Technical skill or personality, what is more important when hiring a new development director?

That is a good question …

And while ideally both would be great, that’s not always a guarantee.

So what are you looking for in this case?

While almost anyone can have the skills of a fundraiser, not everyone can have the temperament to be a senior director of development. It takes personality to make a professional difference. And let’s be honest, not everyone has a personality.

What kind of personality?

Development professionals must have the right temperament to meet people’s needs. They must be attentive, persistent, and flexible. They need to have tough skin and be willing to give credit to others. A big part of the job is making others look good while taking the back seat of their own ego. When they do their job well, no one really knows. They make an indirect, not a direct contribution to achievement and very rarely take credit for themselves.

The best development professionals are service leaders, putting the needs of the organization and those they serve before their own. They are the voice of the donor within the organization and as a profession as a whole.

In fact, I would say that the best development professionals have these qualities: personal humility, professional will, modest personalities, stoic determination to do absolutely whatever it takes, funneling the needs of your ego away from yourself, and tons of career ambition. A leader without positional status, leading from the inside, outside, and above.

Since they are that voice of the donor, then I ask, what do the donors expect from that person?

A recent article published in Guidestar stated that donors want someone who is passionate and enthusiastic about the mission, who has high standards of integrity, authenticity, self-confidence, and most importantly, someone who loves their work and shows it with your willingness to pay the price. to do the job with joy.

So don’t hire based on skill sets or certifications alone. You may not be satisfied with what you get. Dig deeper to determine if this person has the right attitude, temperament, and conviction that will take your organization to the next level and meet the needs of your donors.

I would venture to say that good development managers are not that easy to find. But the bad guys are!