfessionals by Susan E. Geary.

seek out new donors to replace the ones you losein order to raise the same amount of money youraised last year. To raise even more money, youneed to add new donors and renew and upgradethe donors you already have.

Your organization may also have significantneeds over and above meeting its annual budget.Raising funds for capital projects (like a newbuilding) or for an endowment (where the princi-pal is left untouched and only a portion of theearnings are spent) requires raising major gifts—individual gifts ranging from thousands of dollarsupwards into the millions. This is done primarilyby cultivating high-capacity donors over anextended period of time. Corporations and foun-dations may also be solicited, although they areless likely to give to endowment than to capitalpurposes.

4



INTEREST

INVESTMENTS

INVOLVEMENT

IDENTIFICATION

INFORMATION

As the results of numerous campaigns haveshown over time, the largest gifts may constitute90 percent of the total dollars generated and rep-resent the commitments of a mere five percent ofall donors. A number of these may involve a com-bination of up-front gifts, deferred gifts withcharitable remainder trusts, and/or bequest inten-tions. Very large gifts may require sophisticatedestate planning and the involvement of thedonor’s financial advisors.

The difference between an annual gift and amajor gift is summarized in the chart on page 4.

5


Types of Gifts and Givers

Source: James M. Greenfield, Fundraising Fundamentals: a Guide to Annual Giving forProfessionals and Volunteers, New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, © 1994, p. 12. Reprinted bypermission of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The donor pyramid presented above traces its origins to the 1960s pioneering work ofRobert and Joan Blum.

Estateor

Planned Giving

BequestsPlanned Gifts

Major GivingEndowment Campaigns

Capital and Special CampaignsMajor Gifts from Individuals

Major Gifts from Corporations andFoundations

Annual GivingVolunteer-Led Annual Giving CampaignActivities, Benefits, and Special Events

Groups, Guilds, and Support OrganizationsMembership and Membership Associations

Direct Mail Testing, Acquisition, and RenewalSelected Publics

All the Public—Everyone in the Area

DO

NO

RC

ON

TAC

T

DO

NO

RG

ROW

TH

DO

NO

RC

OM

MIT

MEN

T



The differences, vary, however, depending on thesize of your organization. What might fall intothe annual gift category for a hospital or universi-ty may very well be considered a major gift to acommunity-based organization.

Regardless of the size, nature, and sophisticationof your organization, the secrets to success infund development are the same.

■ Your organization must be well managed.

It must have a clearly defined mission, a set ofrealistic long-range goals, and a plan for attainingthem. Above all, it must be financially sound.Donors want to be assured that the money theygive will be well spent and that it will advance thegoals of your nonprofit organization.

■ Your leadership, especially your board of directors, must be committed tofundraising.

Your fundraising will be more successfulwhen your trustees are well-informed about yourorganization, engaged with their community, andwilling to serve as full partners in your fundrais-ing activities.

■ Everyone in your organization must beable to articulate clearly how donor giftswill help you achieve your mission.

The best way to do this is to develop a com-pelling “case for support.” This is a detaileddescription of your organization’s vision for thefuture, what it hopes to accomplish and how itplans to achieve those results. It is a costly mis-take to think that the case for supporting yourorganization is self-evident to prospective donors.

■ You need a coordinated communicationsprogram.

As part of your overall marketing plan, yourdevelopment, public relations, and program com-

6

Secrets toSuccessfulFundraising



7

munications must all relate to the mission, vision,and goals of your institution. Above all, they needto tell the same story—in different ways, at differ-ent times, and in different places. Don’t forgetthat your internal communications are just asimportant as external ones.

■ Successful fund development needs ade-quate resources—human, financial, andtechnological.

What is “adequate” depends on the scope ofthe fund development program, the mix of strate-gies adopted, the size of the prospect pool, andthe overall resources available.

■ Accurate record keeping is another prereq-uisite for success.

Only with accurate, up-to-date, relevant infor-mation can an organization develop strategies toensure the sustained interest, involvement, andsupport of current and prospective donors. It isequally vital to keep track of gifts and pledges,send reminders, generate reports on the status ofvarious fundraising programs, and track the sta-tus of major gift prospects.

■ It is important to give the fund develop-ment program time to work.

Everyone involved needs to understand whatkind of results to expect from any given fundrais-ing strategy and how long it may take to achievethe desired results.


For your fundraising program to be success-ful and sustainable you, as executive director, must form a strong fundraising

partnership with your development director.While you each have your own areas of responsi-bility, you need to be able to work together, communicate well, and know what to expect fromeach other.

Because program and fundraising are intri-cately linked, the most effective directors of devel-opment are valued members of the managementand planning team. Your development directorshould be a member of the senior managementteam, report directly to you, be involved in yourlong-range planning, communicate regularly withother program managers, and work closely withmembers of the board of directors and other lead-ership volunteers.

As executive director, you should be prepared to:

■ Build an organization that is worthy andtrustworthy of support.

■ Communicate the vision and successes ofyour organization to all constituencies.

■ Assist the board president in building aboard that supports your fundraising pro-gram and provides effective leadership forfundraising.

■ Explain the fund development process toother members of the organization.

■ Ensure that the development function iswell-supported.

8

Responsibilities of the Executive Director

Roles and Responsibilities


9


■ Participate in developing fundraisinggoals, strategies, and plans.

■ Monitor progress toward fundraisinggoals.

■ Be actively involved in the identification,cultivation, and solicitation of high-levelprospects.

■ Provide ongoing constructive feedback tothe development director.

A qualified development director will:

■ Develop a clear and compelling writtencase for support.

■ Build understanding and support for thatcase among your constituencies.

■ Help clarify your organization’s needs andbuild its fundraising capacity.

■ Develop and implement both annual andlong-range plans to achieve your fundrais-ing goals.

■ Identify and manage the resources neededto carry out the fundraising plan.

Responsibilities of theDevelopmentDirector

RESOURCES

For more in-depth discussions of the crucial relationshipbetween an executive director and development director, see the fol-lowing articles:

"Forum: Finding the Points of Connection," AdvancingPhilanthropy, Summer 1996, Volume 4, Number 2, pp. 16-20.

"What Does It Take to Build the Executive Director-Development Officer Team?" Advancing Philanthropy, May/June 2000,Volume 8, Number 2, pp. 32-35.

James M. Greenfield, ed., The Nonprofit Handbook: Fund Raising,3rd. ed., Wiley, 2001, pg. 290-312.


■ Develop departmental policies, proce-dures, and staffing requirements.

■ Identify, manage, and solicit high-levelprospects.

■ Track and report all gifts and pledges bysource and purpose.

■ Oversee or undertake donor stewardshipactivities.

■ Train and motivate staff, volunteers, andboard members.

■ Motivate, educate, and provide feedback tothe executive director.

10



Alarge part of the success of your fundrais-ing program is tied to the quality of yourdevelopment director. This individual

needs the “right stuff” to be successful. While theright stuff includes technical skills, it really meansthe personal attributes, mindset, and attitude thatare necessary for successful fundraising. Technicalskills can be acquired; personal attributes are notso easy to change. What’s the right stuff?

■ A passion for achievement

A great development director is never satisfiedwith anything less than the best—and thatincludes commitment to reaching your fundrais-ing goals, a hunger for professional development,and the energy and initiative to make things hap-pen.

■ Great “people person” skills

Your development director thrives on rela-tionships, and has a real knack for buildingstrong rapport with and enabling your donors,leadership volunteers, and staff.

■ The ability to solve problems creativelyand flexibly

Your development director is a conceptualthinker who is inspired by new ideas and can cre-atively adapt to the challenges that are guaranteedto surface in the course of events.

■ A focus on results

Your development director clearly communi-cates performance expectations and provides thesupport, training, and coaching necessary for

What to Look for in aCandidate

11

Attributes of aGood Candidatefor DevelopmentDirector


team members to be successful at reaching theirobjectives.

