What Type Of Person Thrives In The Fundraising Consulting Industry According To A Senior Vice President At A Fundraising Consulting Company
Individuals thriving in fundraising consulting demonstrate "a deep curiosity about the world and people," viewing it as a "career more than a job," requiring commitment and "sacrifice" for significant rewards. Success hinges on a mission-driven approach, exceptional organizational skills to manage multiple priorities, and superior communication abilities to inspire confidence and achieve client goals.
Curiosity, Mission-driven, Prioritization Skills, Communication, Commitment
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Polly Breit
Senior Vice President
Fundraising Consulting Company
University of Wisconsin, Madison
N/A
Classics, Spanish Literature
Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Consulting
Honors Student
Video Highlights
1. A deep curiosity about the world and people is essential. The career demands long hours, travel, and sometimes relocation, requiring dedication and a view of the work as a career, not just a job.
2. The work is mission-driven; those who want to make an impact and support great organizations will find it deeply rewarding. The focus is on facilitating client success, not personal advancement.
3. Excellent organizational and project management skills are crucial for juggling multiple priorities. Strong communication skills—written and verbal—are vital for inspiring confidence in clients and conveying ideas effectively. Tactical excellence builds strategic credibility.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in this industry?
Our team is incredibly diverse, both in terms of undergraduate background, graduate school, and cultural background. Yet, there are a few common characteristics I see across team members.
One is a deep curiosity about the world and people around them. I also see that we have so many team members who have been at our firm for 10, 15, 20, 30, or 40 years.
What I've learned is that for people, this is a career more than it's a job. This can mean long hours during certain projects or certain points during a project, and a lot of travel. Our directors often relocate to new communities and states for several months, if not years, to lead those projects.
So, there's a lot of sacrifice, but there's such benefit to it. If you come into that work really thinking about this as your career, you have a different disposition than if you see it as your job.
I would also say that people want to make an impact in the world, so a mission-driven approach to their work is huge. I love my colleagues because it's not about them; it's about supporting great organizations and great leaders to achieve their most aspirational goals.
When you come to the work knowing it's not about you, but about what you can help facilitate with your clients, I think people find it deeply rewarding.
This also goes back to one of our earlier questions. I think people have an excellent ability to hold multiple priorities at once and to manage towards those priorities through great organization and project management. This is a really important skill in day-to-day tactics.
We have a saying at CCS that tactical excellence leads to strategic credibility with clients. So, that attention to detail, the follow-up, and the follow-through are incredibly important.
The last thing I would say is great communication. Communicating ideas and recommendations is every day. Being able to communicate big, inspiring ideas, either in writing, verbally, or through projects, and instill confidence in the nonprofits, the leadership, and the boards in that platform is incredibly important. So, they'll be able to inspire and instill confidence through great leadership and communication.