Five NGO CEOs Who Elevated Their Fundraising

This is the recipe for becoming a great fundraiser. It is explained in my own words, but the content is entirely the result of observing what great fundraisers actually do day in and day out, over 6 years. Are you ready?

The bosses I observed are as follows:

• Daniel Speckhard at Corus International, Baltimore, USA.
• SallyAnn Kelly at Aberlour Children's Charity, Stirling, Scotland.
• Cathy Yelf , of the Macular Society, Andover, UK.
• Scott Chapman of the Royal Flying Doctors Service, Melbourne, Australia.
• Rasmus Kjeldahl in Børns Vilkår, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Prologue

It’s important to note that all five CEOs on whom this article is based came to their leadership positions through careers outside of fundraising. They also said they had assumptions, misconceptions, and even some prejudices about fundraising when they started in their positions.

None of them had imagined the resources, power, independence, or scope of opportunities that fundraising could bring to them and their organization.

Epilogue

All have delivered transformative revenue growth and created, launched and succeeded with new program strategies and projects based on fundraising growth. All have reached more users, clients and donors, and they have all made the world a better place for a large number of people.

So what is the story between the prologue and the epilogue?

There are some consistent points for all five big fundraising CEOs.

Are you sitting comfortably?

1. They researched what other organizations have achieved.

If there was no equivalent in their country, they looked beyond their own borders. They didn’t believe that “it won’t work here.” They looked at markets, statistics, and communications, and they talked to their colleagues in successful fundraising organizations.
They began to believe that transformative growth was possible, and they raised their ambitions as a result.

2. They spent time learning and understanding fundraising.

They explored the difference between fundraising and grantmaking and developed a clear understanding of the different communication needs for both. They delved into the strategy and metrics for investment management and governance. They studied the different leadership styles and behaviors required to bridge the different cultures needed by fundraising and all other departments.
They equipped themselves.

3. They took ownership of kickstarting fundraising.

They understood that the entire organization had to support a fundraising wave, and it was their responsibility to achieve this.
They took command to initiate the change.

4. They achieved broad organizational support.

They spent time and allocated resources to training, immersion, cultural development programs, and co-creation for communication. They dealt with politics and internal and external opponents. They remembered to include the board throughout the process.
They got the right people on the bus – and removed people who were unwilling to change.

5. They made the three most important decisions.

They prioritized:

• Meeting donors' needs
• Optimize investments
• Building powerful communication

They consulted and involved widely, but understood that the ultimate responsibility lay with them.
They did not compromise on the organization's purpose.

6. They gave the fundraisers free rein.

They set ambitious goals and gave fundraisers the resources to achieve them. They removed organizational noise, politics, and bureaucracy so fundraisers could move at the speed they needed. They invested in the professional development of their fundraisers. They allowed for testing and learning. They stopped amateurs from blocking fundraising with personal opinions.
They treated the collectors as respected professionals.

7. They remained involved.

They gave fundraisers freedom to fly, but checked in regularly. Partly to monitor progress, but mainly to use their authority to ensure fundraisers had the resources they needed to deliver on growing goals and to assess whether there were any obstacles that only the CEO could remove.
They led, but did not manage.

8. They used the money to create innovative projects.

They used the increased revenue to deliver more activity directly related to the mission. Some created innovative new projects that only fundraising could fund. Others scaled existing projects in a way they otherwise could not. They reported the results of these projects back to fundraisers and donors.
They inspired for long-term success.

We know of many more CEOs than these five who have delivered great fundraising success. Through and with their teams and boards.

All five bosses I've followed completed all eight stages of the story, plus the prologue and epilogue. This is no coincidence.

This article by Alan Clayton was first published on Revolutionise in March 2021.