Welcome to NPQ’s fundraising advice column, Ask Rhea! Rhea Wong is a fundraising expert and professional coach, exuberant author of Get That Money, Honey! host of the Nonprofit Lowdown podcast, and an unfailingly encouraging voice in a sometimes-bleak landscape. Rhea wants you to succeed, and she’s here to answer your questions.

I’m here to support you in a job that can feel overwhelming, underappreciated, and just plain confusing.

Write Rhea with your fundraising questions through this NPQ submission form. In the form, select “Fundraising” from the “Question Topic” drop-down menu; and please let us know if you would like to remain anonymous or, rather, if you’d like to see you and your nonprofit highlighted here for our collective learning.

 

Hello NPQ readers,

I’m delighted to introduce myself to you and to announce my new biweekly column, Ask Rhea.

As a former executive director turned fundraising consultant over the last 20 years, I’ve come across the good, the bad, and the ugly, and I’m here to spill the tea.

What qualifies me to answer your questions? I’ve been in nonprofits for my whole career, 12.5 as an executive director in New York City. I’ve personally raised millions of dollars in private philanthropy and coached hundreds of others to do the same. I’ve written a book about fundraising, have interviewed hundreds of experts on my podcast about fundraising and given keynote speeches about it.

My big takeaway? The old ways don’t work anymore and if we’re not equipping people with new tools and strategies, they’re on the fast-track to burnout.

We know that fundraising can be frustrating, exciting, unpredictable and—ultimately—necessary.

I’m here to help you—whether you’re a seasoned pro or an emerging fundraiser just starting out. It is people that keep this sector running and I’m here to support you in a job that can feel overwhelming, underappreciated, and just plain confusing.

Have a question about fundraising? Just ask!

 

Dear Rhea,

I’m a middle-manager at a nonprofit with about 30 employees. I supervise five people, all in frontline positions where they mainly work with clients. In my role as a program manager, I’m very involved in writing grant applications. I’m wondering what you think about the right amount of involvement for frontline staff in this kind of work. On the one hand, I want to give them the chance to be involved. It’s potentially an educational experience and could help them if they want to be in a management or development position in the future. Plus, they’re the ones who will be responsible for getting the work done if the grant is approved, so it seems right to give them input on what we’re signing up for.

On the other hand, I don’t want to take too much of my people’s time with this work that feels fundamentally like the responsibility of managers. On some level, I feel like my number one job as a middle manager is to protect my supervisees from this work, which is often tedious. Furthermore, I don’t want frontline staff to think they’re getting to decide the deliverables they’ll be on the hook for and then feel betrayed when the final application ends up significantly different than they’d prefer.

In your experience, what’s the ideal balance?

Sincerely,

Owen

Dear Owen, 

Thanks for the thoughtful question! This is an issue that a lot of nonprofit leaders face, so I appreciate you bringing it up.

First, I want to make something clear to everyone: Everyone’s job is fundraising.

While not everyone will be involved in the direct work of grant writing or donor meetings, we all have a role in creating a culture that supports our financial health. I know some people might bristle at that idea. Some people in the nonprofit sector think of money as evil or dirty and believe that they can “do the work” without worrying about money. Here’s the truth: no money, no mission. Sorry to burst your bubble, but running a nonprofit IS running a business and all businesses have revenue and expenses. Without that, you just have an expensive hobby.

With that in mind, it’s actually a disservice to program staff to “protect” them entirely from fundraising—understanding how the financial pieces fit together can make their work more impactful and connected to the big picture, and the idea that everyone is responsible for revenue. Some people, like the fundraisers, are more directly involved. Others, like program folks, have to deliver great programs with great outcomes so that the work continues to get funded. Bottom line: We’re all responsible for the bottom line in one way or another. 

When it comes to the “ideal,” balance, I think the key is in how you frame the conversation and set the right expectations. If frontline staff want to be involved, great! That can be as simple as dedicating a team meeting to review a grant draft together, giving staff an overview of the funding proposal, or circulating the draft for input on specific sections. Involving them doesn’t have to mean hours of their time. It’s also essential to be transparent about decision-making—letting them know up front that their feedback is valuable but may not all make it into the final draft.

