Summary: Skeeter Sellers, Assistant Director of Development at The University of West Alabama, originally reached out to me to talk about the new book and my upcoming visit to Birmingham. In our conversations, it is evident that Skeeter has developed a commitment to meaningful engagement with his donors. He has discovered that fundraising can be very meaningful work and that our greatest opportunities are to align our donors passion with the needs of the institution we represent. He has also discovered the importance of teamwork and how working strategically with colleagues makes up for some of the disadvantages we assume to be true of small shops. In this conversation, we considered: The definition of fundraising is to meet current needs whereas development aligns a donors passion with their financial support. One way to address professional turnover is to ensure the organization has the advantages of a systematic fundraising program that puts the donors in first place. As fundraisers we align ourselves with people who are passionate about a cause. Achieving this alignment is how we create long-term, sustainable support. The assumed weaknesses of a small shop can become strengths if everyone is working as team. If you'd like to connect with Skeeter, he suggested reaching out to him on LinkedIn.
