Addy,You are NOT alone. I feel the exact same way. Though I have not worked in fundraising nearly as long, my own rise up the ladder has been rather accelerated. So I've been privy to a lot of experiences and relationships that usually take place at a level higher than many people my age or experience get to work in.
Here's what has bothered me recently about our work and profession:
Fundraisers fervently proclaim they exist to serve the donors' interests... but only inasmuch as those interests serve our employers. We refer to our profession as "friendraising," while, in all complete, untainted, pristine honesty we are purely after their money. And we only want that money for OUR organization. Be honest, if you went an entire year without raising a single dime but you made 1,000 "friends," would that go over well with your Executive Director? No. Because our job is to raise money, as much money as we can get our hands on. Yet for some reason we have to come up with these cliches and catchphrases and cute little analogies for what we do. Why? I think it's because, way deep down, most fundraisers are uneasy about what we do, about befriending people because we want their money.
At least salesmen are honest with their customers. They just want you to buy their product. But for some reason, we fundraisers have to tell donors--and ourselves--that what we REALLY want is their friendship, engagement, and advocacy.
Now, I am obviously already anticipating the rebuttals that are sure to come my way. "Our profession really IS friendraising because you have to make friends before you can make money." Or similarly, "development is all about relationship building." But since this is a message board and not a real-time chatroom, all I can say in response to those comments is that I'm aware of them all and none of them make me feel any better about the work I'm suppose to be doing every day.
If a $100,000 donor would be better served by allocating his funds elsewhere, would you tell him? Or would you take his check, subconciously subtracting his hundred grand from the fundraising goals that were set for that year? After all, you have to report to the Board Development Committee in a few months...
THAT is the problem with fundraising, and that is why I, personally, feel "burnt out" about the profession. Because, to keep our jobs or to actually achieve some kind of advancement in our organizations, we have to put our employers--and ourselves--before the donor.
Just my ten cents.
-Anonymous
