Courtney Gray: Moving toward your personal vision
In over 12 years as a frontline fundraiser, I got used to hearing the word ‘no.’ I became fairly used to being let down by a donor I thought was a sure thing. It only took a couple dozen experiences similar to this to lose the sensitivity of this feeling personal. Eventually, you just pick up and move on to the next ‘great’ lead. I started to form a thick skin and adapt to the challenges of raising dollars for a worthy cause.
Becoming practiced at aiming high, learning from failure, and getting back out there hasn’t just made me an effective fundraiser. It’s prepared me to move boldly toward my personal vision.
Define a vision for your career path
That’s the nature of nonprofit fundraising: doing the research, creating the pitch, putting yourself out there, and then bracing yourself for the impact of the final decision–good or bad.
I have learned to put this process into effect each time I was told no within my career field: “You’re not old enough,” “you haven’t been here long enough,” “you don’t have a personal relationship with the donor.” I heard it all and more, several times—and I enjoyed proving the naysayers wrong.
Create lofty goals as well as ones that are immediately attainable. Celebrate every success. Small victories sometimes mean the most—and certainly create an internal morale boost that is needed in the nonprofit realm. And, share your victories with your network—let your work be acknowledged and celebrated! Not only will this give you a boost, it’s a great way to organically build your “brand” and open doors to new opportunities.
“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.”
— Paulo Coelho
Build your own team
The backbone of nonprofit work is instilling hope where hope is lost—creating the means to an end to suffice a long-standing global problem or putting food on the table for those who are hungry. It’s full of compassion and devoted volunteers. So, you can see where there is disconnect when you don’t feel supported by those around you.
Early on in my nonprofit career, I had the privilege of working with a director who told me, “I will always have your back. Even when you’re wrong, I will have your back—and then we will discuss it later…” I put this wisdom to use as I moved further into my career as a manager and then a director myself. I told this story to many interns, recent college grads, and rookie fundraisers as they nervously entered the field. I carry it with me to each new endeavor I embark on.
Moving toward your personal vision often feels like a reinvention of yourself as you create new goals that seem nearly unattainable. As you pour hours into achieving those goals, distance yourself from those saying you it isn’t possible, and seek out people who have your back.
“Today, not starting is far, far worse than being wrong. If you start, you've got a shot at evolving and adjusting to turn your wrong into a right. But if you don't start, you never get a chance.”
― Seth Godin
Push beyond the boundaries set for you
Instead of seeing ‘no’ as the end of the road, consider it an invitation to break the mold and carve out your own path. You’re going to make mistakes and you will certainly encounter people more experienced than you who simply think you can’t do it. Reinvent yourself, take the challenge head-on, ask questions, and proceed with confidence.
Don’t count on being taught the ins and outs. Invite yourself to the meeting. Sit at the table. Take part in the conversation. The more you immerse yourself in the world you want to join, the faster you will achieve your goals.
Take note of the leaders who have the power of impact, those who lift up their team and provide them with the support they need. These are the people you want to emulate—and these are the people you want in your network.
"Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged."
— J.K. Rowling
Create a path to thrive
A career in nonprofit fundraising can be incredibly rewarding and brings out the true talent of many like-minded individuals. The passion we carry for the causes we support, and our dedication to a successful outcome for the individuals we serve, is the driving force behind the daily work we complete.
But there’s more to career fulfillment: In order to thrive, we also need to see growth toward our personal vision. To find your own unique vision and path, be eager and willing to learn—and dabble in as many aspects of the organization you can. Let it be known you have the drive to continue to learn, grow and adapt.
When you craft a clear vision, build your own team, and pursue your goals with the same resilience required for fundraising, anything is possible.
"Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better."
— Jim Rohn
Courtney Gray
Courney has worked with both local and national organizations including Head For the Cure, REbeL, Inc. and American Diabetes Association. She specializes in board engagement, grant writing, annual giving, legacy gifts, donor retention, organizational structure, and event reconciliation.