■ The ability to juggle and multi-task

Managing multiple priorities is a given infundraising. Good development directors havestrong organizational skills, appropriately allocatetheir time, and know how to keep all the balls inthe air.

■ A strong personal code of ethics

Your development director needs to beabsolutely trustworthy; to operate from a passionfor the mission, not for personal gain; and toknow and act in the best interests of both donorsand your organization. And, of course, your devel-opment director should subscribe to the AFP Codeof Ethical Principles and Standards of ProfessionalPractice. (See Appendix A.)

What technical skills and knowledge should adevelopment director have? While the depth oftechnical skill that your development directorneeds will depend on the special mix and sophisti-cation of your current fundraising program, everydevelopment director should have a basic level ofcore knowledge. This includes:

■ Understanding of the breadth of fundrais-ing techniques and programs.

■ Ability to develop a written case for support.

■ Ability to execute an annual giving pro-gram including face-to-face, phone, andmail solicitation.

■ Ability to design and implement appropri-ate and motivating donor acknowledgmentand recognition.

■ Ability to recruit and motivate leadershipvolunteers.

12


Technical Skills ofa Good Candidatefor DevelopmentDirector


13


■ Ability to create an annual developmentplan and budget and to evaluate its effec-tiveness.

■ Strong oral and written communicationsskills.

■ Knowledge of and commitment to theDonor Bill of Rights and the Association ofFundraising Professionals Code of EthicalPrinciples and Standards of ProfessionalPractice.

■ Understanding of donor stewardship,assuring that funds are used in accordancewith donor wishes, that accurate recordsare kept, and that information can beretrieved as needed.

■ Ability to choose and use fundraising soft-ware.

■ Knowledge of and adherence to nationaltax regulations and accounting standardsaffecting fundraising.

Other specialized skills may include expertise inthe areas of:

■ Capital campaign management.

■ Corporate and foundation relations.

■ Special events management.

■ Direct marketing, including television,print, direct mail, and the Internet.

■ Planned giving.

■ Grant development and proposal writing.

■ Prospect research.

■ Long-range planning.

■ Organization development.

Specialized Skillsof a GoodCandidate forDevelopmentDirector


In a tight job market, you’ll need to give carefulattention to recruiting. While a quantity ofapplications helps, what you really want is a

diverse selection of qualified candidates. In theend, it is quality, not quantity, that counts.

Tell applicants why your organization is agreat place to work. Excite applicants with yourissues and challenges. Let them know what oppor-tunities for professional growth you offer. Givecandidates a sense of your organization's values.Challenge them. Money, benefits, and title areimportant, but you want a candidate who’s look-ing for more than that. (See Appendix B for asample job description and a sample advertise-ment for that job.)

Use every avenue to search for candidates. Placeads in your local and regional newspapers, butdon’t forget the trade journals like the Chronicle ofPhilanthropy or other specialty publications foryour industry (e.g., health care, environment).Send job announcements to professional societieslike AFP and nearby chapters. Post your job onlineat job search services like Monster.com. Don't for-get to seek out specialty publications, civic organi-zations, and professional societies that targetdiverse audiences. AFP offers a national onlinejob-posting service on its website atwww.afpnet.org.

Before you post a position, however, reviewthe kind of jobs that are listed in any given medi-um to make sure they are likely to draw the kindof candidate you seek. And don't forget to list

14

Finding the RightCandidates for the Job

AttractingCandidates


15


your position with your state or provincial depart-ment of labor. (For a listing of websites where youcan post positions, see Appendix C).

Network, network, network. Attend nonprofitevents and job fairs, and tell everyone that youmeet that you have an opening. Consider a tele-phone survey of local professionals who mayknow of available candidates or who can provideleads about where to look. Post flyers in placesyou’re likely to find qualified people—conferences,workshops, seminars, and other events that drawrepresentatives from diverse nonprofit organiza-tions. And don't forget to query board members,volunteers, and colleagues.

Some organizations may choose to hire anexecutive search firm with expertise in recruitingfundraising professionals. There will be a cost forthe outside service—fees range from 25 percent to33 percent of the first year's salary—so use yourfunds wisely by making sure that the search firmunderstands your requirements, your mission,and your style of operation.

Most executive directors are experienced in hiring.If you’re working with a committee that has lessexperience, or you are new to your role, here’s areview of hiring basics. As you go about hiring adevelopment director, seek information to answerthese four questions:

■ Does the candidate have the needed peopleskills and technical knowledge to be a suc-cessful fundraiser?

■ Has the candidate demonstrated the abilityto apply that technical knowledge?

■ Does the candidate’s record demonstratethe ability to achieve the results?

■ How deeply does the candidate believe inyour mission and how well does the candi-

SelectingCandidates toInterview


date embrace the values of your organiza-tion?

Five tools—cover letter, resume, telephonescreening, interview, and reference check—willhelp you find answers to these questions.

Cover letters are in decline in this age of Internetjob searches. Yet the cover letter is still an impor-tant piece of evidence of an individual’s fundrais-ing skills—after all, your development director willbe sending out a lot of letters asking for money. Aresume without a neat, well-written cover letteraddressed to the right person (spelling and titlecount) and tailored to your organization is awarning sign that your candidate may not havewhat it takes to succeed in this job.

While you might be tempted to interview every-one who applies, such a procedure would be over-ly time-consuming and is not necessary. Byreviewing the resumes you receive, you can narrowyour interviews down to only those candidatesthat seem, on paper, to be the best match for thejob and your organization. When reviewingresumes, look for evidence of the following:

■ Successful fundraising accomplishments,including dollars raised.

■ Past work experience that is comparable tothe requirements of the position.

■ Growth in job responsibility and knowl-edge, logical career moves.

16


HELPFUL RESOURCE

Note: It's a good idea to consult the Chronicle of Philanthropy, evenif you decide not to post your position there. The Chronicle providesinformation on such matters as how to use your own website moreeffectively, how to write a job ad and how to conduct a successful on-line recruitment campaign.

Evaluating CoverLetters

Sorting Throughthe Resumes


Screening byTelephone

17


■ Continuing education and professionaldevelopment.

■ Service to the profession, including bothprofessional associations and volunteeractivities.

■ Neatness and clarity of presentation.

There are many different types of resume for-mats—functional, chronological, curriculumvitae—to name a few. No one of these is right orwrong, as long you can easily find in the resumethe information that you need.

After selecting the resumes that best matchyour requirements, screen them again. This time,look out for potential problems or concerns. Forexample, how long did your candidate stay at pre-vious jobs? While longevity in development posi-tions averages two to three years, be wary of candi-dates who have a pattern of jumping from job tojob. Hiring the wrong person can be costly—inrecruiting, training, integration with other staff,and the potential loss of donor relationships andknowledge that are so critical to successfulfundraising.

You may find it helpful to create three piles:"yes," "no," and "maybe." The “yes” pile includesthose candidates you definitely want to interview.The “no” pile includes candidates whose paperqualifications clearly eliminate them from thisjob. The “maybe” pile includes candidates whoseresumes may not give you enough information tobe a definite "yes," but display a number of char-acteristics that look encouraging, or whom yourintuition tells you may be someone worth inter-viewing. These are your reserve candidates.

Telephone screening is becoming increasing use-ful, especially if you are considering a candidatewhose travel expenses you may need to pay tointerview face-to-face.


Preparing forFace-to-FaceInterviews

Telephone interviews are short, roughly 20minutes in length. Their purpose is to help youscreen more candidates into your “no” pile. As inall interviews, make sure to prepare your ques-tions in advance. Some of the things to look for ina phone interview are:

■ Why is the candidate interested in this jobat this time?

■ Does the information provided by the can-didate over the telephone match what's inthe resume?

■ What can you learn about gaps in the can-didate's resume?

■ Broadly, what salary range is the candidatelooking for (without negotiating thedetails of a final compensation and bene-fits package)? Is this in the range of whatyou are prepared to offer?

