#78 | Do fundraising professionals need a college degree?

David Burgess is boldly asking the question of whether a college degree or similar requirements are necessary prerequisites to a fundraising career. David believes his efforts to break down such assumptions will not only improve opportunities for those without college degrees but also make a positive impact in the diversity, equality and inclusion efforts that are underway at the IoF.

In the later half of our conversation we discussed whether a person must have experience with, or be passionate about, a particular cause in order to effectively raise money it. Speaking for myself, I have long believed that an individual will find the greatest success in fundraising when they are purposeful about the opportunity of fundraising itself and allow their experiences within the organization and among the constituency to cultivate their passion for and commitment to the cause.

I suppose there may only be three questions that we absolutely must ask when it comes to hiring a fundraising professional. The first is whether they are honest, the second is whether they are self-aware, and the third is whether they can learn. It would seem that such a person could become an extraordinary fundraiser regardless of what they have or don’t have on their resume.

If you’d like to download the four fundraising frameworks, go to https://www.lewisfundraising.com/toolbox