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It's You vs. The World. Or Is It?
By Valerie Johnson
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I'm part of a Facebook group with almost 25,000 nonprofit workers from across the world. We call ourselves unicorns (rare and mystical creatures that work too hard for lower than average paychecks and love it). The group is a safe place where we can vent and celebrate successes, along with passing out endless encouragement, support, advice, and glittery unicorn photos. The absolute best thing I have gotten out of being a member of this group is that I am not alone. There are a whole lot of one person development shops, with each of us trying our best to wear more hats than a non-unicorn can safely juggle and somehow keep things afloat.
Being a one person development team is often a thankless job. In my eight years in fundraising, I've had my share of crushing workloads, endless deadlines, and isolation. BUT! It doesn't have to be like this. You can learn balance, you can advocate for yourself, and it does, absolutely, get better.
- Find your tribe. I've almost exclusively worked as a one person fundraising team, but through the years I've gathered an awesome group of other fundraising professionals that I can lean on when I have questions or need support. They're folks that I've met while at AFP events, at other various trainings and networking events, and even the partners of my co-workers who happen to also be fundraisers. Those "networking breakfasts" that you always skip so you can sleep a little longer before the next AFP training? They're awesome. Almost everyone you meet there is a fundraiser, doing the same thing you are day in and day out, and willing to get together for coffee so you can both complain a little about what exasperates you. Boom, network expanded. If you're feeling anxious or shy, come find me at the next one. I'm the short girl who plops down next to folks sitting by themselves and just starts talking.
- Be an expert. For a long time, I felt like I wasn't ready to be a Development Director. I thought I needed more hands on experience, more time actually doing the things I knew I'd have to be knowledgeable about to gain that title. Eventually I realized that I WAS knowledgeable about those things. I was doling out advice left and right to my tribe about things I've never done myself, because I go to trainings and spend time reading blogs and listening to webinars (because who actually watches webinars when they could play solitaire and listen instead?). Do your homework and be the expert on your own field, because you WILL have to advocate for yourself and you WILL need to have the knowledge to take the next step in your career, regardless of whether your current role offers it or not.
- Find your mentors (and mentees!). Mentors are awesome. I was matched with an AFP mentor years ago, and she was one of the first people who forced me to think through my professional goals, how my current job fits into that structure, and what I could pursue in that role that would lead to the next one. My next mentor wasn't a fundraiser, but she was (and still is) the best manager of people I've ever met. I learned so much just by observing how she adapted to the different personalities and learning styles of the people reporting to her. I am now a mentor through AFP; not only does it feel good to share the things I've learned, but I always walk away from our meetings having learned things as well. Mentors help you to achieve specific goals and generally push you to look at your career path, not just your current role and the headaches that come along with it (though they can help with that too!).
- Find your allies. Specifically, your non-fundraising allies at your current org. Sometimes it's not enough to have the knowledge to solve a problem; you'll need allies who can get on your side and help fight your cause. Folks in marketing, communications, programs, HR, admin - anyone who understands what you're doing even a little bit and can provide support when needed. It stinks to have to strategize the best way to get your ED to agree to something you KNOW without a doubt is good and right for your org and the people you serve, but sometimes that's the only way to make it happen.
- Learn to like managing up. I HATE managing up. HATE. Loathe, with a passion. Someday, I envision working for someone who manages me and not the other way around. Sadly, for most folks I know, the reality is that managing up is a fact of life. It's exhausting to have to think three steps ahead to determine how to best present information to incline your ED or DOD to agree with you, but I have to say it does make your job a whole lot easier once you figure it out. Once I finally let go of my righteous indignation (SHE should be reminding ME that my annual review is due, UGH) and learned to embrace managing up, I was able to focus on the positive aspects: you get what you want with less hassle once you learn the ins and outs of your boss, it makes your job easier, and it ultimately helps your org help more people and raise more money.
To sum it all up, self-advocacy is a HUGE part of your job as a fundraiser, especially in a small or one person shop. It's on you to find your tribe, educate yourself, find your mentors and allies, and learn how to manage up. You may not be the only glittery unicorn out there, but you are the only one responsible for advocating for yourself. Always remember, there are a whole lot of us are here to support you along the way.
Valerie Johnson, MBA, is the Director of Development at
Council for Relationships and Co-Chair of AFP-GPC's Program Committee. She's been in fundraising since 2009 and is finally starting to come to terms with the fact that she's going to have to stop calling herself a young professional soon. You can reach her at
[email protected] if you're looking to expand your tribe or want to talk more about how to find the Facebook group for nonprofit unicorns.
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