Hire for Passion
“Passion is the genesis of genius.”
Galileo
This wonderful quote was written nearly four centuries ago by Galileo. I couldn’t agree with Galileo more. I believe that for a fundraiser to be successful, they must first have a passions for your nonprofit’s cause. Certainly we should seek professional skills in the personnel we hire and provide them training to be successful in our careers.
When I conduct a fundraising training seminar for a nonprofit client and their board of directors, I inform them that the primary keys to establishing a fundraising office and hiring fundraising staff include:
Systems in place and fundraising documents developed for use by staff.
Hire first for passion when hiring fund development personnel. Certainly they should have skills that are transferable but if they don’t have a passion for your mission, they likely won’t be successful.
Support your fund raising personnel. You cannot expect them to be successful if they are not being helped by your staff and your board of directors.
Someone can bring a plethora of skills to the table. They must have a passion for your cause. Hire for passion, not just for experience.
