What to Do When You’re Short Staffed During Fundraising Season
Losing a team member mid-fundraising season? Here’s how nonprofit teams can stay on track with documentation, donor outreach, and quick rehiring strategies.
Your goals are set, your plans are made, and your fundraising team is working well. Then, without warning, you lose a team member. People leave suddenly—an illness, job change, or other life event can leave your fundraising team unexpectedly short-staffed and scrambling to adapt.
But how can you be prepared for the unexpected? Without another team player ready to jump in, how can you pivot quickly to continue to connect with your donors and not lose any momentum?
Being prepared for the unexpected means having strong internal systems.
Documentation is your lifeline.
The most resilient teams document their process well as they go. When the unexpected hits, there’s no second guessing or fumbling about who is managing what. Keep detailed reports and documentation at every step of the way. If you lose a team member, the development director will be able to immediately assess what needs to be covered.
Maintaining updated internal documentation makes it easier to maintain your fundraising operations during staffing transitions.
Be ready to reach donors in atypical ways if you no longer have a team member to reach them.
Start with honesty. Transparency goes a long way when your usual communication cadence is disrupted.
Fundraising staff changes are a moment to adjust your donor strategy quickly. Be direct and honest with your donors. Consider your regular donors – those who team members reach out to on a regular basis – as stakeholders. They give because they care about your work. Let them know your team is short-handed and it may take time to fully reestablish your donor touchpoints. Everyone knows life throws curveballs. Saying so out loud creates space for grace.
How might you reach your donors?
Focus on connections.
Even staff who are not your strongest at asking for donations can help cultivate and maintain connections with your current stakeholders. Having staff members reach out maintains that real, human connection.
Do send personal messages to donors. Focus first and foremost on your committed, long-term donors. Let them know the status of your situation, thank them for their commitment, and let them know you’re confidently trusting that they will continue to be faithful supporters.
Plan ahead for rehiring.
No one wants to think about losing a great team member, but preparation here will help ease transitions if and when they happen.
Always have a plan in place for replacing a key team member. Keep job descriptions up to date, and maintain an active network for potential candidates. These two simple steps make it easier to hit the ground running when transitions happen.