3 “Must-Dos” New Development Leaders should complete in their first 90 days.

You’ve spent a lot of time searching for your next fundraising leader or you are the next fundraising leader stepping into one of the most important roles in your new organization. Whether you the person-in-charge or new to the fundraising field, here are my three “must dos” in the first 90 days.

#1 Heart - soak in the MISSION! This seems obvious, but new employees get bogged down in the human resource materials and intro meetings without fully understanding the “ins and outs” of the organization.

• Review every aspect of the organization’s website

  • Seriously - read the entire website. This is what your donors see and you should be familiar.

  • Understand who works there.

  • Find printed materials (new and old) and understand how programming works - way before you meet with anyone.

• Google the nonprofit and find news articles that give you even more context (although you probably should have done this when you interviewed).

• Memorize the mission like the back of your hand.

#2 Strategy - Assess current fundraising practices and procedures

• Conduct a thorough assessment of the organization's current fundraising strategies, tactics, and resources. Understanding what has worked well in the past and areas for improvement will inform future fundraising plans and strategies.

  • Learn the organization’s fundraising metrics and how current and past leadership has used this information.

  • Review past fundraising campaigns.

  • Familiarize yourself with the donor database.

#3 Impact - Meet the people who make the mission possible - THE DONORS!

• Cultivate relationships with key internal and external stakeholders critical to fundraising success.

  • The list should include board members, major donors, volunteers, corporate partners, and community leaders. Bring along leadership to make the meetings more impactful.

  • Schedule one-on-one meetings, preferably in person - so you can build that trust.

  • Build trust by listening and have a few ideas in your back pocket to test the waters on potential ideas.