How much did you raise?

A column for nonprofit professionals and hiring managers Is fundraising a team sport or a solo effort? We call it a team sport when we want to engage volunteers and stakeholders in the important work of securing funds for our nonprofits. But when it comes to claiming success, we say “I did it.” The amount of funds raised is used as a “quick-and-easy” way to determine who is a successful fundraiser. Managers and executives use it when evaluating the work of development staff, potential hires, and board members. Those who contract with fundraising counsel ask a variation on the question, “How much have you raised for your clients?” It feels good to say, “I raised $2 million for our local parks,” or “I raised $30,000 for scholarships.” And, people are impressed by these claims, “He must be a really good fundraiser to have raised all that money.” But rarely is this the case. And when one person claims the fundraising success, it can be disempowering to the rest of the team. Yes, we said it, and we always say it: fundraising is a team effort. No one person does it all. A person can have the title of Chief Development...