Having a well-resourced and experienced fundraiser can make a massive difference in the growth of an organization and help ensure the success of its mission.  Fundraising requires a focused person who is dedicated to finding and caring for those who support and partner with their cause.

If your organization is looking to hire a development professional, here is a checklist of what makes a good fundraiser:

Proficient in public speaking

A fundraiser needs not only to be able to write an excellent pitch but also to have good verbal communication skills. Excellent skills in public speaking are essential in persuading prospective donors to support the organization’s work and reporting progress.

Proficiency in public speaking helps captivate donors’ interest and keep them engaged. It is also an effective way to motivate donors to act. Fundraisers are storytellers. People like to hear compelling stories of transformation rather than of problems. Although it is essential for fundraisers to explain the issues your organization is working to address, donors also want to hear success stories about how you are bringing lasting social change.

Competent in finding donors

The ability to approach donors and motivate them to support your mission determines the success of any fundraising effort. The fundraiser first needs to define why the organization needs the funding—whether long-term or short-term—m then research prospective donors and discover what motivates them to give and what their philanthropic priorities are. Fundraisers need to get to know individual donors better by looking at their personal information (hobbies and interests) and contributions to other organizations and institutional funders by checking their annual giving report or through relationship mapping.

Expertise in building strong relationships with donors

Given the stiff competition for philanthropic funding, fundraiser needs to build a strong relationship with the donor and the organization. A good fundraiser can ask influential people to introduce their organization to new prospective donors.

Given that fundraising depends on relationship building, is critical that a professional fundraiser have the highest standards of integrity and fundraising ethics. By putting donors’ interests at the forefront, thus building trust and showing the donor they are not solely interested in asking for their money.
In addition, fundraisers must be well organized and have the time management skills needed to meet with prospects and increase donor satisfaction. The fundraiser can also invite donors to events, volunteer work, and planning meetings to better understand the organization’s progress.

Skillful in integrating technology into donor engagement processes

Over the past 20 years, there has been significant growth in the use of technology in the nonprofit world. Technology has enabled nonprofits to reach more donors in different places, maintaining frequent communication, telling stories more vividly, and reducing administrative costs.

A fundraiser can use videos to tell stories in ways that are easy to share with prospects. To get a good ROI, you need to create a high-quality video. The use of cloud-based donor management software is another way in which technology has impacted donor engagement, and a fundraiser should know how to maintain up-to-date records, interactions, and pledges in the database. The good news is that many fundraisers can access the cloud-based donor management software from one computer, leading to more collaboration across an organization.

Fundraisers can also market their organizations through engaging content through blogging and social media. Consistency in updating content helps attract and maintain followers. Technology has also enabled email campaigns and an increase in digital wallets, including on social media networks, facilitating an easier, quicker way to donate.

A good fundraiser with the qualities above is the key to maintaining a good relationship with your donors—and, in turn, taking the organization to a higher level through the resulting partnerships.

David Hutchinson is the president of Cause Leadership, a firm specializing in executive search for nonprofits. Since 1997, he has successfully placed senior-level candidates with a broad spectrum of organizations in the charitable sector. He also has a great interest in helping charitable organizations diversify, become younger in their leadership, and better represent their own clients.