Executives, Staff, and Board Members are Ruining the Fundraising Profession: When Fundraising Is Led by People Who Were Never Trained to Do It
Dear nonprofit and fundraising leaders,
Let’s talk about something I’ve been thinking about for a really long time, one of the nonprofit sector’s most uncomfortable truths: A significant amount of fundraising is led by people who were never trained to do it.
And yet, they are responsible for generating the revenue that keeps organizations alive. Executive Directors. Board Chairs. Program leaders. Accidental fundraisers.
They are smart, passionate, and deeply committed to their missions. But passion alone doesn’t translate into fundraising success. And when leaders are expected to oversee, direct, or execute development strategies without proper training, the consequences ripple across the entire organization. Not because they don’t care. But because they were never taught how.
The Accidental Fundraiser Problem
Fundraising is one of the few professions where people are routinely expected to lead without formal education, structured training, or ongoing support.
We would never ask someone to serve as a Chief Financial Officer without financial expertise. We wouldn’t expect a lawyer to practice without legal training. Yet in nonprofits, it’s remarkably common to see fundraising overseen by leaders who are learning on the fly.
Sometimes it happens out of necessity. Sometimes out of urgency. And sometimes out of misunderstanding.
But regardless of the reason, the result is the same: critical decisions about revenue generation are made without the knowledge required to make them effectively. And that has real consequences.
What Happens When Fundraising Lacks Expertise
When fundraising is led by individuals who haven’t been trained in it, organizations often fall into patterns that feel all too familiar:
Unrealistic expectations placed on development staff
Reactive, short-term fundraising strategies
Overreliance on events and grants
Pressure on boards to “give and get” without guidance
Transactional donor relationships
High turnover among fundraising professionals
Chronic revenue instability
These are not signs of disinterest or incompetence. They are symptoms of a systemic gap in leadership training.
Over time, these patterns create frustration, burnout, and mistrust — both internally and across the sector. Fundraisers leave. Organizations struggle. And leadership begins to question whether fundraising “works.” It does. But only when it’s understood.
The Ripple Effect on the Nonprofit Sector
The impact extends beyond individual organizations.
When fundraising is poorly managed, it damages the profession itself. Skilled development professionals are often brought in to fix systemic issues without authority, support, or resources. When results fall short, they are blamed.
This cycle contributes to:
High turnover in development roles
A persistent shortage of experienced fundraisers
Skepticism about the value of professional fundraising
Organizational instability
The sector doesn’t have a talent problem. It has a training problem.
When Corporate Leadership Enters the Boardroom Without Nonprofit Fundraising Experience
There’s another dynamic worth addressing — one that many nonprofit professionals recognize but rarely name aloud.
Authoritarian board members, often recruited from the corporate sector, sometimes enter nonprofit leadership roles believing their business experience automatically translates into expertise in nonprofit governance and fundraising.
And while corporate perspectives can bring valuable insight, they can also create significant challenges when applied without understanding the nuances of philanthropy. This is especially true when these individuals serve as Board Chair.
With the best of intentions, they may attempt to govern fundraising through a corporate lens — prioritizing metrics, control, and revenue models that mirror the private sector. But nonprofit funding operates differently. While there are similarities between the two, they are fundamentally distinct ecosystems.
In the corporate world, revenue is transactional. Customers exchange money for goods or services. Success is driven by market demand, pricing strategies, and profit margins.
In the nonprofit sector, funding is relational. Donors invest in mission, trust, and impact. Success is driven by relationships, credibility, and shared values.
These differences matter.
When corporate frameworks are applied without adaptation, organizations may experience:
Unrealistic expectations for immediate financial returns
Pressure to prioritize short-term revenue over long-term relationships
Overemphasis on efficiency at the expense of trust-building
A misunderstanding of donor motivations and philanthropic timelines
Undermining of development professionals’ expertise
None of this stems from ill intent. In fact, many corporate leaders join nonprofit boards out of a genuine desire to contribute their skills and make a difference.
But expertise in business does not automatically translate to expertise in philanthropy.
Just as nonprofit leaders would not presume to run a Fortune 500 company without preparation, corporate executives must approach nonprofit fundraising with humility, curiosity, and a willingness to learn.
Effective governance requires understanding the unique role of philanthropy within a mission-driven organization.
The most successful corporate board members recognize this distinction. They listen to development professionals, seek education, and adapt their leadership style to support relational fundraising. They bring strategic thinking and accountability while honoring the values and complexities of the nonprofit sector.
