Value Over Time

There is a high turnover rate in relationship fundraisers. Statistics tell us, most leave within an average of 18 months. There are a lot of reasons for that…

But for those that stay, there is a remarkable change over time. I posted on this topic in LinkedIn a month or so ago and it got a lot of traction for views, likes, and comments, so I think it’s a hot topic.

A major gift officer I coach has had a phenomenal year. With nearly $6M in campaign commitments and reaching his cash-in giving goal in October, he had a lot to be happy about.Over seven years (yes, seven), his cash-in revenue per donor grew from $2.2k to $19k. His ROI over time has grown from 3.8:1 to 14.8:1. This doesn’t count several six-figure bequest intentions or multi-year pledge commitments.

What made him grin from ear to ear? He looked at a donor plaque in the office from 2018. And in looking at the donors he continues to manage, he noticed many of them had increased their support—and impact—from the $10k-$20k range to $50k+ range.

There have been a lot of successes over the years, including several seven-figure commitments. But that middle range group brought him joy. He knows each of them. What they care about. How carefully they consider their philanthropic giving. And how committed they are to the cause.

I’d say that’s a solid investment of a career.

Now back to those that leave. If you’re a leader reading this, I hope you’ll take this to heart as to the reasons why:

• Lack of good management – this is the biggest issue: leadership does not understand how relationship building in major gifts works and expects that 14:1 ROI within a year, so there is incredible pressure on gift officers to have big results.
• Lack of good donor offers – so many times gift officers tell me that they struggle to get true understanding of the all-in financial aspects of programs so they can have meaningful conversations with donors about how they can make an impact.
• KPIs that track Face-to-Face visits – there is frustration in the lack of recognition that not all donors want in-person meetings; some prefer Zoom, phone, or text but leadership only thinks in-person visits matter.
• Lack of a compensation plan to keep someone over time – this is a huge issue. I’m not talking about bonuses tied to a large donation, but some organizations artificially suppress compensation to keep fundraisers in line with other departments. And worse, year after year after year, only give cost of living raises with nothing related to performance.

Fundraising is hard work. It takes planning, curiosity, connecting internally and externally, and follow through.

If you’re a fundraiser, I hope this MGO’s seven-year growth encourages you. If you’re a manager, I hope you’ll look at the reasons gift officers leave and create a strategic plan to encourage, support, and compensate your team.

Diana S. Frazier 
Sr. Client Experience Leader

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