Charities have reported facing difficulties recruiting and retaining legacy fundraisers in a new report.
The report, published this week by consultancy Legacy Futures, says a lack of quality candidates with relevant skills and a failure by charities to offer attractive salaries are the main factors damaging recruitment.
Over three-quarters of the 52 legacy professional respondents reported a shortage of quality candidates responding to job adverts as their greatest problem when recruiting staff.
Junior and legacy manager roles appeared to be the hardest to fill, which may also be indicative of a problem attracting younger or less experienced candidates into the sector, according to the report.
Three-quarters of respondents also said that finding candidates with the right skill set for the role was a challenge, as candidates often lack the relevant “legacy skills” necessary to perform the advertised role.
Over half of respondents additionally reported that legacy fundraising professionals were leaving their roles due to being dissatisfied by their salaries.
Poor career progression hindering retention
When retaining legacy staff, poor career progression appears to be the most significant problem, the report says.
Over two-thirds of respondents admitted to having been tempted away from their current or previous roles by a position at a different charity.
More than half of respondents reported that they had moved to another organisation because their current charity did not offer career progression and nearly half said their teams are not offered any training or development.
Some charities taking steps to address challenges
A large number of respondents said they were already taking steps to address recruitment and retention challenges.
Almost three-quarters of respondents said they had allowed for more flexibility for their staff, in areas such as working hours or location.
Most respondents said they had hired legacy staff from other areas within their organisation while almost half had recruited from outside the charity sector.
The teaching profession was cited as one such industry to which many charities had turned to fill staffing gaps.
A small number of respondents also reported that working with recruitment agencies had proved successful.
Recommendations for charities
The Legacy Leaders’ Forum, a special interest group facilitated by Legacy Futures, which also included senior legacy fundraisers from major UK charities like Alzheimer’s Society and the British Red Cross, made a series of recommendations for charities struggling with recruiting or retaining legacy staff.
The recommendations included creating a pathway for legacy leaders to become charity leaders and celebrating the personal qualities and skills of those doing legacy work.
They also suggested developing awareness of the transferable skills and qualities that make a great legacy marketer, searching outside of the sector for people with the life skills to make great legacy marketers, and reminding the sector of the critical contribution of legacy income.
‘Report reflects challenges faced by entire fundraising profession’
Reacting to the report, Ceri Edwards, executive director of change at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising said: “This study spotlights staffing issues in legacy fundraising that reflect the challenges faced by the entire fundraising profession around recruitment and retention of skills and experience.
“The strategic recommendations and practical advice from the senior legacy professionals who have collaborated here will have immense value for legacy teams and will help inform the wider sector’s work in this area.”
Lucinda Frostick, director of Remember A Charity, added: “Legacies can be hard to predict, but history shows us charities that invest in legacies and their legacy teams are most likely to see growth in their market share.
“Our people; their knowledge, creativity and passion for the cause are surely our biggest assets, alongside our supporters.
“And as more charities move into the legacy sphere, it becomes even more important that we grow and nurture talent.”
Related articles