Some people in the nonprofit sector think of money as evil or dirty.

Staff, and everyone, should understand that there is a decision-maker and who that person is. One tool I often recommend is the framework found in “Who Has the D?” It helps clarify decision-making roles and boundaries, which can be particularly useful here. For example, you could explain that their role is to provide insights and feedback on the grant’s goals and deliverables while management will finalize the specifics.

To recap: Everyone plays a part in fundraising, so involving your team in the right-sized way based on their role and interests is the way to go—and shielding your staff from the existence of these processes isn’t. This approach respects their time and recognizes their contributions while empowering them to understand and engage with the fundraising process.

Happy fundraising!

Rhea

Everyone plays a part in fundraising.

Dear Rhea,

I run a small nonprofit with a budget of around $100,000. We recently employed a fundraising advisor to help us with a fundraising campaign to make the organization more sustainable. What’s the best way to work with this advisor? What kinds of things should we be looking for to know we’re on the right track?

Sincerely,

DD

Dear DD,

Congratulations! That’s a big first step. Before you can properly manage your campaign consultant, it’s necessary for you to define what you mean by “sustainable.” This word is thrown around a lot in our world—but often without much by way of definition.

Just one campaign is not going to add to the long-term sustainability of an organization.

For example, when you say sustainable, do you mean building the bones of a campaign that can be run year over year? Do you mean an infusion of cash for your annual operating budget? Are you raising a capital fund for endowment? Are you using this campaign as a donor acquisition play?

Also, being clear about metrics will depend entirely on what you’ve hired them to do and their skills set. Are they strategists or doing frontline solicitation? The job they’ve been given to do will dictate the performance metrics.

I know that sounds SO obvious, but you’d be surprised how often everything and the kitchen sink have been thrown into the mix. (“Duties as assigned,” anyone? So #nonprofit.)

In my experience, just one campaign is not going to add to the long-term sustainability of an organization. Fundraising is a long game and quality relationships with donors are built over time.

Alright, let’s dive deeper into these metrics and why they matter!

  1. Overall dollars raised: This one’s a no-brainer. It’s the ultimate measure of your fundraising success. But don’t get too caught up in the big number. Make sure you’re also tracking…
  2. Number of prospects: This is the top of your fundraising funnel. The more people you have in your prospect pool, the more chances you have to convert them into donors. Keep an eye on where these prospects are coming from (email list, social media, referrals) to double down on what’s working.
  3. Engagement rate: High engagement shows that donors and potential supporters are connecting with your message. Track actions such as email opens, click-throughs, social media interactions, event attendance, or responses to direct mail.
  4. Number of new donors: This is where the rubber meets the road. How many prospects are actually converting into donors? Track this metric over time to see if your cultivation efforts are paying off.
  5. Number of upgraded donors: Don’t forget about your existing donors! Moving them up the giving ladder is just as important as bringing in new people. Keep tabs on how many donors are increasing their support year over year.
  6. Donor retention rate: It costs more to acquire a new donor than to keep an existing one. That’s why donor retention is so crucial. What percentage of your donors are sticking with you? If you’re seeing high turnover, it’s time to up your stewardship game.
  7. Cost to acquire a new donor: Speaking of acquisition costs, make sure you’re tracking how much you’re spending to bring in each new donor. This will help you optimize your budget and make sure you’re getting a good return on investment.
  8. Documented standard operating procedures: Fundraising is part art, part science. Having clear, documented processes will help you stay organized, efficient, and consistent. Plus, it makes it easier to onboard new team members and scale your efforts over time.
  9. Regular check-in meetings and ability to track performance metrics and timeline: Fundraising is a team sport—make sure you’re regularly touching base with your advisor and your internal team to review progress, troubleshoot challenges, and celebrate wins. Having a clear timeline and tracking your metrics will help you stay accountable and on track.

The more people you have in your prospect pool, the more chances you have to convert them into donors.

Whew, that was a lot of metrics talk! But don’t let it overwhelm you. Start with tracking a few key metrics and build from there. And remember, metrics are just one piece of the puzzle. Don’t forget to listen to your gut, build genuine relationships, and stay true to your mission.

You’ve got this! 💪

Cheering you on,

Rhea