The hardest job to fill in nonprofits isn’t the Executive Director–it’s the development director. Change my mind on that.
The reason?
We don’t have a tightly defined scope of what we expect a development director to do. Or, rather, the scope is so broad that it’s a little bit of everything which adds up to a lot of nothing.
One helpful way I’ve come to think about fundraisers is either as hunters or farmers. Make no mistake; these are two very different animals.
The Hunter Fundraiser loves the thrill of the chase, and loves hunting the “big game.” They generally tend to work fast, make quick decisions and focus on solutions. They’re the risk-takers, the mavericks, the ones who enjoy their independence.
The Farmer Fundraiser nurtures the leads, is great at stewardship and loves “collaboration.” They’re the ones putting in the process, making sure that the crops are watered and fields are tilled. They’re the planners who make sure that we don’t go hungry.
One is not necessarily better than the other, but you have to know what you need.
I’m naturally oriented as a Hunter so I need a strong Farmer as my partner to make sure that the village doesn’t go hungry or descend into chaos when I’m on the hunt. Conversely, a strong Farmer might need a Hunter partner to bring in fresh meat (are we even doing carbs anymore?)
The problem is when we aren’t clear about whether the person we’re hiring is naturally oriented for the job we need and then it becomes a whole hot mess.
Play to your strengths, and build a team to shore up your weaknesses.
Does this resonate with you, Executive Directors and Development Directors? Are you a natural hunter or a farmer?
