What Frontline Fundraisers Actually Need

What does a frontline fundraiser need to be successful—beyond qualified donors and a compelling offer that aligns with donor passions and interests?

I’ve asked that question of managers and non-profit leaders for years. The answers are always revealing. I’ve heard things like:

“Nothing. That’s all they need. Why would they need anything else?”

“They need better insight into best practices and strategy so they can be more effective.”

“They need stronger analysis to confirm their caseload actually has the right donors.”

“They need someone to walk alongside them regularly to help prioritize work, ensure plans are executed, keep donors moving, refresh portfolios, and hold them accountable. But that’s incredibly time-consuming, and I don’t have the capacity.”

“They need a fair and meaningful evaluation of their performance, but I only really see the revenue numbers.”

“They need real partnership with finance and programs so donor offers are solid and reporting back happens on time.”

“They need more administrative support so they can spend more time with donors.”

Think about what’s being said here. Setting aside the “nothing” response, every one of these points describes what frontline fundraisers actually need to be effective.

The Real Barriers to Providing That Support

Those needs fall into a few clear categories:

• Best-practice and strategy input
• Strong, current analysis
• Accountability, prioritization, and help getting the right work done
• Thoughtful performance evaluation and coaching
• True partnership with finance and programs
• Administrative support

And yes, this is exactly what frontline fundraisers need.

So why don’t most of them get it?

In our experience, the obstacles come down to two things. First, very few non-profit leaders truly understand how labor-intensive this kind of support is. Second, even fewer are willing to allocate a budget to fund it.

The result is predictable. Frontline fundraisers underperform, not because they lack talent or commitment, but because they don’t have the support structure required to succeed.

Why Co-Management Exists (and Why It Works)

This reality is a big part of why I helped start Veritus Group. From the beginning, our goal has been to provide real, practical support to frontline fundraisers in mid-level, major, and planned giving.

Still, co-management often raises questions.

Some leaders don’t believe it’s necessary. Others feel management of frontline fundraisers should remain strictly internal, and that outsourcing any part of it somehow violates a management principle.

What’s interesting is that in the for-profit world, sales management has long been recognized as a critical, specialized role. The non-profit sector, by and large, hasn’t fully embraced that idea.

The truth is this: managing frontline fundraisers is a distinct and necessary role. And the person doing that work should not also be managing a donor portfolio. There simply aren’t enough hours in the day to do both well.

Supporting Fundraisers So They Can Stay in the Work

So why raise this now?

Because we’re seeing more and more frontline fundraisers who are poorly supported and poorly managed. Too many are burning out. Too many are leaving their roles. And too many are leaving philanthropy altogether.

Everyone at Veritus believes deeply in the power of philanthropy to do good in the world. We also believe that the people doing this work deserve an environment where they can thrive, grow, and feel supported while advancing your mission.

A version of this blog post appeared in 2025.