4 Essential Skills For Today’s Development Director

The task that today’s Development Director faces can be daunting. The world of fundraising has changed so much in recent years, with so many new possibilities and risks, opportunities, and learning curves. It can sometimes feel as though the job has expanded exponentially and never seems to stop growing.

But with a few essential skills and a lot of delegation, any Development Director can shrink the world just a little bit. Here’s how.

Understand The Story

This one should come as no surprise. We often talk about storytelling, its value to your work, and its ability to create deep engagement with your audiences. As a nonprofit, the details of your work are important but it’s the story that carries them into the hearts and minds of your supporters.

When it comes to your organization’s story, the Development Director does not need to create the story or curate it. But she should know it so well that she can tell it on demand as if it is her own personal story.

Successful development comes from connecting with the people you hope will support you. Well-told, expertly crafted stories make those connections happen.

Gather Digital DIY Know-How

No, we don’t necessarily want Development Directors coding their own websites, setting up their own social media campaigns, or selecting the organization’s email newsletter platform. (Unless, of course, these are particular areas of expertise!). But a successful Development Director should stay up to date and know what’s possible. Staying informed is as simple as:

• Taking a class on CodeAcademy, Udemy, or General Assembly
• Subscribing to tech-related newsletters
• Following hashtags and conversations on Twitter
• Starting a knowledge-sharing program inside your own organization, where members of each discipline educate staff on their areas of expertise

By staying aware of the digital landscape and the possibilities it offers, today’s Development Director can make the most of limited communications funds and staff, and spread an organization’s messages far and wide.

Become A Connector

As we’ve mentioned, the Development Director does not need to be an expert in every aspect of an organization’s story, technology, or process. But being able to connect the people who are experts in those areas will go a long way.

Being a connecter starts inside your organization. By elevating your perspective and looking across departments, functions, and divisions, anyone can bring people together. Forgetting the traditional silos and walls that so often exist between technology, marketing, communications, and development will go a long way towards ensuring you can carry out your mission.

Then look outside your organization as well. Yes, the landscape is likely filled with competitors. But remember that by opening lines of communication, there is so much to learn. Connect with experts outside your organization by

• Attending conferences like NTC and SM4NP
• Following social media influencers in the nonprofit digital space
• Going local and meet up with partners in your region

Embrace Transparency

There is very little privacy in the digital world. This is scary indeed, but if you embrace it, it can also be liberating. There are many ways to be transparent without feeling exposed:

• Share regular updates on campaigns
• Provide clear insight into where funds go once raised
• Share profiles of staff so that potential supporters can put faces with names
• Offer glimpses into the details of your work
• Choose specific events or conferences and take audiences behind the scenes
• Set up a blog or other social media account and regularly update it with insight and thoughts about your work or industry.

Of course, there are certain elements of your work and process that you need to keep private for reasons that are important to your business and the people you work for.