What I Wish Every Fundraiser Knew, Part 3

Sometimes the Best Help Is Knowing When to Get Out of the Way

By Kimberly Jetton, MNM, CFRE

One of the biggest myths in nonprofit work is that fundraising success rests entirely on the shoulders of the development team. In reality, fundraising is a team sport, and the most successful organizations understand that the internal environment is just as important as donor engagement.

I’ve worked with dozens of nonprofits, and I can tell you this: the biggest barriers to successful fundraising often aren’t out in the community. They’re inside the organization.

And so, to every executive leader, CFO, and well-meaning program director: sometimes the best way to support fundraising is to stop getting in the way.

Here’s how.

1. Budget Is Not the Enemy

We see a disconnect repeatedly: leadership wants transformative gifts but refuses to invest in fundraising infrastructure. We can’t expect fundraisers to perform magic on a shoestring budget.  Yet, that is exactly how the majority of organizations that I have worked with operate.

Whether it’s access to a solid donor database, professional development, well-designed materials, postage for a mail campaign, or simply a travel budget to meet with a prospect face-to-face — these are not luxuries. They are basic requirements.

Development should be seen as a profit center, not a cost center. When you tighten the purse strings on fundraising expenses in the name of frugality, you’re cutting off the very lifeline that brings in revenue.

If the budget conversation always starts with “cut development first,” you’re not setting your team up to succeed — you’re setting them up to apologize. 

2. Micromanaging the Message Kills Momentum

Fundraisers understand donor behavior, and they’re constantly adjusting language, tone, and messaging to build trust and drive action. But too often, leadership inserts themselves in a way that derails this process.

You don’t need five people rewriting a thank-you letter or an E-newsletter to sound more “institutional.” You don’t need legal review of an email blast that says, “We’re grateful for your support.” And you certainly don’t need to change “You can make a difference” to “Our organization has a longstanding tradition of positive outcomes.”

Let your fundraisers speak like humans. Donors don’t give because of perfection; they give because of connection. And connection gets lost when everything reads like a press release.

By all means, uphold the brand — but trust the professionals to speak in a donor-centric way. Otherwise, you risk turning meaningful engagement into a bureaucratic bottleneck.

3. Delayed Decisions = Lost Dollars

Imagine this: a donor is ready to give. Maybe it's a major gift, or maybe they want to name the organization in their estate plan. The fundraiser prepares a proposal, but it needs leadership sign-off. Days go by. Then weeks. The donor goes cold. The opportunity fades.

This happens all the time.

Leadership delays — whether because of decision fatigue, risk aversion, or internal power struggles — often lead to real money being left on the table. Donors are people, not project timelines. They have seasons of life, moments of inspiration, windows of opportunity. And when organizations aren’t ready to move with them, they simply move on.

Support your fundraising team by being decisive and responsive. Create a culture of readiness — clear policies, delegated authority, fast turnarounds — so you don’t have to build the plane while it’s already in the air.

4. Fundraising Isn’t a Solo Sport

Donors want to know they’re investing in a whole organization — not just responding to a clever pitch. When leadership is visible, present, and enthusiastic, it communicates confidence and alignment.

This doesn’t mean you have to become a full-time development officer. But it does mean being willing to show up when it counts:

• Join that key meeting with a legacy donor.

• Pick up the phone to say thank you.

• Show your face at donor appreciation events.

• Be available to co-sign a letter or proposal.

Fundraisers can open the door. But often, it’s the presence of the CEO, board chair, or medical director that closes the gift.

5. Respect the Expertise

Too many fundraisers are treated like order-takers instead of strategic professionals. When their expertise is ignored, it creates a ripple effect of poor results and high turnover.

Your development staff likely knows more than anyone else in the organization about donor behavior, gift trends, and what messaging works. Yet I’ve watched fundraisers be shut down mid-meeting because a program lead “doesn’t think donors care about that,” or a finance exec insists “we can’t message anything we haven’t already budgeted.”  Or worse, a CEO not taking the time to meet with a transformational donor that is ready to give but wants facetime with leadership.

Let fundraisers lead on fundraising strategy. That doesn’t mean excluding others — it means centering the conversation around the people who know the most about donor engagement.

When you hire someone for their skill set, trust them to use it.

Final Thoughts: Leadership Is Support, Not Suppression

At the end of the day, fundraisers don’t need you to do their job — they need you to believe in it enough not to block it.

Support means more than encouragement. It means creating the conditions where your team can do their best work. It means investing wisely, removing red tape, responding quickly, and respecting expertise.

Sometimes, the most powerful way to help your fundraiser succeed is to get out of the way.