Are you a one-person fundraising shop? Do you feel you have to do it all? Is the weight of the world on your shoulders? Are you comparing your nonprofit to those with what appears to be more dedicated fundraising staff? Before agonizing, consider a new perspective and new action steps.
Whether your nonprofit is a new organization or a legacy institution, you may feel you are a one-person shop. As a startup, you may be the only staff person, so you are busy fundraising, building your board, defining programs, creating financial models, and more. As a legacy institution, you may find yourself leading a team of four or more, only to realize that you are the only one with experience in fundraising. Your team may actually be a database person, a communications person, an alumni manager, and a bookkeeper. The startup looks like one person is responsible for fundraising, but the legacy institution is in a similar place. How do you get out?
The key to changing your position from a one-person shop to a team effort lies in your ability to be a manager and to utilize the resources available to you now and in the future. We believe there are always resources available – it is a matter of engaging them on your behalf. Here are our suggestions for becoming a thriving one-person shop. First, know your organization inside and out. Know the core work and impact of your nonprofit, whether advocacy, direct service, education, arts, science, athletics, or healthcare. Understand the operations and, most importantly, finances, projections, alternative scenarios, and cash flow. You want to be able to talk to anyone, anytime, on any aspect of the organization you are securing funds for.
Understand your market. Whether you are starting an organization or leading fundraising for an established institution, you need to know your market. That means talking to people. Yes, connect online, but get to know people in real life as well. Start with board members and current donors. Why are they engaged with your nonprofit? What are their skills and talents? How can they support (or lead) your fundraising? What can they share with you about local philanthropists, foundations, and funding agencies, their priorities, and how they should be approached? How does your nonprofit align with local priorities?
Unleash your creativity and innovative tendencies. Take what you are learning and apply it to how you can bring others together to raise funds. Who can help you secure the funding, relationships, capacity, technology, and leadership you need for your organization or institution to deliver on its vision? How will you approach those who can assist? What would be your ask? Are you asking for money or engagement? How will you manage those who agree to support you?
Here’s what we know – you may be a one-person shop, but you don’t need to go it alone. Continuing on your own may lead to a lack of revenue, and – for good or bad – that may be the end of you being the one-person shop. Build and manage a team with shared accountability. Together, you can go far! God protect America.
© 2025 Mel and Pearl Shaw, authors of “Prerequisites for Fundraising Success.” We provide fundraising counsel to higher education, nonprofits, and philanthropy. Video conferencing always available. Visit www.saadandshaw.com.