■ What is the candidate’s availability? Is s/heavailable within your timeframe? Is s/hewilling to relocate?

■ What questions does the candidate havefor you?

■ Is the candidate available for an interview?

If you know immediately upon the telephonecall that you are not interested in this candidate,be sure to politely let the individual know that heor she is not the right match for the job at thistime. If you are interested in the candidate,explain the next steps in the process.

After you have winnowed your list down to ahandful of the best candidates, it’s time for an in-person interview.

Before you meet with the candidate, prepare alist of questions that you will ask. Review yourquestions with other staff or volunteers who will

18



19


work closely with this individual. Since the devel-opment director will be a key member of yourmanagement team, it is important to ensure thatthe candidate will be able to work effectively withother senior staff, key board members, and volun-teers. At some point, therefore, these individualsneed to be brought into the interview process.You may wish to do this in the first interview, or

BRINGING DIVERSITY INTO YOUR ORGANIZATION

Consider the following statistics. "By 2050,…minority groups will make upnearly half of the US population…one-quarter of all US residents will be ofHispanic origin. Almost one in 10 Americans will be of Asian or Pacific Islanderdescent.” US Department of Labor

“The visible minority population reached close to 13 percent in 2001, athreefold increase over 1981. Metro Toronto, with over 100 different ethnicgroups and visible minorities approaching a majority, is considered by the UnitedNations to be the most diverse city in the world.” Statistics Canada.

Today, more than ever, all nations need the unifying civic spaces and oppor-tunity that are the hallmark of philanthropy. AFP recognizes this need in itsstrategic plan: “In order for fundraising and philanthropy to thrive, it must con-tinue to grow. With the changing demographics of donors, AFP must reach outto under-served and diverse groups and organizations.”

We know that our communities are experiencing profound changes, whetherwe work in a small town or the global community. It is in our strategic interestsas nonprofit leaders to ensure that we have the knowledge of, and connectionsto, all segments of our community embedded in our institutions.

According to AFP diversity champion William F. Bartolini, ACFRE, work-places that create welcoming spaces for diverse perspectives “are better at prob-lem-solving, make better decisions, are more innovative, find new networks andfresh ideas, and improve their ability to recruit and retain more diverse employ-ees.”

As you begin your search for a development director, you are urged to viewit as another opportunity to build a workplace where different voices are wel-come.

Here’s a small commitment you can make: don’t stop recruiting until youhave developed a pool of qualified candidates that is as at least as diverse as thecommunity you serve. Then, hire the best.


you may wish to hold this for your top two orthree candidates only.

The in-person interview is essential for you toassess a candidate's qualifications for the job (andgives the candidate an opportunity to assess yourorganization). Use your interview time wisely.

Limit the time you spend describing yourorganization. You want the candidate to do mostof the talking. Ask questions about actual experi-ence, not hypothetical questions. “Tell me about atime when…” or “Can you describe an example ofhow you…” not “What would you do if… “

Be wary of “we” responses such as “we didthis,” “we did that.” You want to know what yourcandidate was actually responsible for achieving.Avoid questions on topics such as race, color, reli-gion, gender, national origin, birthplace, age, orphysical or mental disability. They are illegal inthe United States and Canada, and many othercountries as well.

Expect a strong candidate to ask you probingquestions. Capable individuals will want to knowwhether they can meet your expectations, whetherthey have the tools they need, what kind of sup-port they’ll have, and how well their work stylewill be received in your organization. A candidatewho doesn’t ask these questions may not have theexperience you need.

You probably will want to spend at least anhour interviewing your candidates and will defi-nitely need to bring your finalist back for anotherinterview. Don’t base your appraisal of the candi-date on first impressions. And don’t base yourevaluation on the answer to only one question. Ifyou've prepared a strong list of questions, thenthe answers taken together will provide you with agood overview of this candidate's ability to meetyour organization's expectations. (See AppendixD, "Some Sample Interview Questions.")

20


Conducting theFace-to-FaceInterview


CheckingReferences

21


How important is it to check references? Very.This may be the most important step in the hiringprocess. Reference checks help you validate theinformation that your finalist provided and canhelp you discover facts that may not have comeout in the interview. Your organization is puttinga great deal at risk—your reputation, relationshipswith individual donors, and money—if you don’ttake reasonable care in checking references.

Some employers check references of their toptwo or three candidates before narrowing down totheir finalist. Others wait until they have foundthe final candidate. Whatever you do, it is advis-able not to make any employment promises toany candidate until you complete your referencechecks.

At the very minimum, you need to interviewat least three references. These individuals shouldbe professional references and have knowledge ofyour candidate’s job performance. At least twoshould be former employers or supervisors.

In addition to asking the candidate for specif-ic references, many employers now ask their candidates to sign a release form authorizingbackground reference checks as allowed by law,but not limited to the references given by the can-didate. Be especially careful to get a candidate’spermission before contacting a current employer.

Before you call the references, humanresource professionals advise that you make up alist of standard questions which you will ask everyreference for every candidate. These questionsshould be designed to:

■ Confirm factual information provided bythe candidate (employment dates, posi-tions, degrees, reason for leaving past posi-tion).

■ Verify job skills necessary to perform suc-cessfully in this position.


EXPERT ADVICE

Note: This booklet is not meant to pro-vide legal advice. You should always check allof your employment and hiring procedureswith qualified legal counsel.

■ Verify former employer satisfaction withresults produced by your candidate.(Would they hire them again?)

■ Find out more about the candidate’sapproach to work. (For example, is every-thing always done last minute?)

Remember it is illegal to base an employmentdecision on gender, marital status, race, religion,color, national origin, birthplace, or age. Stayaway from questions that touch on any of thesesubjects. Physical or mental ability can be consid-ered only if, even with reasonable accommoda-tion, your candidate would still be unable to perform the required tasks. Always err on the sideof caution if you have any doubts about theappropriateness of a question.

There is a great deal of useful informationonline about the hiring process. Monster.com, forinstance, has a number of valuable articles foremployers on all aspects of the subject.

22



How much should you pay your develop-ment director? You need to provide acompensation and benefits package that

will allow you to recruit and retain the quality ofprofessional that you need. Fundraising dependson building strong relationships, and relation-ships take time. It is very costly to your organiza-tion to lose staff after a short time or to hire anindividual without the qualities you need becauseyour compensation is too low.

Call the executive directors of other nonprofitorganizations that are similar in size to yours andhave recently hired a development director. Askthem what they are paying. You can also check the990 Forms of similar organizations on GuideStar's website (www.guidestar.org). Many organi-zations include salary information for their topfive managers, including the development director.

Salary surveys are another useful tool, butshould be used with caution since they may repre-sent average or median values. Nonetheless, theycan provide a sense of what the appropriate rangeis. Both the Association of Fundraising

23

Issues in Hiring

DeterminingSalary

A CAUTION ABOUT COMPENSATION

The IRS has established strict penalties against agencies and individuals whoauthorize excessive nonprofit salaries, benefits, or other forms of compensation.The IRS is particularly concerned about anyone who is in a position to exercisesubstantial influence over his or her own compensation—and that includes devel-opment directors. To protect your organization, you need to establish and docu-ment why the compensation and benefits you pay are “reasonable” within yourmarketplace.


Professionals and The Chronicle of Philanthropy pub-lish annual surveys differentiating salaries by typeof organization and annual operating budget. Youcan find a list of useful salary sources listed atAFP’s Resource Center FAQs at www.afpnet.org.(See Appendix E: Where to Find Nonprofit Salaryand Compensation Information Online.)

There are, of course, organizations paying muchless than the average salary, but they are unlikelyto have recruited an experienced fundraising pro-fessional. It is more likely that individuals withlow salaries are just starting out in fundraising orswitching careers.

Some organizations offer a one-time bonus asa sweetener if they are unable to meet a candi-date's salary requirements.

