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You don’t need me to tell you that fundraising isn’t always fun. Sadly, many fundraisers are miserable at work. I hope you’re not one of the miserable ones, but I imagine your days aren’t constantly filled with joy either.
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I know fundraising can be a drag, which is why I’ve written several posts over the years about putting the fun back in fundraising. I even wrote a popular keynote speech called, “Happiness, Habits, and Fundraising- Strategies to Survive and Thrive.”
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However, it makes me sad to think about friends and colleagues like yourself struggling day to day. I love fundraising because, when it works, it leads to so much good in the world. Fundraising is often the engine behind many important programs and services that make the world a better place.
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More recently, a post by Vu Le reminded me that fundraising can be joyful, and I should write more about it.
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7 Ways to Cope When Fundraising Isn’t Much Fun
Like in nearly any job, it’s important to acknowledgement that some aspects of fundraising simply aren’t fun. The question is, how do you get through the drudgery and experience the aspects of joy related to fundraising? These 7 ideas can help.
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1. Get out of the office.
While you may have found it a struggle to get out of the office prior to COVID, the last few years have been even more challenging. Make it a habit to meet with at least one donor each week for coffee or a walk. It’s useful work and provides a nice change of scenery.
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2. Empty your inbox.
A full inbox creates stress. The best way I know to empty your inbox is to sort by sender. That way, you can quickly go through and delete huge numbers of emails, at once, from people (and spammers) you don’t need. Anything more than a month old can probably go in the trash too.
There’s no better feeling than heading into the weekend with zero messages hanging over your head.
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3. Stick to a schedule.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may know I sometimes struggle with writing my weekly posts. Yet for over a decade, I’ve written consistently, week after week. And it’s important work. You, my faithful reader, come back week after week for fundraising advice and encouragement, and that makes it all worthwhile.
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4. Take a few risks.
Fundraising can be boring and predictable. You make about the same amount at your gala every year. What can you try to really change the narrative?
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You know the saying: no risk, no reward. Well, push yourself to do something risky that would really move the needle. For example, ask someone to sit on your committee that you expect to say no. You never know until you try, right?
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5. Clear the clutter.
I think of myself as an organized person. However, for years I lived with a messy office. My desk was stacked with piles of paper, unopened mail, industry newsletters, and more. Once I even discovered two checks buried in a stack of paper that hadn’t been cashed in over a year!
So, I hired a professional organizer and after just two (4 hour) sessions, I had a system to manage my paper and a clean office. It wasn’t cheap, but the joy I feel walking into a clean office every day is worth it!
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6. Stop trying so hard.
Do not worry about where the next dollar will come from. Focus on building relationships and having fun getting to know the people in your community.
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Try this: Go on a listening tour of your best prospective donors. Don’t ask for money; ask why they care and what difference they want to make in the world. When you stop trying so hard and stressing about money, the money will come — I promise.
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7. Dance party for one!
Music can be magical and therapeutic. Put on your favorite tunes and turn the volume up (especially if you’re wearing headphones or no one else is around). Stand up and dance around your office. The exercise, even if only for two minutes, will bring a smile to your face and a lift to your mood.
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Even More Coping Strategies
It’s true, fundraising is not always fun. But as noted in the coping strategies above, there are a number of things you can do to make your workdays and weeks better.
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If you’re miserable at work, maybe it’s time to look for a new job. However the grass it always greener. I’ve found that most fundraising jobs have some aspects of joy and some of misery. The question is twofold:
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Can you find more joy than sadness?
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What can you do to improve the quality of your fundraising?
One thing you can definitely do (if you haven’t done so already) is get my free checklist:
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31 Rules for Better Fundraising and a Better You »
This robust checklist includes 31 of my favorite habits to improve yourself and your fundraising. These are small, incremental changes you can make each and every day. Pick a handful to try in the days ahead — it can only help.
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