Have a look at the article below, or to read the original article, click here. In the recent debate at the Institute of Fundraising’s national convention, ‘How do we attract, develop and retain the fundraising leaders of the future?’ fundraisers got some top tips from experts on stepping up to a director of fundraising role.

“Start acting like a fundraising leader. You don’t need the job title. Start to think in terms of the big picture for the organisation. Lift your gaze above day-to-day activities and the next year. Look at the long term.

“Grab every opportunity to look beyond what you’re already responsible for. Look outside and inside the organisation for richer, more diverse experience that you can offer in your current or next role. Inspire colleagues, eg., give presentations.

“Make sure the job is what you really want. Some people are better at actually fundraising than leading a team and are more valuable in that role.”

“As a CEO, I look for people who can connect across the whole organisation, those who can transpose. Directors of fundraising need to do this more than directors of service or finance or any other department.”

“Don’t be defensive or territorial about your work. You need to open it up to the rest of the organisation. Good fundraising directors are the chief storytellers in an organisation.”

“People are always rushing to manage. It sometimes puzzles me. Lots of 20-year-olds talk about aiming to be a manager. Management isn’t something you want to rush into and it’s not the only route to developing.”

“You should be thinking about what skills you need to grow, and also what your organisation should be doing to help you. Work with colleagues in other departments more. Look at getting mentoring or formal training. You want to be seen as someone who can lead the organisation in a crisis.”

“Strategic planning experience is essential, but hard to get. At Unicef, we have a strategic leadership group and we look at how we can get people across the organisation involved in decision making.”

“The long game is important. It’s not just about the money you can bring in this year. You might have to make decisions which mean less money this year, but better outcomes in the long run. It can take a long time to train yourself to do that and to be seen to be thinking like that.” Claire Wood Hill – director of fundraising at The Children’s Trust

“Lots of fundraisers say they’re not good at maths. You need to get better at it if you want to be a fundraising director. You need to be able to hold your own and answer any questions from the board on potentially multi-million pound projects. Skill up and get to know Excel very well.”

“As a director, it’s not about you, it’s about the best people in your team. You need to be able to challenge and motivate them. You should plant seeds of ideas but then enable and empower staff to take the reins.”

“Be careful to not become too divorced from fundraising on the ground. You need to keep your hand in but still maintain a helicopter view.”

To read the original Guardian article by Claudia Cahalane, click here.