Resources for the Small Development Office

Let’s face it, most Development Directors are a department of one, maybe two if you are lucky.  With responsibilities for fundraising, grantwriting, event planning, relationship building, marketing, public relations, awareness raising, donor acknowledgements, record keeping, volunteer management and the ever popular “and other duties as assigned” which can range from trash patrol in the parking lot to cleaning out the storage closet, we LDDs (Lone Development Directors) need to make sure we have the  tools necessary to maximize our time and resources.

I have come to rely more and more on resources I can find on the internet, because I will be honest – a great deal of my professional development reading is via my smart phone while I am trudging away on the treadmill – you know maximizing my time by multitasking!  Here are my top six resources for an LDD:

                Pamela Grow – www.pamelagrow.com.  You can also find her on Facebook with Simple Development Systems and on Twitter as @pamelagrow.  Author, coach, copy-writer, nonprofit marketing consultant and political junkie, Pamela is the author of “Five Days to Foundation Grants”  and  the creator of Simple Development Systems, the only online coaching program created for the overwhelmed fundraiser in the one-person marketing and development shop.  Sign up for her free newsletter The Grow Report.  She’s the founder of #smNPchat on Twitter – the only Twitter chat geared specifically to the small nonprofit development shop.  That chat takes place every other Friday at 11:00 a.m. CDT.  She is insightful, succinct and a resource you should not miss. 

                Wild Woman Fundraising – www.wildwomanfundraising.com.  This is what Mazarine Treyz says about her blog:  This blog is about helping you succeed with your cause, whether you’re fundraising, marketing, running an event, or standing up to the office bully. I created this blog to give you a chance to talk about what your deepest hopes and deepest fears are around fundraising and working in the nonprofit world.  Again, I follow her on Twitter at @wildwomanfund.

                Gail Perry – www.gailperry.com. Fired Up Fundraising.  Gail has some wonderful free fundraising tools available on her website.  She can be found on Twitter at @GailPerryNc and on Facebook at Fired Up Fundraising. 

                Sandy Rees – www.getfullyfunded.com.  Sandy has some great forms that are free, but you need to sign up for them.  Included are:  Monthly Development Checklist and a Summary Calendar Template.  Sandy can be found on Twitter at @SandyRees and on Facebook at NonProfit Fundraising - The Get Fully Funded Way. 

                Christopher Davenport – www.501videos.com.  Having a new video about fundraising delivered to your inbox every Monday morning – simple.  The information you learn – priceless. 

                Tom Ahern – www.aherncomm.com.  The granddaddy of them all.  Tom Ahern is often described as "one of the world's leading authorities" on how to speak properly -- and profitably -- to donors.  Subscribe to his free newsletter via his webpage. 

Every day, through Twitter, I am privy to some of the best information about fundraising there is, courtesy of the people listed above and others.  I encourage each of you to set up a Twitter account if only to give you easy access to resources that will enhance your ability to do your job well.  You don’t ever have to issue a single tweet, just read and glean from others.  Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t encourage you to also follow Hope Cottage on Twitter at @LeslieatHope!  Here is my list of some of my favorite nonprofit and fundraising “Tweeple”.  If you have questions, pop me an e-mail at lclay@hopecottage.org:

@pamelagrow   @wildwomanfund  @GailPerryNC  @SandyRees  @Nonprofit_Mo @npquarterly  @GordonJayFrost  @Gregallbright @fdncenter  @101fundraising  @cnmdallas  @marcapitman  @rosettathurman  @HildyGottleib  @PublicityHound  @HeidiEKMassey @maddiegrant  @mcahalane  @FundraisingNews  @rjleaman  @askdebra  @cargillcreative  @stevenetwork @change4aDollar  @LinkedInQueen.

Leslie Clay

Chief Development Officer

Hope Cottage Pregnancy and Adoption Center