Fundraisers Share Their Demons In Candid Survey; Forum Addresses The Devilish Issues

PHILADELPHIA, April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A career as a professional fundraiser can be exciting and fulfilling, as well as demanding and stressful. While every fundraiser is pursuing the same objective--to raise money-- each job is unique.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals – Greater Philadelphia Chapter (AFP-GPC) recently conducted a "Demon Exchange Survey" and asked fundraisers to identify the job-related issues that create stress and interfere with their ability to successfully achieve their career objective.  These are the professions' "Demon Issues" that result in sleepless nights, anxiety and occasional distress. The results have been integrated into AFP-GPC's Franklin Forum 2014, a one-day educational and networking event scheduled for May 9, 2014, in Philadelphia. The Forum's comprehensive agenda includes responding to a number of the fiendish issues identified in the survey with workable solutions.

Pinpointing Fundraiser Demons

AFP-GPC issued the survey to its membership base of Delaware Valley professional fundraisers. Seventy-three responded. Seventy percent of respondents had worked in fundraising for more than five years.  Salaries ranged from $50,000 to under $100,000 for almost 50 percent of respondents.  With 56 respondents listing fundraising goals, the goals ranged from between $200,000 to more than $1 million.

Participants were asked to identify specific concerns in four general areas: Beefs about the Board, Donor Dilemmas, Fundraising Fears and Angst for the Unexpected.

The Problem with Donors

Among fundraising professionals, the devil is in the Donor Dilemmas. Within this category, every issue listed resulted in sleeplessness and anxiety for 50 percent of the respondents.

First and foremost on the minds of fundraisers is encouraging donors who have the money to think bigger (94 percent), which was followed by the continuous pursuit of new donors (93 percent). Turning one- time donors into repeat donors was an ever-present issue with 67 percent of respondents. Fundraisers were challenged further by the following concerns: encouraging younger people to donate (86 percent), poor donor response to outreach efforts (83 percent), dealing with big donors that change focus (72 percent), transforming the "I give my time, not my money" mindset, and creating a culture of giving (56 percent).

Board Quandaries

The Board of Directors can be a fundraiser's greatest asset if its members apply their influence to identify and nurture donors. It can, however, be a struggle to appoint members who are interested and enthusiastic about personally playing a role in raising money for the organization. In general, survey respondents were relatively satisfied with their boards. Few respondents took issue with their board's turnover, vision, expectations, influence or the boards' representation of the organization to the public. Problem areas noted by participants included their board's unwillingness to raise money (67 percent), make their own gifts (67 percent), submit to fundraising training (55 percent) and to recognize its lack of competence (55 percent).

Job Fears

Given the wide and diverse range of responsibilities involved in fundraising---writing proposals, handling social media, meeting deadlines and hiring staff---respondents seemed most concerned about issues related to juggling demands on their time and maintaining their creativity. Eighty-nine percent reported varying degrees of concern about their ability to raise larger sums of money while being expected to respond to low value, time-consuming job demands. Furthermore, 81 percent said they felt pressured to identify novel and creative ways to raise funds. Similarly, 75 percent of participants were stressed because they believe they were expected to craft compelling and powerful appeals. On another note, 80 percent reported they were concerned about missing out on the great generational transfer of wealth.

The No Control Zone

Facing the unexpected is a fact of life. Negative agency publicity and worries about the agency not acting on its mission were issues that did not disturb respondents. The economy and its impact on fundraising was a significant concern (88 percent), albeit one that respondents could not alter.

Franklin Forum Focuses on Fundraisers' Fears

The AFP-GPC is committed to recognizing the development challenges fundraisers face today. To better understand these issues, the Association designed a survey that would tap into these issues. The results have allowed AFP-GPC to identify pressing concerns and integrate these concerns into program topics at the May 9, 2014 Franklin Forum.

Creating conditions to sustain successful fundraising depends on multiple factors: some within the control of the fundraiser and organization, others outside their control. Forum topics will delve into the concerns expressed in the survey and include: the role of the Board of Directors, how to craft a compelling annual appeal, strategies for prospecting and securing younger donors, tactics for making an effective ask and much more.

The one day educational and networking event is responsive to the expressed concerns of fundraisers, as well as forward thinking with regard to the full range of fundraising topics. Featured speakers are Marc H. Morial, CEO of the National Urban League, the nation's largest civil rights organization and Laura Fredricks, motivational speaker and bestselling author of The Ask: How to Ask Anyone for Any Amount for Any Purpose and Developing Major Gifts: Turning Small Donors into Big Contributors.

For more information or to make plans to attend Franklin Forum 2014 on May 9, 2014, from 8:30 A.M.-5:00 P.M., at HUB Cira Centre, Philadelphia, PA, go to www.afpgpc.org

CONTACT: Leza Raffel
(215) 884-6499

SOURCE The Association of Fundraising Professionals - Greater Philadelphia Chapter