Fundraisers Share Their Most Appreciated Moments
Fundraisers are the experts at sharing your organization’s gratitude with donors. But what makes these pros — from development folks to the Executive Director — feel loved and appreciated at work?
We surveyed fundraisers in 2021 to find out. They revealed a number of insights you can use to create an even more positive workplace for your vital fundraising team.
6 in 10 fundraisers are thanked at least monthly in a way that’s meaningful to them
When fundraisers think about gratitude, they don’t just look to their supervisor or board. Those words of encouragement are certainly welcome and, research suggests, often needed.
But fundraisers say they also get energized by the interactions they have with program officers, clients, donors, event guests, and co-workers.
“The participants or donors I worked with quietly noted they knew my hard work,” said a development team leader.
“Talk about the impact my work has had in the larger community we serve,” said an executive director.
This speaks to the important bridging role that fundraisers play in sustaining programs and helping donors invest in and transform the communities they love.
The 3 most preferred ways to be recognized or appreciated don’t cost a penny
When presented with a list of 9 ways to be thanked, fundraisers most often chose those that did not involve a financial outlay. (That’s not to say they wouldn’t like a well-deserved raise or an extra personal day, too!)
But their top choice was to have their boss and co-workers “have my back with other staff or the board.” This implies that the organization has a strong culture of philanthropy where everyone sees fundraising’s success as their job to support.
The next preference was to be “thanked through a personal note,” followed by a public “recognition of their specific contribution at a meeting or event.”
It’s tempting to chalk this difference up to personality preference. But author Mike Robbins suggests that there’s a difference between appreciation and recognition … and employees need both to be happy.
“I appreciate when my supervisors and coworkers in the department acknowledge something that I have done that was personally hard, stressful, or beyond what was expected of me,” said a development team member.
“I always feel rewarded when I am given new or “stretch” responsibilities,” said a development director. “It shows that they have trust in my skill set.”
If fundraisers organized an appreciation day for their peers, it would definitely involve two things: food and storytelling
It took a pandemic for us to learn how much we enjoy a simple lunch out or happy hour with co-workers. Or a more elaborate evening of tacos and karaoke, as one respondent suggested.
Food is always appreciated, but more than half of respondents mentioned sharing stories as the best way to celebrate:
“A celebration of what we do and how it has impacted, in a positive way, the communities we serve and live in,” said an executive director. “Lots of storytelling and raising of toasts.”
“Stories of the good, the bad, and the ugly. LOL,” said another executive director.
“A celebration of great stories from organizations … inspiring stories that underscore why we do what we do,” said a development team member.
If you have a great story to tell about your fundraiser, add their name and a note to our Fundraiser Wall of Fame. Then check out 25 Ways to Thank a Fundraiser<link> for more ideas on how to show your appreciation for a job well done.
