How to be a better fundraiser

Are you getting better all the time? If you aren’t, then you’re effectively getting worse. Our profession is changing quickly. Sit around complacently for a few weeks, and you are left behind — more ignorant than you were before.

Here’s some practical advice from npENGAGE: Five Ways to Become a Better Fundraising Professional.

1. Read one thing related to your job a day (news article, blog post, or white paper)
   
2. Participate in one webinar a month
   
3. Attend one local networking event or conference each quarter
   
4. Attend at least one national conference a year
   
5. Participate in other fundraising events as often as you can
   

To which I would add: Find a mentor. Get close to someone who knows a lot more than you do. Harder to do than the others, but the payoff can be huge.

We are in a great time for being able to find usable information. When I was new to the profession, all we had were books (only a few of them), an occasional conference, and mentors. Take advantage of all that’s there for you.