If you could provide one piece of constructive advice to help along the career of a brand new fund raiser, what would it be? That question was posed to me by a colleague. I pondered for several moments then said: Learn to communicate. Fund raising is communications, both written and oral. Every day we're required to write proposals, letters, case statements, brochures, newsletters, and development plans. We're also called upon to speak before the board of trustees, make community presentations and talk one-on-one to prospective donors.

To become a better writer you need to take writing courses at your local university, join a writers group, practice creative writing, and study the written documents of other development professionals.

To become a better speaker join Toastmasters or volunteer to be a member of your organization's speakers bureau. The better your ability to communicate the more effective you will be in the world of philanthropy.

I posed this same question to a number of my colleagues who have been in the field of development for at least ten years.

George A. Brakeley, President of Brakeley, John, Price Jones, of Stamford, Connecticut, agreed that communications skills are essential to success in the field of development. "If you can't project yourself, and if you aren't confident with your communications skills, then you face a real handicap in this business. If you spend a day producing a routine page and a half situation report you have a big problem. Written skills, oral skills and the ability to sell people on something they don't necessarily want to do -- like asking other people to give -- are essential."

Most people in the field of development would agree it takes more than polished communications skills to be successful. Other talents and positive attitudes need to be added and refined to produce a development officer who can raise needed philanthropic revenue. If a new development director is going to be successful, he or she should carefully consider the following suggestions that were offered by seasoned professionals: be honest with yourself, choose your first job wisely, ask questions, find a mentor, gain early experience, and learn and practice creativity.

A fund raising career built on honesty is the cornerstone of success. It's imperative that the new development officer have a high level of honesty and integrity. Without it an organization can expect misleading appeals, poor accountability, poor stewardship of gifts, and inefficient utilization of philanthropic income.

George Brakeley felt an individual should first look internally before deciding on a development career. "There are certain character traits that they should be honest with themselves before they even considered getting into the field. First of all, if you like your life predictable, you're in the wrong field. You will be subject to the whims and variegations of so many other things, including volunteers who can tell you to go pack sand any time they want. There will be chiefs who often don't understand what it is you're supposed to do. And a whole lot of people who aren't especially supportive of what you're trying to do because fund raising is seen as less than fun by a whole lot of people. You'll also be working with people who only have the time after normal working hours. You have to be able to keep a lot of balls in the air all the time and be willing to change gears a dozen times a day."

"If you like credit and glory, this is also probably the wrong career. If you do your job well your Chief Executive Officer and volunteers can, and ought, to get the credit. It's very rare that the development officer is singled out as the champion of it all. This can be very frustrating to some people whose ego won't allow them to assume that lesser role. I've seen people who have come into this business with high levels of expectations of recognition, and it doesn't always accrue to them, and that can be a great frustration."

Nelson Cover, Jr., President of The Sheridan Group, Arlington, Virginia, believes a new development director should first decide on what segment of the field holds the most opportunity for growth. "The best place to be employed as a beginning fund raiser is an annual fund raising operation, especially in one that has reached its full maturity. There are two major reasons for that: 1. It's relatively easy. It's a good entry-level job to get because those jobs are available. 2. The annual fund discipline, all those associated with the annual giving programs, are disciplines you will follow throughout the rest of your carrier. The habits you pick up in the annual fund are the best habits you can possible get. Those habits include: self-starting capability, the ability to organize and deliver in a timely fashion, meeting deadlines, and learning to write in an organized and detailed fashion while communicating effectively. The annual giving area really gives the new player all the arts and science of basic fund raising."

Cover went on to say, "A not so great entry-level job would be one in the proposal writing area. Just from the standpoint you don't learn how to manage and organize people and projects. You tend to get stuck in that discipline."

You're anxious to get that first job so you can gain some experience. Unfortunately, many new development people take the first position that comes along, even though it may destine them to failure. It's imperative for your career and future success with the organization that you learn some basic information prior to taking that job. "You need to try to measure the expectations of the organization when you're talking with the CEO or the person that's hiring you," explained G. Douglass Alexander, CFRE, President of Alexander, Hass, Martin & Partners a full-service consulting firm in Atlanta, Georgia. "You need to get them to articulate what goals need to be met and in what time frame. If the CEO just says, I want you to go out and raise $100 million dollars between now and then, that's not very helpful to you. You should also ask the CEO how much time they will commit to you and the fund raising program? You should also ask what access you have to the CEO's calendar? Another important question would be, what kind of access do I have to the board of directors?"

