During my conversations with sector leaders over recent weeks, one theme that keeps coming up is staff wellbeing. The last few years have been bruising and it’s not over yet. Fundraisers are on the front line and although they may be resilient, they are not solely target-driven, money-making machines. Whether the organisations they work for are income-generating behemoths or small outfits with only a couple of fundraisers, all charities have a duty of care to their staff.
There is a lot said about fundraisers needing a tough skin to do the job; able to handle rejection on a daily basis. But the danger is that qualities such as these are championed to the extent that staff fear showing weakness. It is essential in any working environment to create an atmosphere of trust, so that people can voice their concerns and how they are feeling. In a sector where burnout is a very real problem and staff retention rates are pitifully low and falling, team leaders need to take responsibility for their staff’s wellbeing. This will not only benefit their employees as individuals but also the whole organisation. As one sector leader recently told me, “at the very least you have to give people space so that they can vent”.
Involvement from senior managers and the board of trustees is key to putting supportive mechanisms in place, and the only way they will appreciate the challenges faced by fundraisers is if they actually understand what they do. The more they see the work fundraisers do – the more events they attend or participate in – the greater their understanding will be. If you are team leader, try to get your trustees involved in fundraising, or even better, become a trustee yourself so you can influence from the top down at another organisation.
@stevejcotterill is the editor of Fundraising Magazine
Related articles
