Pop Quiz:

A beloved faculty member retires, and your department wants to honor them with a named scholarship.

Should you:
a) Hit up that top donor at the tailgate
b) Meet with Advancement and make a plan
c) Launch a GoFundMe and post it to the department's social media

If you picked B, congratulations – you’ve passed. If you're scratching your head, you're not alone. (And yes, every one of those quiz options I have witnessed personally.)

Far too often, faculty are either sprinting ahead trying to do it all themselves or sitting it out because the maze of advancement feels too intimidating. Neither of these extreme approaches do justice to your students, your honorees, or your own standing as a leader on campus.

Here’s the thing: most faculty don’t go into academia thinking they’ll ever be responsible for raising money. Then one day, they step into a department chair role and suddenly, fundraising is on the job description – but no one handed them a manual. It’s a lot to take on, especially when you’re already juggling budgets, personnel, and curriculum.

Though I’m an Advancement professional, I’ve worked directly with faculty on fundraising since the 20th century – and I’ve seen plenty of ways fundraising efforts can go sideways. These are the things that work to make you the Advancement team’s favorite faculty collaborator.

When you know who to call and how to work together, you not only raise more money, you build momentum, respect, and resources. Let’s talk about how to work effectively across campus.

Most of the folks in Development departments actually aren’t major gift officers who play golf all day. In reality, it’s the researchers, database managers, gift processors, accountants, and annual giving folks who are the real MVPs and can be your best resource as a department chair.

Development offices thrive when faculty help connect academic work to donor dreams. They’re looking for faculty who can paint a clear picture of how gifts support teaching, research, and student success.

Want to get off on the right foot? Here are three things you can do:

1. Meet with the donor research officer and ask for a list of the top 10 donors (or potential donors) to your area. Write all 10 a nice note with an update on the department.
2. Meet with the annual giving director about ways you can partner. Come prepared with a list of points of pride about your department, faculty, students, and research.
3. Anytime you send communication or meet with an alum or donor, find out how to relay that back to be added to the database. Most shops have a web form or a dedicated email address for this purpose.

Your former students aren’t just Facebook friends. They're potential mentors, donors, and champions for your department. The Alumni Association wants your help making those connections stick.
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Want to build better relationships with alumni staff and support your grads? Here are three ways to start:

1. Be a database darling! If you find out that someone has a new email or got divorced and they are a graduate, relay that information to be updated in the alumni database. There's always a disconnect if the faculty member is emailing them but then they don't get an email inviting them to homecoming from the institution.
2. If you find out about an alum receiving a big honor or award, relay that to the editor of the alumni magazine. The alum will feel honored and the alumni staff will love you.
3. Meet with the staffer planning homecoming and ask how your department can help get more of your grads there. Perhaps offer to host a tent for the tailgate.

Yes, it can get political. Departments can get territorial. Your college or university will have its own fundraising priorities which may not match yours. Donors get pulled in ten directions – and when everyone goes rogue with fundraising, everybody loses.

Instead of guarding your turf, try building bridges. Focus on what the donor wants and how multiple units might work together. A shared proposal doesn’t dilute your message – it strengthens it. It shows you’re working as a team, which donors love.

Collaboration isn’t just a buzzword. It’s a strategy. And when faculty, development, and alumni relations team up, the results are bigger, better, and more sustainable. Truly, everyone working together advances the institution.
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So, the next time someone announces their intention to retire and you want to honor them with a scholarship, don’t wing it or walk away. Partner up. Think long-term. Be the faculty leader who understands how things get done – and gets them done with heart and strategy.

If this post hit home, I’ve got something that’ll really help: a free 35-minute webinar called Building Fundraising Confidence for Department Chairs. It’s practical, empowering, and designed to help you stop second-guessing and start asking with clarity.

​You’ll get access immediately—and it’ll subscribe you to my newsletter where I share more strategies, stories, and insights for academic leaders who are learning how to fundraise without losing their minds.

Cheers!

​PS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my e-newsletter, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity, and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!

