Positive Reinforcement…..

Unless you have been on another planet for the last few months you will be more than aware of the negative stories being told in the media about the charity sector and fundraising in particular. Now, I’m not suggesting the sector didn’t need a wake up call and in some places need a total overhaul, but for most fundraisers who are trying to the do best job they can, they feel under increasing pressure to justify themselves to anyone that will listen regarding the work they do. Fundraising responsibly and professionally with the aim of making a difference in the world is not something the press are keen to focus on.

What is the impact of this?

In the short term it’s demoralising and demotivating to fundraising staff working hard to reach often ambitious income targets in a tough financial climate.

In the long term, I worry that it will put off those individuals considering a career in the sector all together.

A career in the charity sector is hard work but fulfilling. The feeling I used to get when the income from the event I had organised, or the Appeal mailing I had sent out starts to come in is one of the best I’ve ever known. But to counter this with constantly having to justify yourself to a public that views you with suspicion and negativity would certainly have taken its toll.

So what can we do now?

This is a time when every charity needs to show its donors the impact they genuinely make, but also to a time show their staff the difference they are making too. Valuing fundraisers is vital if charities are to continue generating income.

From creative, dynamic job descriptions to appraisal systems, education and training opportunities, we need to do all we can to show those already doing a great job how important and valued they are. At the same time it will help to show those considering a charity career that it is a positive move with the potential for personal development as well making the world a better place - win win.

The Golden Days of Glowing References

Part of my job as a charity fundraising recruiter is to collect references on behalf of my clients. More and more I am receiving factual references (ones that simply state the job title and length of service). It seems that character references (ones that actually give an indication of a candidates ability to perform at work as well as their suitability for a job they have been successful in applying for) are becoming a thing of the past.

Prospective employers will only offer a job subject to references, but when a reference comes back simply stating the facts, what is it actually worth?

There is a real mismatch here. A great deal of emphasis is put on a document that actually contains very little information or gives any insight into a persons suitability for a future role. Now, I am not naive, I do understand that in the past liberties have been taken, we all know those horror stories you hear about references being given simply to remove someone from their current job etc. But, if more and more organisations make the decision to only give factual references should we be looking for an alternative way of endorsing a candidate in their new role?

I would love to have the answer, I don't as yet..

Something tells me you are 'The One'

An article in Third Sector entitled 'Unstructured interviews are a bad way to recruit' by Gill Taylor got me thinking yesterday.  Gill is right, going on your gut instinct alone when recruiting could result in you employing the best blagger rather then the best candidate for the job.   The problem with interviews is that they are an unnatural environment - stressful for the candidate who will probably be very nervous and on best behaviour giving answers that will impress the panel. The panel in amongst scoring the candidates experience will be thinking, is this person a good fit for us?   Will their personality work with our team? That is where gut instinct comes in, can take over and get it wrong!

To give yourself the best chance of hiring the best candidate for the job you need to make sure you have a robust job description that clearly sets out the role responsibilities and has a measurable person specification.  Whether you use an application form or CV and a covering letter, drilling down into what someone has personally achieved is key to determining if they can do the job.  In the case of hiring fundraisers, a CV that shows 'personally responsible for raising millions for x cause' is great, but finding out what part the individual actually played in bringing in the money is crucial as fundraising is often collaborative.  Finally, whether its through face to face, a direct mail pack, a corporate pitch or a trust application fundraisers need to inspire. Inspiration and passion for a cause are not an easy things to measure but a presentation and a well thought out work exercise could help make it more visible.  Put all the above together and you'll certainly make it easier to find 'The One'.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to one and all. For many of us, today is the first day back in the office after the Christmas break and perhaps your career is right where you want it to be, but for others the holidays may have been a time for some career evaluation and 2014 will be the year you make a change.

Before you start filling in those application forms, here are a five to do’s:

1. CV - is it up to date and ready to adapt depending on the job you are applying for?
2. Linkdein - does your profile mirror your CV? Do you have a profile? If not, 2014 is defiantly the year to change that, Linkedin in is an incredibly powerful tool for both recruiters and job hunters.
3. Social Media - its not very difficult to prospective employers to find you, make sure that your timelines and status updates are sending out the right kind of messages.
4. Be strategic - a scattergun approach to job hunting is exhausting, far better to be selective in what you are applying for and tailor each application to suit.  
5. Make friends - if the job is being advertised by a recruitment consultancy or HR department, there is no harm in trying to build a relationship with them - anything that helps to make you stand out from the crowd in going the extra mile is a good thing.

Happy Job Hunting!

On Behalf Of The Planet, Thank You For Being A Fundraiser

For the past three years, I have worked with all sorts of charities all hoping to make the world a better place in some way.  Although the causes they work for may be diverse, one thing they do all have in common is a desire to recruit the very best fundraising talent in order to achieve their organisations objectives.

There is nothing easy about being a Fundraiser, it can feel like a pretty lonely place when you don't win that pitch, or the trust application you've been working on doesn't come off, or the event you were holding didn't draw the numbers due to rain etc.  No time for licking wounds, you have to dust yourself off and get back out there.  In some ways, this this is no different to any other sector where Sales and Marketing Managers make a pitch or Project and Event Managers stage an event. The difference with fundraising is that unlike other sectors, there is no bonus incentive scheme if you hit that target.  The incentive IS hitting the target and bringing in the income that will make a difference to someone's health, or to our planet and the animals that live on it or the arts that inspire us.  That is why you should be proud of being a Fundraiser, or proud of the Fundraisers in your team.

The Fundraisers I work with are self motivated, target driven, passionate, focused, able to multi task, professional, quick to adapt their communication style to suit any number of audiences and have the ability to search and seek out an opportunity where others would fail to see one.

So, on behalf of the planet, all living creatures, museums, art galleries and universities thank you for going to work everyday and doing what you do.

Who, when, where:

Polly Symondson has worked as a fundraising professional for over 10 years both in-house with Macmillan Cancer Support and FARM-Africa, and as a consultant working with a diverse portfolio of not for profit clients.  Polly is now director of Polly Symondson Recruitment – a consultancy that specialises in placing fundraisers.  To register as a candidate or to fill a vacancy please return to our main website.