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What I needed from my development manager when I was CEO of a nonprofit organization

If I didn’t know it before, I sure knew it later. Seventeen years as a university president convinced me that I couldn’t do it all, and would fall flat on my face if I tried.

That is a humble leadership lesson that is universally applicable. But it is especially true in Development.

As they used to say in the Old West, He needed a Director of Development “to ride the river with.” Back then they weren’t just talking about a partner. They talked about a trusted partner who “had your back.”

The CEO/CDO relationship is unlike any other in a nonprofit organization. This fact does not diminish the CEO’s relationship with the CFO or other officers. It just recognizes that CEOs and CDOs, if they are successful fundraisers, spend an inordinate amount of time together and they had better be singing on the same page.

I tried to mentor each of the CDOs I had the privilege to serve with. Basically, I wanted a teammate, not an independent contractor. I needed a mission-driven CDO who was a good communicator and crazy about raising money. But he also needed the CDO to understand a few other things.

I needed my CDO to understand that as a CEO, I was living with great pressure on my time. My calendar could fill up with every imaginable topic except Development without me lifting a finger to make it so. This happened because people wanted to see the CEO, believing that his problem is a priori. This is true for all but the major donors.

Major donors don’t usually call the CEO and ask for time on the calendar so they can give him a six-figure gift. Some good stories attest that this glorious event has occurred, but who can count on it? I always wanted to spend more time in Development, but the competition for my time was a tyranny that always threatened my good intentions.

The CDO must understand this fact of life for CEOs and compete for time on their calendars. CDO, we need you to help us get up and out of the organization. Take us to the market.

I needed my CDO to build a Development Plan that would fund the goals and initiatives in our strategic plan. He had to be involved, of course, but he needed the CDO to lead the charge. Consider some creative solutions and post the first draft. Do not wait for me. Be proactive.

I needed my CDO to qualify potential donors. By all means put people on my calendar. But to put it rudely, introduce me to worthwhile people. When I periodically pushed my CDOs for more appointments on my calendar, they sometimes responded with a flurry of warm bodies. No, put me in touch with the right people, that is, people with the ability to give bigger gifts.

I needed my CDO to avoid perpetually entertaining a prospect and applying. Romance is important in the relationship, but sooner or later you have to apply to our friends. Otherwise, you are not raising funds. You are only spending money on lunches, golf, gifts, airfare, etc. Be an example to the Development staff in your own productivity. Be hospitable and profitable.

I needed the CDO to help me make new contacts. If we weren’t adding new names to our list, we wouldn’t be growing. In reality, we don’t even stay put because current donors die, move, lose their jobs, develop other interests, run out of money, and more. If old friends are the backbone of a nonprofit organization, new friends are its soul.

I needed my CDO to manage the Personal Development Department. CDOs must scrutinize what is expected, provide incentives, hold staff accountable, and monitor staff performances, not just their activity.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I needed the CDO to represent the organization with integrity in a way that would build trust, bolster our reputation, and support my leadership. I got burned once and I learned the hard way. CDOs who speak positively on the inside and negatively on the outside violate the most basic professional ethics. A CDO is supposed to “build”, “advance” the organization, not tear it down or the CEO. CDOs who well represent their nonprofit organization and their CEO are a source of pride for their organization, their profession, and themselves.

I’ve used the word “I” a lot in this article, but my experience as a long-time nonprofit CEO was not unique. Nonprofit CEOs need CDOs to navigate with them.

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