the secrets of high-performing, long-tenured gift...

10/30/2014

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Bentz Whaley FlessnerBentz Whaley Flessner © Copyright 2013 Bentz Whaley FlessnerBentz Whaley FlessnerBentz Whaley Flessner

© Copyright 2014 Bentz Whaley Flessner

The Secrets of High-Performing,

Long-Tenured Gift OfficersOctober 30, 2014

Presented by:Josh Birkholz,

Jamie Hunte

Bentz Whaley FlessnerBentz Whaley Flessner


Three primary talent challenges in fundraising today

Feeding our industry with new talent

Diversifying our workforce

Appropriate retention

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1 in 4 principal or major gifts officers left their posts in 2012.

Source: EduVentures, 2013



The average amount of time a fundraiser stays at his or her job is 16 months.

Most good fundraisers are on the job just 3 to 6 months before they get recruited for a new role.

Source: Cygnus Applied Research, 2012

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Poll: How has major gift officer turnover impacted your organization?

(Check all that apply)

� Loss of gift income

� Donor relationships have suffered

� Loss of momentum in advancing priorities

� N/A: it has not impacted our organization



The costs are many:

� Searching/recruiting takes time and time away from donor cultivation work.

� The direct and indirect costs of finding a replacement: $127,650.

� Constant turnover impacts long-term donor relationships.

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Of all the possibilities of high and low performers that stay or leave…

High performers that leave

High performers that stay

Low performers that leave

Low performers that stay



Ove

rvie

w

…the goal is to recruit and retain those high performers who will stick around.





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Retention Study



Study Purpose:

1) What influences recruitment and retention?

2) What influences the recruitment and retention of high-performers ?

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Survey Responses

from 270 MGOs

Performance Data

from 7 schools

Indicators of

Success



High-performing, high-tenure gift officershave been promoted internally .

“There are few options for promotion into a thin administrative structure. If there are not opportunities for top performers to take greater roles, they need to be compensated in other ways—money, etc.”

“There should be more of an effort to grow our own talent rather than thinking that the grass is greener outside the university.”

“We have promotional opportunities, but there are few, and the organization does nothing to change that like others have.”

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High-performing, high-tenure gift officers don’t think performance reviews are effective .

“They fail to identify ‘choice or stretch assignments’ and intentionally use these to reward and/or develop top performers.”

“I very much desire to contribute and be seen as an organizational asset as a top performer. But I feel silo-ed and under-utilized.”



High-performing, high-tenure gift officers have a performance plan goal for number of gifts secured more often than for amount of funds raised .

In our observation, most programs do track dollars, visits, and solicitations, but one carries more weight depending on the institution.

MGOs with solicitation goals, rather than dollar goals, have better activity with prospects and hit dollar goals anyway.

Both approaches are valuable, but a solicitation-focused goal is worth considering.

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A few interesting correlations. #1

Activity and tenure are related.




Alignment with mission matters more to HPs.

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Both HPs and LPs value career advancement similarly.




Professional development opportunities matter more to LPs.

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LPs observe positive qualities about their org at a higher rate.




HPs are less likely to think senior leadership is strong.

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Additional, unique

characteristics of high

performers

Top performers :

Like to be measured more than low performers.

Solicit more frequently.

Set targets higher and with more confidence around levels of solicitations.

Have shorter cultivation time frames.

Are more willing to work with research programs to keep portfolios tuned.Source: Compilation of several recent

BWF performance metrics studies

from 2013-2014



So, what can you do to retain high performers?





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Application



1) Integrate mission as an essential part of hiring and orientation.

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2) Consider a purposeful promotional track connected to performance.

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Major Gift officer

Principal Gifts Officer

Senior Principal Gifts Officer

Associate VP of Major and Principal Giving



3) Work with top performers to have stronger measurable goal planning in performance reviews.

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4) Review KPIs in light of the differentiation between high and low performance.



Performance Diagnostics

Internal vs. External Benchmarking

Identify True Drivers of Performance

Prioritize and Refine KPIs

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Process Modeling Capture relationship management data

� Activities: Meetings with leadership, lunches� Timing: visit spacing, overall timelines

� Targeting: Ratios with capacity� Solicitation methods

Compare successful closes to unsuccessful through descriptive or predictive analytics

Design recommended process, perhaps catered to clusters

Who How



Report Engineering

Dashboards Diagnostics

Transparent

AlignedTimely

VS

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5) Provide opportunities for public recognition of top performers.



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6) Invest in leadership development, especially your leadership character.



Organizational Success Factors

Macroeconomics

� Can’t be Controlled

� Can be Understood

Leadership Effect

� Character of Leadership

� Resulting in an Engaged Workforce

Business Model

� Controllable Factors

� Process, Staffing, Performance

Macroeconomics

� Can’t be Controlled

� Can be Understood

Leadership Effect

� Character of Leadership

� Resulting in an Engaged Workforce

Business Model

� Controllable Factors

� Process, Staffing, Performance

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Unpacking the leadership effect

• Walking your talk• Telling the truth, keeping promises• Standing up for what is right

Integrity

• Ability to let go of one’s mistakes• Ability to let go of others’ mistakesForgiveness

• Actively caring for othersCompassion

• Taking responsibility for personal choices• Admitting mistakes and failures• Leaving the world a better place

Responsibility



2

1

Three habits of the

virtuoso leaders

The ‘I SCREWED UP’ habit

3 !

The ‘OTHERS FIRST’ habit

The EMPATHY

habit

Three Habits of Leaders with Character

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High Character Leaders Produce Better Results

1

It’s Not Too Late: You Can Strengthen Your Moral Habits

3

High Character Leaders Enjoy Higher Levels of Workforce Engagement 2

Return on Character



Summary

1) Integrate mission as an essential part of hiring and orientation.

2) Consider a purposeful promotional track connected to performance.

3) Work with top performers to have stronger measurable goal planning in performance reviews.

4) Review KPIs in light of the differentiation between high and low performance.

5) Provide opportunities for public recognition of top performers.

6) Invest in leadership development, especially your leadership character.

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Thank you!

Joshua [email protected] @birkholz

Jamie [email protected]

www.bwf.com

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