Consider promoting from within or hiring anindividual who lacks technical fundraising skills.Most fundraising professionals learned their crafton the job and through professional training.Many agencies hire individuals with a backgroundin program, marketing, sales, public relations, oreven political fundraising as development direc-tor. While these individuals have many skills thatare transferable to the job of development director, this does not make them experiencedphilanthropic fundraising professionals. If youare hiring someone new to the profession, his orher success will depend on the following:

■ That s/he has the “right stuff.”

■ That you make a significant investment inprofessional training to help your develop-ment director acquire the necessaryfundraising skills.

■ That you provide your development direc-tor with back-up support in the form of anexperienced coach, mentor, or fundraisingconsultant.

24

Dealing withBudgetaryConstraints



25


■ That you allow more time to achieve theresults you desire than you would if youhad hired an experienced person.

Whatever you do, make sure that you hire forthe right reason—the individual’s ability to do thejob you need to have done. Do not make the mis-take of hiring board members or other volunteerssolely because of their connections or influencewithin your organization or in the community.You need a team player with strong professionalcompetencies and skills. This is a big investment.Take the time to find the right person.

One of the worst things that you can do forthe long-term viability of your organization is tohire a development director whom you cannotreally afford, or, worse yet, expect the new hire toraise the extra funds to meet his or her own salary.Adding any major new expense without themoney to pay for it can endanger your entireorganization. Hiring fundraising staff is no differ-ent.

If you are just building a fundraising pro-gram, expect that it will take some start-up time.Your new development staff member needs tolearn all about your organization, build a funddevelopment infrastructure, develop and gainsupport for a fundraising plan, train leadershipvolunteers, identify and cultivate prospects, andactively solicit contributions.

AFP’s Code of Ethical Principles and Standards ofProfessional Practice prohibits members fromaccepting any part of their compensation as a per-centage of funds raised or in commission. Thisstandard recognizes that fundraising is a long-term process, where funds received in one year areoften the result of many past years of donor culti-vation and where current efforts may not bearresults until many years in the future. Membersmay accept performance-based compensation

Commissions andBonuses


such as bonuses, provided that those bonusesreflect the prevailing practice within the organiza-tion and are not based on a percentage of charita-ble contributions raised.

It is virtually impossible to find all of the skillsthat you need in one person. If you don’t have thefunds to build a larger development department,consider outsourcing those tasks that do notinvolve building personal, long-term relation-ships. Areas frequently contracted include pro-posal writing, capital campaign support, specialevent management, planned giving, direct mail,and telephone solicitation.

If you hire an independent contractor for partof your fundraising program, be sure to:

■ Have a written contract spelling out whatoutcomes the consultant will deliver andwhat you are responsible for providing.

■ Pay the consultant a flat fee or on anhourly or daily basis with all costs and costlimits spelled out. AFP’s code of ethicsprohibits commission-based fundraising.

■ Integrate the work of the consultant withyour overall fundraising plan and yourorganizational priorities and values.

■ Make sure that ownership and confiden-tiality are carefully defined in your contract. All donor lists, solicitation andcommunications materials, reports, andproposals are your property, not your consultant’s.

Should you enter into an employment contract?Most people around the world work without writ-ten employment contracts. The duties and obliga-tions of the employee and employer are subject tomunicipal, state, provincial, or federal laws, and

26


Outsourcing as an Option

EmploymentContracts


27


covered in the policies outlined in the employeehandbook or personnel manual.

If an employment contract is appropriate, itcan be a useful tool for bringing stability to criti-cal staff positions. Employment contracts offeremployers some comfort knowing that their staffwill stay with them through the terms of theagreement. And they help professionals leaving aknown position to minimize the uncertaintiesassociated with taking a new job.

There are no hard and fast rules about whento use an employment contract. The request for acontract may even come from the job candidate.Your organization needs to review the particularcircumstances under which the hiring will occur,as well as your past history of recruiting andretaining qualified employees, to determine if acontract is right for you. For a discussion of thepros and cons of employment contracts see: HughWebster, "Non-Profit Executive EmploymentContracts," Non-Profit Legal & Tax Letter, 1998, pp.1-4, published by Organization Management, Inc.(703-729-7052).

An employment contract lays out what isexpected of the employee and what s/he mayexpect in return. Virtually any aspect of theemployer/employee relationship can be includedin the contract. Some basic provisions for a non-profit organization include the following:

■ Name and address of employee

■ Name and address of hiring organization

■ Date the contract is entered into

■ Duration of contract

■ Probationary period

■ Provisions for extension or renewal of contract

■ Specific duties and responsibilities ofemployee


■ Measurable performance standards

■ Scope of authority

■ Roles, relationships, and reporting lines

■ Ethical standards or code of conduct

■ Compensation, cash bonuses, and reimbursement

■ Employee benefits, including retirementoptions

■ Vacation, personal, and sick days

■ Provisions for disability, incapacity ordeath of employee

■ Method(s) for resolving disputes

■ Procedures and severance package for terminating the employee

■ Notification required if employee wishesto leave voluntarily

■ Merger, dissolution or reorganization ofthe hiring organization

■ Non-disclosure of confidential information

Since a contract is legally binding on bothparties, it behooves your organization to word itvery carefully and to have it reviewed by legalcounsel to ensure that there is nothing ambigu-ous in the wording that could lead to misunder-standings or unnecessary disputes. Employmentattorneys recommend that, in any employmentcontract, the organization reserve the right to ter-minate an employee without cause. According toNonprofit Legal & Tax Letter, 1998, cited above, thisis not to imply that an organization may termi-nate an employment contract “without cost.”

As a prospective employer, you also need to besure that you can live with the terms of the con-tract for the time period specified. It is equally

28



29


important to make sure that you have chosen thebest candidate. Buying someone out of a contractor renegotiating it after the fact can be expensiveand disruptive. (See Appendix F, A Sampling ofOnline Sources of Employment Contracts.)

Whether or not you enter into a contract, youshould confirm the terms of employment you andthe candidate have agreed upon in an offer—orappointment—letter. This is a simpler documentthan an employment contract, but you shouldstill have it reviewed by legal counsel to protectyour organization. Items that you might want toaddress in such a letter are:

■ The job title

■ Starting date

■ Primary duties and responsibilities

■ Scope of authority

■ Roles, relationships, and reporting lines

■ Compensation

■ Health benefits

■ Retirement benefits

■ Travel and other expenses

■ Vacation and sick time

■ Relocation expenses, if any

■ Probationary period

■ Miscellaneous benefits—e.g., professionaldues, professional education

■ Anything else that was negotiated

This letter should be signed by the candidatein accepting the position to show that s/he under-stands and accepts the terms of employment.

Making an Offer


One of the best ways to assure strong per-formance and reliable results is to createclear expectations between you and your

development director. This starts with workingtogether to set mutual expectations and then rou-tinely communicating to provide feedback, evalu-ate performance, and solve problems.

One of the most useful management toolsthat you can have is a job plan. A job plan is awritten document that you and your developmentdirector create together to set performance goalsand to detail how the goals will be accomplished.

The key elements of a job plan are:

■ What Success Looks Like

You and your development director need toagree on what success looks like. Financial andother objectives should be clearly stated, timebound, reflect both short and long-term organiza-tion goals, include important milestones, andindicate how success will be measured.

■ Ongoing Responsibilities

This should outline a brief description of thejob, its major responsibilities, and the elementsthat differentiate this job from other positions.

■ Important Relationships

The development director is just one memberof a fundraising team. This section should detailwhat the development director can expect of theother members of your organization and whatthey expect of the development director. It should

30

The What and Why of a Job Plan

Key Elements


31


also indicate how the development director willinteract with the board and other volunteersinvolved in fundraising.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MATTERS

Fundraising is a profession. Like other professions, fundraising has a corebody of knowledge, professional standards and practices, a code of ethics, andthe opportunity for professional certification. Most of today's fundraising profes-sionals have learned on the job. While still something of a rarity, college courses,certificates, and degree programs in philanthropy and nonprofit management areslowly becoming more widespread across the country.

