Just how similar are fundraising and recruiting? I would say they are very similar. First lets look at recruiting. In coaching, it is widely stated that your best recruiter is your best salesman. The quintessential recruiter is charismatic, persistent, and creative. These qualities are imperative to recruiting because the act of recruiting is a continuous process. When recruiting you must do your due diligence and locate the individual or individuals who best meet you organizations specifications. The most important part of recruiting is building a rapport with the recruit. If you are recruiting a high school athlete, you might build a relationship with some of the athletes friends, but more importantly you have to make a connection with the family. Once you have secured commitment from your prized recruit, you must continue to nurture the relationship in effort to keep the recruit engaged and pleased with their decision.
Fundraising at its core is the similar to recruiting. The primary difference is that you are attempting to secure funding as opposed to an athlete. Fundraising however is going to take greater persistence and more nurturing of the relationship. With fundraising you are attempting to get money from a prospect and more often than not they do not get anything in return except the peace of mind that they have helped with your cause. Ideally with fundraising you cultivate a relationship for a lifetime in order to continue receiving the funding. Where as recruiting, the relationship might be for four to five years maximum and then the recruiter and recruit go in their separate directions. The bottom line is this, a fundraising director is someone that has charisma, is creative, and does not take no for answer. If the people working on your fundraising team have these qualities then you will raise all the money you need and be well on your way to attaining your fundraising goals.
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