And when they do, they become some of the most impactful champions of philanthropy an organization can have. Because strong boards don’t govern fundraising through authority. They empower it through understanding.
Building the Next Generation of Fundraisers
If we’re serious about strengthening the nonprofit sector, we must also be serious about cultivating the next generation of fundraising professionals.
That starts by recognizing a simple truth: Great fundraisers aren’t always found. They’re developed.
Too often, organizations search for experienced development professionals without investing in the talent pipeline needed to sustain the profession. But some of the most effective fundraisers begin their careers outside of development — in marketing, communications, programs, operations, or customer-facing roles. They bring transferable skills that are essential to fundraising: storytelling, relationship-building, data analysis, empathy, and strategic thinking.
All they need is someone to recognize their potential. That was my experience.
Early in my career, I worked in marketing and visitor services at a science center. I wasn’t a trained fundraiser. But the Director of Philanthropy saw something in me — skills and instincts that aligned with the profession. She took a chance, invested in my development, and trained me on the job.
That decision changed the trajectory of my career. From that point forward, I was recruited for every fundraising role I held. And eventually, I built my own company, all because someone recognized that fundraising isn’t just a job, it’s a discipline that can be taught, nurtured, and mastered.
A Strategic Solution to the Sector’s Talent Gap
If more organizations adopted this approach, we could transform the future of the fundraising profession.
Recruiting entry-level professionals with aligned skill sets and training them on the job offers a strategic solution to persistent challenges across the sector. It allows nonprofits to:
Cultivate talent internally rather than competing for a limited pool of experienced fundraisers
Build diverse, inclusive pipelines into leadership roles
Reduce turnover by investing in professional growth and career pathways
Strengthen organizational capacity over the long term
Elevate fundraising as a respected and sustainable profession
This is not merely an operational strategy, it is a leadership imperative. Because when organizations intentionally develop fundraisers, they don’t just fill positions. They build futures. When I was recruited for that first entry-level position, it only took me 18 months to be recruited as a development manager for another organization. In fundraising, 18 months is not a very long time.
This Isn’t About Blame, It’s About Capacity
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a critique of nonprofit leaders. Most Executive Directors and board members step into fundraising responsibilities because they care deeply about their organizations’ survival and impact. They are doing their best with what they’ve been given. The issue isn’t their dedication. It’s the assumption that fundraising is intuitive, something anyone can figure out without guidance.
It isn’t. Fundraising is a profession. It requires strategy, structure, and skill. And like any discipline, it demands training and support.
When leaders are equipped with the right tools and knowledge, everything changes.
The Paradigm Shift: From Guesswork to Strategy
Imagine a sector where:
Executive Directors are trained to lead fundraising with confidence
Boards understand their role beyond “give and get”
Staff see themselves as partners in a culture of philanthropy
Development professionals are supported and empowered
Fundraising is proactive, strategic, and sustainable
This is what happens when organizations invest in fundraising competency at every level.
Not guesswork. Not trial and error. But intentional, informed leadership. Because when fundraising is led by trained professionals — and supported by knowledgeable leaders — organizations don’t just survive. They thrive.
A Call to Action for the Sector
If we want to strengthen the nonprofit sector, we must treat fundraising as the essential discipline it is.
That means:
Investing in professional development for nonprofit leaders
Equipping boards with the tools to engage confidently
Empowering development teams with authority and support
Building thriving cultures of philanthropy across organizations
Creating clear pathways for emerging fundraising professionals
Fundraising should never be an afterthought. It is the engine that fuels mission-driven work. And it deserves to be led by people who know how to do it well.
When fundraising is led by people who were never trained to do it, organizations struggle — not because of a lack of passion, but because of a lack of preparation. But when we invest in training, clarity, and shared understanding, we don’t just raise more money. We raise the standard.
And that’s how we build a nonprofit sector that is stronger, more sustainable, and better equipped to serve our communities. Because every great fundraiser starts somewhere.
I know. I was one of them.
Sincerely,
Queers
Queer For Hire provides fundraising support to Queer nonprofits, LGBTQIA+ cultural competency to straight-led organizations and corporations, and individual coaching for Queer professionals.
Learn about our Fundraising Services <here> – we’ll lead or support your fundraising efforts, whether you need general support or want to focus on raising money from and for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Learn about our Fundraising Trainings <here> – we can coach your board, staff, and fundraising team on how to fundraise and how to engage LGBTQIA+ donors.
Learn about our other services <here> or our resources <here>.
