Why Good Development Staff Leave So Often
You're the Executive Director of a small nonprofit, and your Development Director just quit. Again. You've heard the average tenure of a Development Director is only 16 months...but it's devastatingly disruptive to lose another member of your senior leadership after less than two years. Sound familiar?
We all throw around the stats around development staff attrition, but it's rare that we talk about why.
There are tons of surveys and research about the high attrition rate for nonprofit development directors and it ultimately comes down to unrealistic expectations, a lack of investment in fundraising tools, systems, and people, and poor leadership.
It’s far too common for nonprofit leaders to lose their development staff because they don’t know how to retain them. But keeping them maybe be more accessible than it seems…as a nonprofit leader, you can retain your staff and help them thrive. But to do so, you have to be willing to understand - and address - the root causes of attrition.
So how can we retain our development staff?
Understanding the high attrition rate for nonprofit development directors
What is it that leads to the staggeringly high attrition so common in the fundraising world? Research, studies, and many, many coffee dates and water-cooler anecdotes reveal some common themes: fundraisers are overworked and underpaid (aren’t we all, you think!) They also deal with grueling work schedules: constant pressure to meet unrealistic goals they weren’t part of setting; relentless deadlines; pressure from the board and funders…all in a field that has little room for mistakes.
Because of the high turnover, many nonprofits are hesitant to invest in training and professional development for their fundraising team. But, this just makes the problem worse! New employees and tenured fundraisers alike don’t feel supported, embedded in their team, or set up for success. Why would you want to work somewhere that wouldn’t invest in your growth?
Unrealistic goals
Think about the last time you created your budget. Did you work closely with your development team to project revenue based on your giving history...or did you and your board set aspirational l numbers without talking to your fundraising team? One of the most common complaints among development staff is that they are constantly being asked to do more with less. With ever-tightening budgets, it's not uncommon for nonprofits to put unreasonable pressure on their fundraising staff to bring in more money with fewer resources. This can lead to a feeling of constant failure, as well as a sense of being undervalued by the organization.
The lack of training and development opportunities
The first day of my job as a Development Department of one for a private school I was shown my office, logged into my computer, and patted on the back. My job was to create - and execute - a fundraising plan and raise $250,000. With no support. And I know my experience is not an anomaly!
When was the last time your organization offered training for your development staff? If you're like most nonprofits, the answer is probably "never" or "not in the last year." Organizations often view fundraising staff as a "necessary evil" - someone who needs to be around to bring in the money, but who doesn't need much (if any) investment. But investing in your fundraising staff will make them more valued and lead to better results - A study by the Association of Fundraising Professionals found that organizations that provide regular training for their development staff raise FOUR times as much money as those who don't. Not investing in your staff is literally costing you money - and a lot of it.
Read More: Stop Asking Grant Writers to Work on Commission (Ask These 4 Questions Instead)
The feeling of isolation from the rest of the team
Your development staff is often the only ones in the organization who are solely focused on fundraising. And, because of that, they can feel isolated from the rest of the team. That idea that they're a "necessary evil" who work in a silo to raise money can permeate the culture of your whole organization; and, as a result, your development staff can feel left out and devalued.
The constant stress of the job
The day-to-day work of a development director is stressful. They're expected to manage a team, cultivate relationships, write grants, plan events, and much more - often with very little support. And, because the stakes are so high (after all, their job is to raise money for the organization!), they can feel like they 're constantly under a microscope. This can lead to burnout, and eventually, attrition.
Read More: The Nonprofit Band-Aid Syndrome
Stopping the Revolving Door of Development Directors
So what can you do to retain your development staff and help them thrive?
Foster a Culture of Balance
The nonprofit sector loves to martyr itself with long hours and crap pay, and development departments often have grueling, deadline-driven schedules. But that doesn't mean that you can't foster a culture of balance in your organization. Encourage your staff to take their PTO, offer flexible work schedules, and make sure they have the support they need to do their jobs well. This should go without saying, but in small, scrappy nonprofits it's too easy for development teams to work themselves to burnout.
Invest in Training and Development
As we mentioned before, investing in training and development for your fundraising staff will pay off in spades. Not only will it make them more valued members of your team, but it will also lead to more revenue. Make sure these opportunities happen on the clock and that you're not expecting busy professionals to take their professional development into their own hands after hours.
Co-Create Revenue Goals
Your development staff should have a seat at the table when it comes to setting revenue goals. This will help ensure that the goals are realistic and achievable, and that your staff feels ownership over them.
Implement Best Practices
There are best practices for everything - from cultivating relationships to writing grants to managing a team. And, while you may not have the time or bandwidth to implement all of them, making even a few small changes can have a big impact.
Show them that you value their contribution to the organization
This one may seem obvious, but it's often overlooked. One of the best ways to show your development staff that you value their contribution is simply to say "thank you." Make sure they know when they've done a great job, and let them know that you appreciate all their hard work.
Notice a theme? Many of the ways to retain talent are $Free.99. Achievable. Even simple. But they take a fundamental shift in how we think about our fundraising staff. In a sector that treats development talent as disposable, this may take sitting in discomfort. But is there any other way?