Our profession has a problem – a big one. And, for once, we shouldn’t blame the pandemic, although it certainly hasn’t helped.
We, in the fundraising sector, can’t seem to hang on to employees. In a field that values – arguably above all else – relationships, it is sadly ironic that professional turnover is alarmingly high.
A joint survey from AFP and the Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that more than half of the development professionals surveyed plan to look for another job within two years. More disturbingly, about one-third plan to leave the profession altogether!
The primary reasons for dissatisfaction were work-related stress and a lack of appreciation. The study reported that 84 percent of development professionals felt tremendous pressure to succeed, and roughly half felt under-appreciated.
And this study was conducted in 2019, well before the covid crisis. Our new normal of work has added more disruptions, and my prediction is that the present state of fundraiser retention will be even more fragile in the future.
Nonprofits may suffer the long-term consequences. This constant churn of fundraisers does little to boost confidence among donors or build trust. Fundraisers are often the face of an organization and if they aren’t sticking around long enough to barely be remembered, this is not a great omen for sustained fundraising success.
If there is constant turnover, surely it cannot be fully blamed on a few bad hires. The perpetual rotation of gift officers may signal deeper organizational issues: poor supervision; unrealistic or unclear expectations; a toxic work environment, or perhaps a combination of these.
If you are not concerned about how chronic turnover affects your nonprofit, perhaps you should be. It’s likely indicative of bigger problems that may:
Signal ineffective management. There’s an old trope: people don’t leave bad jobs; they leave bad bosses. It turns out there’s some truth to this. An Inc. article on employee retention reported that workers who rate their supervisor’s performance poorly are four times as likely to be job hunting. Habitual turnover often sends a message – and not a good one – about company practices and culture, rather than on the performance of those leaving.
Erode public trust. When donors are routinely introduced to new gift officers, expect trust issues to surface. Can we blame them if they are reluctant/weary/cautious (you choose the descriptor) to further engage? In any event, it will surely disrupt your nonprofit’s fundraising process by slowing relationship-building and will undermine donor confidence.
Raise concerns about the organization and/or its mission. Pervasive and persistent turnover – affecting not just fundraising staff but the entire organization – is symptomatic of more serious issues. It may call into question leadership capabilities or even the viability of the organization, potentially casting a shadow on its mission and effectiveness. In fundraising, everyone loves a winner. Perpetual changes in leadership or among employees will inevitably erode the perceived worth of the organization. And this will lead to serious fundraising challenges.
Retention and turnover experts now predict voluntary job departures will increase significantly in 2021 as employees resume the job searches they put off pre-pandemic.
But there’s more to this. The past year gave us plenty of time to reflect on what’s really important. The usual drivers – pay and promotion – might take a backseat to other things – flexibility, sense of purpose, or life-balance.
Don’t you think it’s time to get ahead of what could potentially be a mass exodus? If your retention numbers are already concerning, it’s time to reflect deeply on your practices and culture, and then make changes. And even if you have a loyal following among your staff, be prepared for a level of turnover that you hadn’t imagined.
In my next post, I’ll explore changes that could create a longer lasting – and more satisfying – tenure for development professionals. If you have some thoughts on this, I’d love to hear from you!