How to be a Fundraising Superhero
- Michelle Crim, CFRE
- Mar 15, 2021
- 2 min read
Superheroes are the best! Their adventures are exciting and inspirational. Wonder Woman and Superman always save the day.
Dedicated fundraisers who are good at their job are also superheroes. They work tirelessly to raise money for their organizations. They pitch in to help with programs and work alongside volunteers. They are the Type A personalities who seemingly have everything under control and never make a mistake.
So, my first tip on how to be a fundraising superhero may surprise you: Self-Care. Yes, put on your own oxygen mask first. Self-care is really critical, especially now. What are you doing to guard against burnout, especially during the pandemic when work and home life have become blurred?
Here are some superhero suggestions that may help as you try to balance work, childcare, household, and self-care:
Have some “me” time. That can be 15 minutes before everyone wakes up in the morning or after everyone goes to bed at night. Just having a few minutes of quiet time to breathe and stretch will help.
Have a circle of fundraising peers who understand what you do and to be there when you need a sounding board.
Work out a schedule with your boss, especially if you have children attending school virtually who need your attention.
If you have a spouse or partner, share parental and household duties.
As much as possible, have a dedicated work space, an “office,” so that your family will know when you are at work.
A fundraising superhero has a plan and consistently works that plan. They carefully balance all of the work with cultivation, solicitation and most importantly, stewardship activities. The fundraising superhero does not work alone. They work with their boss to make sure communication are clear and expectations are realistic. They connect with other fundraising superheroes and build a network of colleagues who are resources to each other. They support each other, share information and know when it’s time to just listen.
YOU are a fundraising superhero, so show yourself a little grace.
Cheers,
Michelle Crim, CFRE
Dynamic Development Strategies can help. We offer coaching and fundraising services for our nonprofit clients. We specialize in startup and smaller nonprofits because we understand your challenges. Please contact us for more information.
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