If you liked this…

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When I ask a nonprofit leader what they’re looking for in a new board member, I often hear one of three things:
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“We need someone with deep pockets.”
“We need someone who knows people.”
“We just need someone who will actually show up and help.”

That’s where the old 3 Ws model comes from: Wealth, Window Dressing, and Worker Bee.

(Quick note: I didn’t come up with those labels – and they’re not meant to be demeaning. These short-hand categories have been floating around the nonprofit world for decades because they’re easy to remember and speak to the roles board members often play.)

But that “Worker Bee” bucket? It was doing too much. There’s a big difference between someone who’s eager to help and someone who brings a specific, strategic skill set that your organization really needs.
So I’ve updated the model. Here’s what I use now:

1. Wealth
Financial capacity and willingness to give meaningfully. These board members lead with their giving and help bring others to the table.

2. Window Dressing
These members come with name recognition, public credibility, or powerful networks. And let’s be clear: this isn’t fluff. Think of actual window dressing – it draws people in. Visibility, reputation, and access to new audiences can absolutely drive momentum, when paired with authentic engagement.

3. Willing Hands
These are the doers. They show up, roll up their sleeves, make thank-you calls, stuff envelopes, and volunteer at events. Their time and energy are often the engine behind day-to-day progress.

4. Wisdom
These folks bring specific expertise – finance, legal, marketing, investments, HR, governance, DEI. They help your organization make informed, strategic decisions.

​You can picture this concept as a four-part Venn diagram – each W intersecting with the others. The center is where your dream board prospects live: those rare folks who bring all four.

In real-world board recruitment, it can help to ditch the diagram and move to a simple grid.

A spreadsheet like the one below makes it easier to evaluate prospective members based on the categories they fulfill – and shows where you’re strong or where you need to recruit intentionally.
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Each person is evaluated on whether they bring one, two, three, or all four of the Ws. Then you can sort, filter, and prioritize your outreach.

Build a board full of people who bring at least two of these categories – and who align with your mission and values. Look for overlaps. The magic is in the mix.

And don’t leave this work to the board alone.

Your fundraising staff and executive leadership need to be working hand-in-hand with the nominating committee – from the very beginning. They know the needs, they understand the gaps, and they’ll be the ones partnering with these new board members down the road.

When you use the 4 Ws to guide your recruitment, you’re not just filling seats. You’re building something durable, strategic, and deeply aligned with your mission.

P.S. Want to take the first step?
Grab my free Board Fundraising Menu –  a customizable and printable tool that helps your board members choose where and how they can plug into fundraising. It’s clear, easy, and surprisingly motivating.

Cheers!

PS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my e-newsletter, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity, and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!

If you liked this…

• Why Most Fundraising Plans Fail
• The Magic Formula for Making a Confident Fundraising Ask
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A few years back, I worked with a team that was stuck in microwave fundraising mode. If there was a quick-cash tactic out there, they were doing it: golf tournaments, raffles, sponsorship deals heavy on the benefits, you name it. It kept the lights on, but it wasn’t building anything lasting. I gave a presentation about crockpot fundraising – relationship-building, long-term strategy, donor engagement – and it started to click. I wanted to challenge them to try something new and to move out of their "microwave" comfort zone. I promised them that if they could do that, it would pay dividends down the line and make fundraising easier and more enjoyable.

I've been in rooms full of nonprofit leaders who are scrambling to make payroll, stressed over budget gaps, or just plain overwhelmed by the pressure to "do more with less." And in those moments, it's tempting to reach for the quick fix – a car wash, a 5K, a golf tournament, a donut sale, a last-minute sponsorship deal. These microwave fundraising tactics can bring in a little fast cash, and I won't pretend they never have a place. But let's be honest: they're not going to carry your mission for the long haul.

Microwave fundraising is all about urgency. It's transactional. It gets warm fast, but it cools off just as quickly. These events are often labor-intensive, draining your staff and volunteers. The ROI is usually modest. They’re familiar, easy to organize, and feel reliable. But they’re not always the healthiest choice for your organization. They only feed a few folks, and they don’t build connection to your mission or long-term sustainability.
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Here's a side-by-side breakdown that captures the heart of the metaphor:

Caption: Microwave vs. Crockpot Fundraising: A visual comparison of quick, transactional tactics vs. slow, relationship-centered strategies.

