Research: Give fundraisers ownership of tasks & targets to retain them

New research into the issue of fundraiser retention in the UK suggests that charities need to give fundraisers ownership of their tasks and targets if they want to avoid losing them.

It’s about more than just ‘doing good’: Why do fundraisers change jobs, and what will motivate them to stay? from Rogare has been written by British fundraising consultant Hannah Kowszun. It is based on her organizational psychology Master’s degree research exploring fundraisers’ job satisfaction and turnover intention.

Reasons for leaving

With many fundraisers leaving roles after as little as 18 months, the report finds that a key cause is boredom, due to roles being routine and not providing an opportunity to perform a full range of tasks.

Another reason they leave is a lack of ownership or control of their roles, with targets and processes often dictated to them from above.

While their attitudes towards the charities and causes they work for are major reasons why they become fundraisers in the first place, relying on this inherent pro-sociality – their drive to do good – is not enough to keep them in their jobs, the research found.

The research shows that job satisfaction among fundraisers is generally high, but that those who are unhappy in their roles are very unhappy. While this might appear an ‘obvious’ conclusion, Kowszun sought to go beyond that in her Master’s research by exploring the effect of three further questions on turnover intention:

1. Does the pro-social motivation of fundraisers affect their job satisfaction and therefore their intention to leave?
2. Does contact with beneficiaries/service users have an effect on job satisfaction and turnover intention?
3. In what way do the characteristics of a fundraiser’s day-to-day job affect their satisfaction and turnover intention?

The first two of these had no effect on a fundraisers’ intention to change jobs.

Explaining the findings, she says:

“The lack of a link between being pro-socially-minded and deciding to stay in a job is on the face of it surprising: Why would people leave jobs and causes they care about? Pro-sociality is a major reason why people become fundraisers in the first place. However, once in the job, it’s other factors that contribute to their feelings of job satisfaction.”

Key factors impacting decision to stay

By considering fundraisers’ roles using a tool called the Job Characteristics Model, Kowszun concludes there are two key factors that contribute to fundraisers’ intention to stay in their jobs (and the absence of which cause them to want to leave):

• Autonomy – the degree of freedom and independence given to them to perform their roles, which for fundraisers ought to include having a say in setting their targets.
• Skill variety – how much the role requires the use of a number of different skills and talents.

Kowszun concludes:

“While the role of fundraiser is unique in the nonprofit and commercial sectors, fundraisers are nonetheless just like members of every other profession in that they want autonomy over, and ownership of, the work they do, and to exercise a full range of skills in carrying out this work.

“When it comes to tackling the retention crisis in fundraising, this is what we need to consider. Yes, fundraisers will always deserve remuneration commensurate with their level of knowledge, expertise and competence. But give fundraisers more control and invest in their skills, and they are more likely to carry on delivering for their chosen charity, rather than go searching for better.”

Tips for retaining fundraisers

Three processes are recommended that could help retain fundraisers:

1. Dual promotion tracks – under which promotion is decoupled from the requirement to be a manager.
2. Continuing professional development – that is designed to give fundraisers mastery over their craft rather than be merely competent at it.
3. Retention interviews – why wait until someone leaves to ask them about their reasons for going? Conduct informal interviews to find out if staff are happy in their jobs and if not, what can be done about it.

The new report can be downloaded from www.rogare.net/turnover.

Picture by Megan Rexazin Conde on Pixabay