Expect and require your development director to join a professional associa-tion and to engage in ongoing education. Some of the better-known associationsinclude:

AFP, Association of Fundraising Professionals (www.afpnet.org)

AHP, Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (www.go-ahp.org)

NCPG, National Committee on Planned Giving (www.ncpg.org)

If your organization is a university, college, or private school, you may wishto belong to CASE, Council for Advancement and Support of Education(www.case.org). Please note that CASE memberships are institutional.

These associations offer a wealth of professional opportunities, includingmentoring, training, and peer-to-peer support; they promote the highest levels ofprofessional and ethical standards. Appendix C: "A Sampling of Where to PostJobs Online" lists other professional organizations that may be more relevant toyour organization.

More and more fundraisers are obtaining professional certification. TheCertified Fund Raising Executive is the basic certification recognized by the majorprofessional associations. It signifies that the individual has a basic level ofknowledge, education, and five years of demonstrated accomplishment infundraising. Individuals holding the CFRE need to re-certify every three years.Information about the CFRE can be obtained from CFRE International atwww.cfre.org.

Occasionally, you may also find a fundraiser who holds the ACFRE(Advanced CFRE) credential. This is an advanced fundraising certification fromAFP awarded to individuals with more than 10 years of professional fundraisingexperience who have completed a rigorous professional review.


■ Personal Development Plan

No matter how experienced, your develop-ment director will need training to keep up withchanges in the profession or changes in the lawand to develop the new skills needed to move yourorganization to even higher levels of success.

■ Support Plan

Your development director needs tools andresources to accomplish the job plan. This sectionshould outline the financial, technical, andhuman resources necessary to get the job done.

■ Allocation of Time to Priorities

While the director’s priorities are largely driv-en by the outcomes, it is helpful to estimate thepercentage of time that the development directorwill devote to the different aspects of the job. (SeeAppendix G for a sample job plan.)

32



With a good development director toincrease funding, an organization canextend its mission. To bring such a

development director on board, you’ll need to:

■ Understand fund development and how itcontributes to your nonprofit organiza-tion’s strategic objectives.

■ Establish an organization-wide commit-ment to fund development.

■ Provide your development director withthe necessary human, financial, and tech-nical resources needed to make your organization's fund development programsuccessful.

■ Have the funds needed to pay a develop-ment director before you hire one.

■ Be prepared to form a strong fundraisingpartnership with your development director.

■ Develop a job description that defines yourexpectations for success as well as the tech-nical skills and competencies (“rightstuff”) which your development directorshould possess.

■ Cast a wide recruitment net to find the bestcandidate and to improve your chances forensuring a diverse workforce.

■ Be conscientious and thorough about yourrecruiting and hiring practices, includingcareful interviewing and reference check-ing to assess past performance and ethicalpractice.

33

Summary


■ Check all of your employment practiceswith qualified legal counsel before youbegin recruiting.

■ Develop a job plan to ensure that you andyour candidate understand and agree toexpectations for job success.

■ Consider the appropriateness of an em-ployment contract for your organization.

■ Be prepared to invest in training and men-toring if you select a candidate who lackscritical fundraising skills and experience.

■ Follow AFP guidelines on ethical practicesfor compensation.

The resources that a development director canhelp acquire—critical funding, leadership volun-teers, a focus on program results, and ethical prac-tice—are of great value to nonprofit organizations.Search well and wisely. Good Luck!

34



The foundation of philanthropy is ethicalfundraising, and a key mission of AFP is toadvance and foster the highest ethical stan-

dards through its Code of Ethical Principles andStandards of Professional Practice.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals(AFP) exists to foster the development and growthof fundraising professionals and the profession,to promote high ethical standards in the fund-raising profession and to preserve and enhancephilanthropy and volunteerism.

Members of AFP are motivated by an innerdrive to improve the quality of life through thecauses they serve. They serve the ideal of philan-thropy; are committed to the preservation andenhancement of volunteerism; and hold steward-ship of these concepts as the overriding principleof their professional life. They recognize theirresponsibility to ensure that needed resources arevigorously and ethically sought, and that theintent of the donor is honestly fulfilled. To theseends, AFP members embrace certain values thatthey strive to uphold in performing their respon-sibilities for generating charitable support.

AFP members aspire to:

Practice their profession with integrity, hon-esty, truthfulness and adherence to the absoluteobligation to safeguard the public trust.

Act according to the highest standards andvisions of their organization, profession and con-science.

Appendix A: AFP CODE OF ETHICAL PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS OF

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

35

Code of EthicalPrinciplesAdopted 1964;amended October1999.


Put philanthropic mission above personalgain.

Inspire others through their own sense ofdedication and high purpose.

Improve their professional knowledge andskills, so that their performance will better serveothers.

Demonstrate concern for the interests andwell-being of individuals affected by their actions.

Value the privacy, freedom of choice andinterests of all those affected by their actions.

Foster cultural diversity and pluralistic values,and treat all people with dignity and respect.

Affirm, through personal giving, a commit-ment to philanthropy and its role in society.

Adhere to the spirit as well as the letter of allapplicable laws and regulations.

Advocate within their organizations, adher-ence to all applicable laws and regulations.

Avoid even the appearance of any criminaloffense or professional misconduct.

Bring credit to the fundraising profession bytheir public demeanor.

Encourage colleagues to embrace and practicethese ethical principles and standards of profes-sional practice.

Be aware of the codes of ethics promulgatedby other professional organizations that serve phi-lanthropy.

Furthermore, while striving to act according tothe above values, AFP members agree to abide bythe AFP Standards of Professional Practice, whichare adopted and incorporated into the AFP Codeof Ethical Principles. Violation of the Standardsmay subject the member to disciplinary sanctions,

36

Standards ofEthical Practice



Solicitation andUse of CharitableFunds

37


including expulsion, as provided in the AFPEthics Enforcement Procedures.

Members shall not engage in activities that harmthe members’ organization, clients, or profession.

Members shall not engage in activities thatconflict with their fiduciary, ethical, and legalobligations to their organizations and theirclients.

Members shall effectively disclose all potentialand actual conflicts of interest; such disclosuredoes not preclude or imply ethical impropriety.

Members shall not exploit any relationshipwith a donor, prospect, volunteer, or employee tothe benefit of the members or the members’organizations.

Members shall comply with all applicablelocal, state, provincial, and federal civil and crimi-nal laws.

Members recognize their individual bound-aries of competence and are forthcoming andtruthful about their professional experience andqualifications.

Members shall take care to ensure that all solicita-tion materials are accurate and correctly reflecttheir organization’s mission and use of solicitedfunds.

Members shall take care to ensure thatdonors receive informed, accurate, and ethicaladvice about the value and tax implications ofpotential gifts.

Members shall take care to ensure that contri-butions are used in accordance with donors’intentions.

Members shall take care to ensure properstewardship of charitable contributions, including

ProfessionalObligations


timely reports on the use and management offunds.

Members shall obtain explicit consent by thedonor before altering the conditions of a gift.

Members shall not disclose privileged or confi-dential information to unauthorized parties.

Members shall adhere to the principle that alldonor and prospect information created by, or onbehalf of, an organization is the property of thatorganization and shall not be transferred or uti-lized except on behalf of that organization.

Members shall give donors the opportunity tohave their names removed from lists that are soldto, rented to, or exchanged with other organiza-tions.

Members shall, when stating fundraisingresults, use accurate and consistent accountingmethods that conform to the appropriate guide-lines adopted by the American Institute ofCertified Public Accountants (AICPA)* for thetype of organization involved.

Members shall not accept compensation that isbased on a percentage of charitable contributions;nor shall they accept finder’s fees.

Members may accept performance-based com-pensation, such as bonuses, provided such bonus-es are in accord with prevailing practices withinthe members’ own organizations, and are notbased on a percentage of charitable contributions.

