#93 | Should fundraising professionals take responsibility for their own professional development?

Sometimes I have podcast conversations where I just know the person I’m talking with, this time Katie, has really hit the nail on the head. I most certainly could have talked to her for another hour, and I suspect our listeners would have stuck with us to hear more of what she had to say. I will be sure to have her back very soon to continue this conversation. Katie has evidently thought through what professional development should look like for aspiring fundraising professionals, and I’m anxious to see what sort of feedback we garner from this conversation. 

What really excites me about Katie’s ideas is that fundraising professionals should not rely on their employers for their professional development and, instead, should be bootstrapping for themselves a career development plan that aligns with whom they aspire to be. Katie pointed out that it is relatively easy in fundraising to overspecialize in a particular method and consequently lack the skills and experience that match the types of opportunities we may be looking for in the future. Katie also suggested that taking personal responsibility for our careers removes the burden from an employer’s plate which may lend itself to their offering more support and encouragement in the end.

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