#202 | Will discernment be among the most desirable skills for future fundraising professionals?

Conversations like the one I had with Ellen are enlightening when it comes to who imagining who our future leaders in this space are going to be. I believe what we least understand about Ellen’s generation is how intentional they have been thus far in their practice and, similarly, how deliberate they will be as supervisors. It is observations of this sort that continue to inform my writing, and these are the types of conversations we strive to have here on the podcast. 

The question Ellen and I agree to discuss is what the characteristics are that might matter most for a talented fundraiser. While friendly personalities combined with great interpersonal and communication skills tend to make the top of anyone’s list, I tend to think that discernment will become an increasingly valuable skill in our space. As our arms-length, lane-one tactics continue to yield a sometimes overwhelming volume of initial gifts; I believe we will see a growing interest in those who can convert these gifts into meaningful relationships, generally the precursor to a donor’s most significant gifts. I believe the ability to discern the select few among the many will become key. 

As always, we are grateful to CueBack for being our sponsor. 

 #unpredictable  #responsivefundraising