Members shall not pay finder’s fees, commis-sions or percentage compensation based on charitable contributions and shall take care to dis-courage their organizations from making suchpayments.

38

Presentation ofinformation

Compensation


*In countries outside of the United States, comparable authority should be utilized.


Appendix B: SAMPLE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR A DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

AND SAMPLE JOB AD

Job DescriptionExperienced development professionalresponsible for building a successful, com-prehensive fundraising program. This pro-

gram will provide significant support for thisnonprofit organization, whose mission is….Generalist needed.

■ Primary Objectives• Improve annual giving by 10 percent in the

first year, increasing giving to at least $ _____ annually within the next three years.

• Grow individual giving, major gifts, cause-marketing, and grant funding.

• Dramatically increase net revenue fromexisting special events.

• Create development infrastructure needed togenerate new revenue sources includingfundraising software, donor information,communications, staff training, volunteerleadership.

• Develop a planned-giving program.• Assist staff in grant writing.

■ Key Relationships• Reports to the executive director.• Serves on staff leadership team.• Directs participation of key volunteers,

including appropriate board members, infundraising.

■ Demonstrated Competencies• Demonstrated initiative and commitment to

achieving and exceeding results.

39


• People-focused with strong interpersonalskills.

• Excellent communicator, both oral and writ-ten.

• Flexible self-manager and team builder.• Creative problem solver and conceptual

thinker with strong future orientation.• Innovative.• Politically and technologically savvy.• A track record of successful grant writing.

■ Technical Expertise

At least five years of proven experience andknowledge of:

• Annual giving program implementation,including new donor development, renewals,stewardship.

• Major gift programs, including prospectresearch, cultivation, personal solicitation,acknowledgment, and recognition.

• Recruitment, training, and motivation ofleadership volunteers.

40


JOB DESCRIPTION RESOURCE

The Association of Fundraising Professionals offers an extensive resource inits first Tool Kit: Sample Job Descriptions in Fundraising. Among its features:

• More than 100 job descriptions in fundraising, covering 14 positiontitles/categories

• A job analysis questionnaire, to help you identify specific information foryour own organization

• Additional helpful information on how to write your own descriptions andlegal issues surrounding human resource management

Order online: www.afpnet.org, in the AFP Marketplace


41


• Federal, state and private grant research, cul-tivation, program design, and grant writing.

• Fundraising software and information man-agement.

• Donor communications, including directmail, newsletters, collateral, and Internet.

• Contracting and use of consultants.• Budgeting, business plan development, and

performance evaluation.

■ Other• Demonstrated passion for building a better

world.• Bachelor’s degree or comparable experience.• CFRE desirable.• Smoke-free workplace.

SAMPLE NEWSPAPER AD

Wanted: Experienced fundraising professional neededto help end hunger in our town. Direct $_____ fundrais-ing program for community-based hunger relief organiza-tion. Fundraising generalist with demonstrated results—annual and major giving, special events, grants, donorstewardship. Donor and volunteer relationship builder tojoin collegial senior management team in a convention-challenging, smoke-free, diverse workplace. Must be apolitically and technologically savvy, institution-buildinginnovator with a passion for changing the world. Growthopportunities. CFRE preferred. Salary commensurate withexperience. Equal Opportunity Employers. Send letter,resume and expected salary range by [date] to: SydneyLee, Executive Director, End Hunger Now Inc., P.O. Box1111, Anytown, USA.


Prices vary widely, as do the limits on thesize of the ad and format. So look aroundto find the service that meets your needs

the best.

■ Fundraising Institute of Australiawww.fia.org.au

■ Association of Development and AlumniProfessionals in Educationwww.adape.org.au

■ Canadian Association of Gift Planners(English and French)www.cagp-acpdp.org

■ Charity Village (English and French)www.charityvillage.com

■ EcoEmploy.com

Has links to environmental job opportunities,including development jobs, in the United Statesand Canada.

www.ejobs.com

■ Nonprofit Career QuestAn employment resource center for the non-profit sector of Canada.www.nonprofitcareerquest.com

42

Australia

Canada

Appendix C: A SAMPLING OF WHERE TO POST JOBS ONLINE

AFP provides URLs to other Internet sites as a user services.AFP does not necessarily endorse, support, or attest to the accu-racy of information posted on the sites.


43


United Kingdom■ CharityJob.co.uk"The largest UK website for charity jobs."www.charityjob.co.uk/employers.htm

■ Charity Peoplewww.charitypeople.co.uk

■ Access: Networking in the Public Interest

A national resource for employment, intern-ships, and career development for non-profitorganizations. Publisher of a monthly newspaper,Community Jobs.

www.accessjobs.org

■ American Society of Association Executiveshttp://asaenet.jobcontrolcenter.com/post.cfm

■ Asian American/Pacific Islanders inPhilanthropywww.aapip.org/job.html

■ Association for Healthcare Philanthropywww.go-ahp.org/job-center

■ Association of Fundraising Professionalswww.afpnet.org/jobs

■ Association of Lutheran DevelopmentExecutiveswww.alde.org/MiscResources/jobs.html

■ CEO Update

Senior staff and CEO positions in nonprofittrade associations, professional societies, cause-related organizations and foundations.

www.associationjobs.com

■ Changing Our World

Nonprofit organizations can post jobs with-out charge on this site.

www.dotorgjobs.com/rt/dojhome

United States


■ Charity Channelwww.charitychannel.com/careersearch/

■ Chronicle of Philanthropy

A good source of advice on how to use yourown website better, write an effective recruitmentad, and how to conduct a successful on-linerecruitment.campaign.

http://philanthropy.com/jobs

■ Council for the Advancement and Supportof Educationwww.case.org/jobs

■ Council on Foundationswww.cof.org/jobbank/index.htm

■ Center for Environmental Citizenship

Geared toward entry and mid-level environ-mental and social justice jobs suitable for collegestudents and recent grads.

www.envirocitizen.org/enet/jobs

■ EcoEmploy.com

Has links to environmental job opportunities,including development jobs, in the United Statesand Canada.

www.ejobs.com

■ ElfNetworkwww.elfnetwork.com

■ ePhilanthropyFoundation.orghttp://ephilanthropy.org/

■ ExecSearches.com

Executive and senior management positionsin nonprofit and governmental agencies.

www.execsearches.com/exec/

■ Foundation Centerwww.fdncenter.org/pnd/jobs/resources.jhtml

44



45


■ GrassrootsFundraising.orgwww.grassrootsfundraising.org/index.html

■ Healthcare Job Store

A place to post all kinds of positions inhealthcare, including development jobs.

www.healthcarejobstore.com

■ Idealist.org

Idealist "enables organizations—whether theyhave a website or not—to enter and update infor-mation about their mission, services, volunteeropportunities, internships, campaigns, upcomingevents and any resources they have produced,"free of charge.

www.idealist.org/ip/jobSearch?MODULE=JOB

■ Independent Sector

Only member organizations can post to thissite.

www.independentsector.org/members/job_postings.htm

■ Monster Career Center: Nonprofit Careershttp://content.monster.com

■ National Center for Black Philanthropywww.ncfbp.org/jobs.html

■ National Council of NonprofitAssociationswww.ncna.org/jobs.htm

■ National Opportunity NonprofitOrganization Classifieds

Hosted by The Management Centerhttp://tmcenter.org/opnocs/about.html


■ Network for Good

Has links to sites where nonprofit organiza-tions can post positions

www.networkforgood.org

■ Nonprofit Career Network

Includes national and international postings.www.nonprofitcareer.com/resource/resourc.

htm

■ Philanthropy Journalwww.philanthropyjournal.org/info/jobs.asp

■ SocialService.Com

Specializes in positions in social work, socialservices, mental health, counseling, psychologyand nonprofit organizations.

www.socialservice.com

■ The Nonprofit Times www.nptimes.com

■ Women in Development of Greater Bostonwww.widgb.org/jobnet_post.html

46



Questions toProbe forDemonstratedTechnical Skills

The questions below give you an idea of thetypes of interview questions that youmight ask a candidate for development

director. You can pick and choose from amongthis list, or adapt these questions for your ownorganization and interviewing style. Many of thesites where you can post jobs also have tips oninterviewing.