Then there's crockpot fundraising. It takes longer to get cooking, no doubt. And yes, there’s a learning curve. But it’s healthier for your mission in the long run. These strategies usually involve more “vegetables” – meaning thoughtful, nourishing activities like donor conversations, stewardship touches, and consistent storytelling. It takes time. You can’t flip a switch and expect results tomorrow. But when you commit to it – when you really let it simmer – the flavor builds. The connections deepen. The nourishment multiplies.

Crockpot fundraising feeds a crowd. You’re not just generating one-time gifts – you’re building community. It’s transformational. It deepens loyalty. It keeps donors connected to the mission. It gives your work staying power.

It means investing in consistent donor communications, one-on-one conversations, thank-you calls, stewardship, and strategic asks. First-time donors become recurring givers. Recurring givers become advocates. Advocates become legacy donors.

Is it slower? Yes. But it is sustainable. It doesn’t burn you out or box your organization into lopsided agreements just to chase a check. It feeds your mission in a way that microwave tactics never will. It keeps your team grounded and your donors inspired.

So when you're weighing your next move, ask yourself: Are we microwaving or crockpotting this? One will keep you hustling for scraps. The other will feed your mission for years to come.

Let it simmer. You'll be glad you did.
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Cheers!

​PS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my e-newsletter, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity, and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!

If you liked this…

• Why Most Fundraising Plans Fail
• Your Board Wants to Help with Fundraising – They Just Don’t Know How
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In a few days, I’m heading out of the country with my family. No laptop. No inbox. No quick peeks at work in the evenings. Just real, present time with the people I love most. (Peep the picture above of my kids in their first Uber ride last week.) 😊

We recently had one of those “now or never” conversations. Our kids are growing up fast, and we realized that if we didn’t start making international travel part of our family story, we might miss the chance. I want them to see the world – to experience other ways of being, other values, other rhythms of life. I want them to be citizens of the world, not just the United States.

So we’re going. And I’m letting myself go all in.

Here’s the truth: I’m not stepping away from work despite being a fundraiser. I’m doing it because I am.
Fundraising is heart work. It’s personal, demanding, often overwhelming. That passion can make rest feel like a luxury – something we have to earn or squeeze in around the edges. That shows up across the sector: data from January 2025 show that nonprofit workers leave more unused PTO than all industries except government.

But rest isn’t a luxury. It’s part of the job.

I’ve shared before why self-care for nonprofit fundraisers matters – and not just for bubble baths, but for building real boundaries and intention. I’ve also explored burnout in our profession and how it quietly silences the best of us.

Taking breaks gives us perspective. It reconnects us with our “why.” It lets us return creative, grounded, and ready. When leaders model this, they build a culture that values people – not just productivity.

If you’ve delayed that vacation or pushed through burnout thinking your mission can’t wait: the work will be here when you get back. And you’ll be better for having stepped away.

I’ll be off until mid-July. I hope you find your own window to rest, recharge, and remember who you are outside the job.

You deserve it. And the people you serve deserve the best version of you – not someone running on fumes.

Cheers!

P.S. Don’t worry – while I’m away, I’ve scheduled fresh content to post on my TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Bluesky. So if you need encouragement or inspiration, it’ll be waiting for you.

PPS - I hope you’ll continue the conversation by subscribing to Real Deal Fundraising. When you subscribe, you’ll get my e-newsletter, which includes the best articles on fundraising, productivity, and cool stuff every week. The whole thing is curated awesomeness as well as freebies like webinars, instructional videos, and whatever else I can put together to be helpful to you!

If you liked this…

• Why Most Fundraising Plans Fail
• Self-Care for Nonprofit Pros
• Climbing Out of Burnout
• How to Spot and Stop Fundraising Burnout and Turnover
• Discovery Visits Demystified