Here's one of the worst pieces of news you can get if you're a fundraiser: The new boss is a writer!
Really, I have nothing against writers. I like most of them. But when the executive director, CEO, or president of a nonprofit is a writer, your fundraising is in danger. You can expect trouble and failure.
Why is that?
It's because being a writer confers no fundraising ability. Writing ability is a great skill to have, but it correlates with being a fundraiser no more than does being left-handed or a great handball player.
But being a writer can bring some serious problems:
As a writer, the boss probably understands the concept of "voice." So he wants to make sure the fundraising captures his voice -- something he has cultivated and developed to a fine point; something he's proud of. But his voice is probably not appropriate for the simple, repetitive, quick-hit needs of fundraising.
Further, the boss-writer is most likely a writer of a different genre than fundraising. Something more lofty and intellectual -- less commercial and popular. Fundraising that uses his genre's conventions will fail miserably.
If your boss is a writer, you may be in a rough place. Your best route to persuading him not to destroy your fundraising: Your excellence is at odds with fundraising excellence.
(This post first appeared on March 5, 2014)
Need help persuading the boss how to do fundraising right? Take my online course, Irresistible Communications for Great Nonprofits. It's a four-part complete masterclass in the surprising things that work in fundraising. Details here.
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