If I Only Knew Then: Neil Davidson

An old colleague of mine from Carnegie Hall, Neil Davidson, is headed back to school after four years in the world of fundraising. Neil will begin working towards his MBA at Harvard in the Fall. Before he leaves for school I asked him to take a minute and jot down some notes about his brief experience before the next phase of his life unfolds.

• There are big differences between types of fundraising. Learn about those differences and try to figure out which is right for you before taking your first job.
• You should derive a sense of meaning from your job. It's great if you support the mission of the organization for which you'll be raising money, but you should recognize that you'll only be happy in your job if you like your work day in, day out.
• When considering a job in fundraising, ask yourself "Would I want my new boss's job?" or "Would I want his boss's job?", not "Do I want this job?" Think long term when career planning.
• If you're more interested in being successful as a fundraiser than in supporting any one particular sector, do some research into what philanthropic areas are "hot" and go to work in one of them.
• Fundraising is a support role, like accounting. Make sure you're comfortable with that kind of role. You won't be (at least, you shouldn't be) steering your organization or its programs. The relationships you make with program staff within your organization are as important as the relationships you make with funders, so spend plenty of time with your colleagues.

As a consultant, I try to be the best fundraiser I can be, regardless of the mission of the client. However, like Neil, I find it's easier to enjoy my job when I "feel" the mission. How many of you work for your organization primarily because of the mission? How many because you want to be a professional fundraiser?