One of the tasks that inevitably comes with leadership is funding ideas, programs, or services. Particularly in the non-profit work this can be a time consuming task. Limited resources mean that leaders must find people and opportunities that match the mission of the work they are seeking to advance.
Having worked in fundraising myself, I find that success bringing in the dollars often is not from the hard sell. It's about building relationships. It might take years to do this, but at the point of the ask there should be little doubt that the donor will say yes. To do so requires a people first orientation that seeks common ground, shared values, and partnership.
Leading a team or anyone with fundraising responsibilities requires a particular approach. In the LinkedIn approach Jim Langley captures that approach well. He shows the difference between a fundraising boss, described as a dollars in the door manager vs the preferred, in my opinion, relationship influencer of an advancement leader.
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