Briefly tell me about your past and current posi-tions and job responsibilities.

What interests you about this position?

Describe your most successful solicitation andwhat role you had in it.

Describe a fundraising project you ran inwhich volunteers played an important role.Explain what they did, and how you recruited,trained, and motivated those volunteers.

Tell us about a donor stewardship programthat you created.

What professional journals would you consid-er essential to have in the office? Why?

What have you done to upgrade your profes-sional skills and knowledge in the last threeyears?

What is your preferred donor managementsystem? Why?

Appendix D: SOME SAMPLE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

47

Ice-breakingQuestions


Describe your greatest accomplishment as afundraising professional and what you did tobring it about.

What outcomes are you responsible for inyour current position? Did you meet thoseoutcomes last year? Why or why not?

What aspects of fundraising do you mostenjoy? Which do you least enjoy?

Describe a situation in which you took a bigrisk and how it turned out.

What will you need to be successful in thisjob?

Describe the last time you used an unortho-dox approach to solve a problem or getresults?

What are your expectations of me (the execu-tive director/CEO in fundraising)? The board?Other staff?

How should I/we evaluate your performance?

Describe the toughest decision you have hadto make professionally and how you handledit.

In previous positions, what kinds of decisionscould you make without consulting yoursupervisor?

Describe your ideal working conditions.

How do you manage multiple tasks?

What will your references say about you?

How would the employees you supervisedescribe you as a manager? (if applicable)

How would you describe your leadershipstyle?

Why do you want to work for this organization?

48

Questions toProbe forCompetencies

Questions aboutthe Candidate’sApproach to Work



Closing Questions

Questions aboutService to theProfession orPhilanthropy

Questions aboutAmbitions andGoals

49


Are you involved in any professional, volunteer, ortrade associations that you consider relevant toyour ability to perform this job?

What role do you play that shows the skillsneeded for this position?

Where do you see yourself five years from now?

What other positions are you considering?

What are your long-range job goals? Short-range?

If the employee has been fired or laid off fromanother job or is unemployed:

What conditions led to your termination?

How did you handle it at the time?

Would you have done anything differently inhindsight?

What questions do you have about this position?

If you were offered the job, when would yoube able to start?

Remember questions specifically relating to age,gender, marital status, race, religion, color,national origin, birthplace, age, or physical ormental disability are illegal. Some of those illegalquestions are:

Fundraising is a demanding job. How will youhandle these responsibilities as a newlywed?

Do you have children? What kind of day carearrangements have you made?

That’s an interesting accent. What country areyou from?

ProhibitedQuestions


We have lots of weekend events. Does yourreligion prevent you from working on theweekend?

Do you have any disabilities?

How old are you?

We have some very conservative donors. Byany chance, are you living with someone youaren’t married to?

This job frequently requires evening and weekendwork. Are you able to fulfill this requirement? (aslong as you ask this of each job applicant)

Do you have the legal right to work in [coun-try]? (to be confirmed later with documents)

Are you able to travel as needed, as requiredby this job? (as long as you ask of each jobapplicant)

Are you able to perform the functions of thisjob? (once you have described them in theinterview)

Are you able to relocate?

50


AllowableQuestions

CAUTION

This is not intended to be legal advice. You should have allof your interview questions checked in advance by an attorneyknowledgeable about the appropriate labor laws.


Many of these organizations publish peri-odic surveys, which can be quite expen-sive to purchase and which go out of

date quickly. Try your local public library to see ifthey have these surveys or if they subscribe to on-line databases that can provide the informationyou seek. Some information is available gratis on-line. Try the following sites.

■ Abbott, Langer & Associates, Inc.

Publisher of Compensation in NonprofitOrganizations. Summary information availablegratis on their website.

www.abbott-langer.com

■ Association for Healthcare Philanthropy

Publisher of Association for HealthcarePhilanthropy 2000 Total Compensation Report. An on-line news release provides a sampling of the datacontained in the report. Click on "AHP in theNews" to access the news release.

www.go-ahp.org

■ American Society of Association Executives

Publishes Association Executive Compensationand Benefits Study, which is compiled every twoyears. To access information about the study andsome summary data, click on "CareerHeadquarters" and then go to the "Look forInformation About" menu and select "Articlesand Resources." Scroll down and click on"Careers in Associations: Salaries."

www.asaenet.org

Appendix E:WHERE TO FIND NONPROFIT SALARY AND COMPENSATION

INFORMATION ONLINE

51


■ Association of Fundraising Professionals

Publishes an annual report, Compensation andBenefits Survey, which covers the U.S. and Canada.An excerpt is available on the AFP website under"Frequently Asked Questions." The AFP ResourceCenter may be able to supply information fromother sources.

www.afpnet.org

■ Career Journal

Site maintained by The Wall Street Journal. Thissite has information specific to nonprofit organi-zations. Click on the tab marked "Salaries andHiring Information," then select "Nonprofit"from the menu of employment sectors. You canaccess other information by using the site searchfeature to call up articles on compensation.

www.careerjournal.com/salaries/index.html

■ Chronicle of Philanthropy

Publishes articles and data from other organi-zations. To access such material, users must besubscribers. The best way to find information onsalaries and compensation is to use the searchfunction.

www.philanthropy.com

■ Council on Foundations

Their 2002 Salary Report Tables are availableonly to members. If you are a member use the"Select a Topic" menu to access the tables.

www.cof.org

■ Guide Star

Publisher of 2001 Guide Star NonprofitCompensation Report. Available in print, CD, orPDF file formats. Many of the 990 Forms avail-able on this site list salaries for key staff, includ-ing the development director. Try doing a search

52



53


for organizations of your type with similar annualbudgets and review the 990s.

www.guidestar.org

■ Idealist.org

Idealist's Career Center contains links to anumber of the sources cited here.

www.idealist.org/career/salarysurvey.html

■ Job Star

The site has links to 300 selected general andprofessional salary surveys on the web. It also hasinformation about print sources.

http://jobstar.org

■ National Committee on Planned Giving

Periodically conducts research on its mem-bers. To access the most recent Gift PlannerProfile, click on "Resource Center," then scrolldown to click on "Gift Planner Profile."

www.ncpg.org

■ The Nonprofit Times

Look under "Special Reports" for the mostrecent Salary Survey.

www.nptimes.com


Prices vary, as does the degree of customiza-tion allowed. Remember that laws varyfrom state to state and country to country

and are constantly being revised, updated oradded to.

■ 'Lectric Law Library (Free)www.lectlaw.com

■ MedLawPlus.comwww.medlawplus.com

■ Professional Employment Contractwww.employeeagreements.com

■ TheContractStore.comwww.thecontractstore.com

■ UrgentBusinessForms.comwww.urgentbusinessforms.com

■ Uslegalforms.comwww.uslegalforms.com

54

Appendix F: A SAMPLING OF ONLINE SOURCES OF EMPLOYMENT

CONTRACTS


As development director, I am accountablefor assuring that our organization has thefinancial resources and stewardship neces-

sary to achieve our strategic, board-approved out-comes and to maintain the highest ethical stan-dards for our organization and my profession.

■ Twelve months from now:

Revenues from annual and major giving willhave grown by __ percent in the first year.

Special events will be producing net revenuesof a minimum ratio of $3 for every $1 spent.

A bequest society will be launched.

The development department infrastructure,including fundraising software, donor informa-tion, communications, staff training, and volun-teer leadership, will be upgraded to supportfuture growth goals.

■ Three years from now:

Revenues from annual and major giving haveincreased by at least $__ million.

