Major donor fundraising work can be lonely work.
Unless you work for a large charity, odds are you have to manage a major donor portfolio AND are also tasked with other fundraising or administrative tasks.
Here are a few tips to help you improve your major donor productivity while improving your work life.
- There is no need to feel lonely. Your major donors want to meet with you, talk with you about your work and help people in need. Think of them as your friends. Every day you have time in your calendar for coffee or lunch meetings. Ask your major donors to meet with you for these normal, every day activities.
- Reach out to other fundraising and major donor reps from organizations in your area. Meet once a month to talk about the work you are doing. This is a great way to learn from others — and to share in the ups and downs of your work.
- Ask a co-worker to hold you accountable to productivity goals. This can be anyone from your organization that you trust. They don’t have to have any fundraising experience. They just need to understand what you are trying to achieve and be willing to hold you accountable to that work.
- Join a local fundraising association. Attend their classes, webinars, and conferences. There is a community of fundraising professionals out there that love to share ideas. Connect with them!
- Ask your boss for clear productivity goals. This is true for your non-fundraising tasks as well. If you are wearing multiple hats at your organization it is important for you to know what success looks like for each “hat.” The more you know, the more you can grow!
I hope these ideas help you find ways to connect with others and encourage you to give your best effort each day.
