Although this book is meant to be read by anyone in the organization who is curious about how fundraising could be done more effectively, we realize it will be most closely read by the people for whom fundraising is their job. If that is you, we know that every so often you will be thinking, “Where will I get the time to do that?” or “Seriously??!!” or “Try getting the executive director to agree to that!” This section anticipates the three biggest issues development directors deal with, some on an almost daily basis (working with the executive director), some less often (anxiety), and one that we hope rarely arises (ethical dilemmas).
For upwards of 30 years, study after study has shown that the average tenure in a fundraising job is less than two years. Although some development directors are promoted to executive director, some move to another position in the organization, and others leave to be consultants, many leave one development job for another, hoping for a different result. Sadly, some very talented people leave the profession altogether. The cost of replacing a development staff person—including searching for, interviewing, selecting, and then training a new employee—is anywhere from 10–70% of that person's salary. The cost skyrockets if you use an executive search firm. Organizations should do whatever they can to make the job attractive and sustainable.
There are many theories about why there is such high turnover in development, including inadequate salaries, the development staff not having enough involvement in program work, and too much pressure on the job. These are internal problems, and they can be corrected by the organization. Eternal factors are harder. The devolution of government funding has created impossible demands on fundraisers to find individual, foundation, and corporate donors to replace government dollars in organizations that should be funded by government. The rising costs of running a nonprofit and the increasingly complicated nature of the work have created a shortage of people with the range of experience that would be ideal for these jobs.
Power dynamics of gender and age, along with the structures of white supremacy, are exacerbated by money, which, like a raging wildfire, seems to create its own weather system. These forces, coupled with the class dynamics of ever‐rising wealth for some and the lack of it for others—demonstrated in the huge income inequality that exists in the United States—mean that the backdrop of any fundraising job requires a lot of focus on everyone's part to own, examine, and begin the process of dismantling structures of oppression in the organization.
But the main problem behind the short tenure of development directors is that development is a job of great responsibility and little authority, and related to that, there is a near‐universal lack of understanding about exactly what the job of a development director is.
This section seeks to address and help you proactively prevent this internal dynamic. Many grassroots organizations have hired enthusiastic but inexperienced first‐time development directors without a clear idea of what the job involves on the part of the organization and the new staff person. High expectations followed by huge disappointment either generate some badly needed clarification, possibly saving the person and the position, or in less functional organizations (unfortunately, the majority), result in the person leaving. The section also looks at two other crucial aspects of the development director's role that may affect their success in the job: working with the executive director and working with volunteers. Finally, the section looks at what a development director must do when faced with ethical dilemmas.