Dr. James Powell, President & Director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History and author of Pathways to Leadership, believes a mentor is a major key to success. "I feel very strongly that the best advice I could give to a person is to find an experienced mentor. Somebody who is a professional development officer who has some experience, some knowledge of that city or community and who knows the funders in that community. A person from whom the fledgling development officer can learn the ropes."

"If you join NSFRE, or talk with people in development around your city, you will learn who the pros are. Most of these people are quite willing to share their background, their experience and what works. Of course they're probably not going to tell you the name of their hottest prospect but they'll tell you how to be successful in this new profession."

Chris Bryant, President of AST/Bryant Consultants in Executive Search of Santa Monica, California, agrees that a mentor can have a positive influence on the new person in the field. "So often people feel like they have to go through the whole process of learning the profession by themselves. The beauty of the fund raising field is that people are so willing to share. It's not like the corporate world where there's proprietary secrets, trade secrets, market shares and espionage. The fund raising field has an overall attitude that "a rising tide lifts all boats." So if I'm doing better, then you're going to do better because it raises the bar for all of us."

"You need to find someone who's been around the track a couple of times. Someone who can help the newcomer avoid the pitfalls that those of us who have gone before invariable fell into. It's not something you do on the first day of a new job, but be aware of those people who are doing good work."

What can you do if you can't acquire a mentor? Phyllis Allen, FAHP President of Phyllis A. Allen & Associates, suggests, "Call five people who are in similar jobs and pick their brains. If you can't shadow somebody who you admire and respect, and you know is an expert in the field, then call five people across the country who are in similar positions and ask them a series of questions. Some suggestions for questions would be: What's the first thing I should do? What can I read that will give me directions? Where do you think I can go to learn the most in the fastest time? What workshops, conferences and meetings should I attend? What organizations should I join? What mistakes should I avoid? What should I do to get along with my board?"

"To find these five people you can call the local chapter of National Society of Fund Raising Executives. If it's a health-care organization you can call the Association of Health-Care Philanthropy. Go to the library and look up the journals and rosters of these organizations. If you're going in as a novice in the theater, for example, there are theater groups you can talk to. Call them and talk to their development director."

Fund development offers the individual who is not yet employed in the field, many opportunities to gain experience. Volunteer positions with charitable special events can provide valuable insights into working with people, budgeting and time management. Serving on not-for-profit boards and volunteering for committee positions will all add credentials to your resume. "I think it's really hard to get an entry level position in this field unless you've done some of this work as an intern or volunteering in college," commented Nelson Cover. "So the more you can credential yourself, even as you're getting a higher education, the more likely you are to get hired."

George Brakeley agrees, "Thirty years ago people backed into fund raising, in many instances after having failed in some other career. Very few people, and especially young people, sought it out as a career. It's now very different. Young people coming out of college have been exposed to the senior class fund, or may have participated in a tel-a-thon for the annual giving office. They suddenly realize that there are people who do this for a living and it's fun."

"We are more and more every day becoming a profession, in the sense that people now have a much greater awareness of the fund raising profession and therefore have a much higher expectation of it."

The development profession offers endless opportunities for creativity. Exciting special events, dynamic proposals, informative newsletters, and persuasive brochures are only a tiny fraction of the activities that require inspiration and imagination. How does a new development person obtain the skills and knowledge to be creative? Do your homework. Attend special events, ask questions of the organizers, collect programs and flyers. Read organizational newsletters and study their brochures and informational documents. Make appointments with the CEO, or members of the community relations staff, pick their brains, share your ideas, ask questions.

"Most people in the non-profit sector are willing to share," commented Dr. Powell. "Very few of us are really directly competing."

"I had a first this year," explained Nelson Cover. "We hired a person who is highly educated, and who decided during her high school and collegiate career, she wanted to be an advancement officer. She wanted to get into this field because she saw it as a good career track. We may be getting to the end of the days where this is an accidental profession. For the first time I'm beginning to see people who are saying this is a pretty interesting career because it has both a public service aspect to it and a discipline that is very professional. They see people they admire in the field and they see institutions that are doing good work and they want to be part of that. We should do anything we can to encourage people to enter this field."

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