There are no emergencies in fundraising…
None.
As fundraisers, we’re surrounded by urgent causes. Racial equity, climate justice, and natural disasters among many others. However, nothing in our day-to-day work constitutes an emergency.
This was my manifesto as a fundraising manager and it remains a core value at Social Resonance.
Short-term demands on development professionals can feel overwhelming, especially as we move into the busy final weeks of the calendar year. It’s important to remember that any perceived emergency—no matter the size—typically derives from a lack of planning, artificially imposed deadlines from funders, or an absence of clear direction from organizational leadership.
Urgent causes are real. Sense of urgency is not.
In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic and a racial reckoning that followed the murder of George Floyd by police, our work collided head-on with overwhelming uncertainty, and the line between our personal and professional lives grew blurry. The pace of work quickened. Everything felt urgent.
In her work to dismantle racism, Tema Okun identifies a “sense of urgency” as a characteristic of white supremacist culture. She argues that “[a sense of urgency] makes it difficult to take time to be inclusive, encourage democratic and/or thoughtful decision-making, to think and act long-term, and/or to consider consequences of whatever action we take.”
It is also a root cause of burnout.
“Unreasonable deadlines and pressure can create a snowball effect -- when employees miss one overly aggressive deadline, they fall behind on the next thing they are scheduled to do.”
A (pre-pandemic) 2018 Gallup survey, named “unreasonable time pressure” as one of the top five causes of employee burnout. It’s something that social sector professionals are especially susceptible to, motivated by purpose-driven work.
Ironically, my colleagues had to frequently remind me that “there are no emergencies in fundraising.” Every time my own proclamation was pitched back to me, it illuminated just how easily we can be wrapped up in a culture that manufactures a sense of urgency.
Whether we send an email to 50,000 people with the wrong salutation or someone in a position of power (i.e. supervisor or funder) imposes an unrealistic deadline, these are not true emergencies.
In some cases, a perceived emergency can be an opportunity to connect with your donors on a more human level. It’s been my personal experience that a “whoops, we messed up...” email can attract more donations than a fundraising email itself. Reminding our constituents that another human lies on the other end of their screen can do more to connect them to your mission than your best split-tested, calls to action.
An appeal to organizational leadership…
Amidst a great reprioritization of the workforce, we’re long past due to empower our teams and ask better questions. Be aware of your staff’s workload, ask what your teams need, listen carefully, and prioritize budgets to address those needs.
Employee burnout is a byproduct of an organization’s culture. Avoid undue urgency. You’ll increase the retention of top fundraising staff and build happier, more efficient teams. As we work to advance our mission, create a more equitable workplace, and build stronger communities, let’s remember… there are no emergencies in fundraising.
The best damn parting gift from the best damn team I’ve ever worked with!
