DOUGH IS RISING

According to the recent Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Compensation and Benefits Study, the average salary for U.S. charitable fundraisers increased by 7.4 percent – from $71,199 in 2008 to $76,482 in 2009. This growth in salary is a stark difference to the two percent drop in salaries reported in last year's survey.

"The results of the 2009-2010 compensation survey show that in spite of difficult economic conditions, nonprofit leaders understand the critical role fundraisers play in the financial success of their organizations, and are willing to compensate them accordingly," according to Paulette Maehara, president and CEO of AFP.

"Fundraising knowledge and know-how are still in huge demand, especially in a challenging economy when giving is at a premium," she said. "With government budgets at all levels declining, charities must look more than ever to private support from individuals, corporations and foundations. The need for trained and capable fundraisers who can reach out to and inspire diverse groups of donors is greater than ever."

Fundraising remains one of the strongest professions with opportunities for both new and experienced practitioners. The number of postings on AFP's job board has doubled over the past year.

If you change jobs, send your new email to Kathy@publicinterestfundraising.com

LANGUAGE OF TRUST

The other evening I had a “we’re still not communicating” conversation with someone who had acted badly. In a time where trust has gone astray and doubt is the norm, how do we build and keep the trust of the people most important to our organizations and ourselves?

Michael Maslansky takes a line of reasoning in his book The Language of Trust in a World of Skeptics that “for every issue there are multiple, reason­able points of view.” Right now in IL, when the state budget hole is so enormous social service providers aren’t being paid and education is on the chopping block, it is hard to find a reasonable point of view from the No-New-Income-Tax legislators. He points out that, “… when faced with the task of convincing someone of something—that taxes should be raised, that banks should be bailed out—we find it hard to comprehend why everyone doesn’t share our point of view.” Exactly! How best to present our point of view in the face of diametrically opposed opponents?

I have a little brain trust of experts I turn to on questions such as these, my Communications Task Force. We all need one of those. I’m lucky to have Dan, Kathleen, and Nina a click away. If you don’t have such a group at your disposal, check out Maslansky’s book. Go here for excerpts: http://languageoftrust.maslansky.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/LanguageofTrust_BookDigest.pdf

STRATEGIC DECISIONS

Donors make thoughtful contributions. They want to invest in their areas of interest. So our fundraising efforts should be equally thoughtful and deliberate. Right now the most dangerous thing could be the decisions WE make. It is extremely important that we operate strategically.

· Determine where your money comes from.
· Assess which income streams are hardest hit.
· Focus on building a sustainable income base.
· Concentrate on high-yield activities.
· Go for growth where you can achieve this cost-effectively.
· Educate your management team and your board on the need for flexibility to react to change (both positive and negative).