Revenues from grants will have significantlyincreased, while at the same time decreasing to 50percent of expanded organization revenues.

Our planned giving program is securing sig-nificant commitments.

New income streams (e.g., cause-marketing,volunteer-led events, etc.) are contributing from 5-10 percent of revenues.

55

What SuccessLooks Like

Appendix G: SAMPLE JOB PLAN: DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR


Volunteers and technology have become criti-cal, cost-effective, and innovative components ofthe development department.

Development infrastructure will be in place tolaunch a major capital campaign.

■ Ongoing responsibilities:

I am responsible for all planning, execution,control, and evaluation of philanthropic revenueprograms for this organization. This includes, butis not limited to:

• Securing operational and program incomethrough annual and major giving, grants,planned giving, special events and othersources of income.

• Hiring, training, and supervising a highquality department staff.

• Assuring the responsible stewardship ofdonors and funds received.

• Recruitment, training, and management ofan enthusiastic and talented corps of funddevelopment volunteers engaged at all levelsin the development effort.

• Managing and improving department tech-nology and communications.

• Assuring sound short- and long-term budg-ets and financial management.

• Recommending necessary board policies forthe success and responsible stewardship ofour philanthropic efforts.

• Assuring communications and integrationthroughout the organization.

• Developing annual and long-range plans tomeet organizational needs.

56



Key Relationships

57


■ Donors:

My primary relationship is with our donors. Itis my responsibility to engage them and buildtheir awareness of the many ways that our organi-zation can help fulfill their dreams, to operateethically and in their best interests, and to ensurethe wise stewardship of donors and their generouscontributions.

■ Executive director:

My success in this position depends on astrong partnership with the executive director todevelop short- and long-term growth and steward-ship strategies for the organization, cultivate andsolicit prospects, report on results, and providetimely and adequate information to the board ofdirectors. The executive director is my supervisor,and I am directly accountable to him or her forthese approved outcomes.

■ Development department staff:

Working with a highly qualified and motivat-ed staff who achieve personal growth, work as ateam, and enjoy their jobs is critical to my person-al success. My role is to empower my staff withthe training, feedback, timely information,resources, and technical knowledge necessary toachieve department results. I will hold staff to thehighest standards while treating them withrespect, fairness, and dignity.

■ Board of directors:

A critical element in fundraising is having anorganization that is worthy and trustworthy ofsupport. This is the primary role of the board ofdirectors, and I will do all that is necessary toassist the board in creating such an organization.I will work collegially with the board to developshort- and long-term plans to meet board-approved objectives and to develop policies toguide our fundraising programs.


■ Leadership volunteers (including boardmembers):

Engaging leadership volunteers in ourfundraising efforts is critical to our fundraisingsuccess. The conditions that make for successfulrelationships with my staff are the same condi-tions that will lead to success with volunteers.

■ Other staff:

Fundraising is most successful when all partsof the organization understand their interrela-tionships. I will work collegially with my programand administrative colleagues to build an inte-grated effort that will fulfill our organizationalobjectives. My colleagues will understand theirrole in and desire to contribute to my success andvice versa.

Over the course of the next year, I will engage inprofessional development to secure the technicalexpertise needed to build a strong planned givingprogram.

I will also gain expertise around local andnational issues and trends relating to our mission.

I will secure my CFRE within two years.

58


PersonalDevelopment Plan

ALLOCATION OF TIME TO PRIORITIES (FIRST YEAR)Donor and prospect cultivation, solicitation and stewardship 45%

Developing outstanding volunteers and staff 20%

Upgrading department management and administrative functions 10%

Board activities (not included elsewhere) 7%

Research, planning and development 10%

Service to management team 8%


There are currently five people in the developmentdepartment for a total personnel cost of$_______. I have full authority within my budgetlimits to retain or reconfigure the department asneeded to meet my annual and long-term results.

My operating budget for the coming year is$____________. Within that budget is funding toupgrade both the hardware and software for adonor management system and to upgrade theprofessional skills of myself and staff.

59

Support Plan



60


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Susan E. Geary, CFRE, has been a member of the Association ofFundraising Professionals since 1986 and received the CFRE credential in 1992.She has served as conference chairperson and first vice president on the board ofAFP Rhode Island. She has conducted numerous workshops and seminars onfundraising for AFP, CASE, and other organizations.

Susan began her fundraising career as assistant director of the BrownUniversity Annual Fund in 1977. A year later she was promoted to associatedirector. In 1989 she assumed the title of director of special projects in theIndividual Giving Office and was named the first principal gifts officer in 1990,a position she held for six years. In 1997 Susan accepted the position of cam-paign director at Bryant College, where she served for three years before leavingto pursue free lance work. She holds a B.A. in English from Brown University, aswell as an M.A. and Ph. D. in American civilization.

Gayle L. Gifford, ACFRE, has been a member of the Association ofFundraising Professionals since 1988, most recently serving as president of theRhode Island chapter. Gayle is president of Cause & Effect Inc.(www.ceffect.com), a consulting firm that provides organization development,fund development, and marketing services to nonprofit and public sector organi-zations seeking to make strategic change for a more just and peaceful world.

Before launching her consulting firm in 1996, Gayle served in senior devel-opment positions at Foster Parents Plan USA (now Childreach), Save The Bay,and City Year RI. She is a co-founder of the Environmental Federation of NewEngland (now Earth Share of New England). Gayle has an M.S. in managementfrom Antioch New England Graduate School, holds the advanced fundraising cre-dential ACFRE, and is a frequent trainer and writer on nonprofit managementand fundraising. She is the author of Meaningful Participation, an activist’sguide to collaborative policy-making and a contributing writer to NonprofitBoards and Governance and Major Gifts Review atwww.CharityChannel.com. Gayle can be reached at [email protected].


I.To be informed of the organization’s mission, of

the way the organization intends touse donated resources, and of its capacity to usedonations effectively for their intended purposes.

II.To be informed of the identity of those serving on

the organization’s governing board,and to expect the board to exercise prudentjudgement in its stewardship responsibilities.

III.To have access to the organization’s most recent financial statements.

IV.To be assured their gifts will be used forthe purposes for which they were given.

V.To receive appropriate

acknowledgement and recognition.

VI.To be assured that information about

their donations is handled with respect and withconfidentiality to the extent provided by law.

VII.To expect that all relationships with

individuals representing organizations of interestto the donor will be professional in nature.

VIII.To be informed whether those seeking

donations are volunteers, employees of theorganization or hired solicitors.

IX.To have the opportunity for their

names to be deleted from mailing lists thatan organization may intend to share.

X.To feel free to ask questions when making

a donation and to receive prompt, truthful andforthright answers.

A Donor Bill of RightsPHILANTHROPY is based on voluntary action for the common good. It is a tra-dition of giving and sharing that is primary to the quality of life. To assure that phi-lanthropy merits the respect and trust of the general public, and that donors andprospective donors can have full confidence in the not-for-profit organizations andcauses they are asked to support, we declare that all donors have these rights:

D E V E L O P E D B YAMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF

FUND RAISING COUNSEL (AAFRC)

ASSOCIATION FOR HEALTHCARE PHILANTHROPY (AHP)

COUNCIL FOR ADVANCEMENT AND

SUPPORT OF EDUCATION (CASE)

ASSOCIATION OF FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS (AFP)

E N D O R S E D B Y(IN FORMATION)

INDEPENDENT SECTOR

NATIONAL CATHOLIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE (NCDC)

NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON PLANNED GIVING (NCPG)

COUNCIL FOR RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (CRD)UNITED WAY OF AMERICA

54398_brncvr.qxd:54398_brncvr.qxd 1/21/09 12:59 AM Page 3

54398_brncvr.qxd:54398_brncvr.qxd 1/21/09 12:59 AM Page 4

Bringing A Development Director on Board - Association … Bringing a Development... · Bringing a...

Documents

Transcript of Bringing A Development Director on Board - Association … Bringing a Development... · Bringing a...