Starting a Fund-Raising Roundtable: Tips From Charity Veterans

Fund raising has long been known as a stressful profession, and the recession is making life even more difficult for people charged with bringing in donations. But some development officials say they have fought burnout by getting together for regular “round table” meetings with peers.

A group of fund raisers who work at small charities in Baltimore, for example, meet each month to exchange fund-raising strategies and advice.

Among fund raisers’ tips for starting and maintaining a round table:

Consider contacting nonprofit associations. Some local chapters of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals, as well as other state groups such as the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, run round tables or have suggestions for how to start them. And if such associations don’t already coordinate round tables, they might be interested in starting them.

Begin with a small group. “Invite five or six people who you know and ask if you want to get together for coffee so you have a core group to start,” recommends Tami Lack, director of development with Third Way Center, in Denver, and vice president of marketing for the board of the Colorado Association of Fundraising Professionals chapter. Says Jennifer Pelton, director of development at the Public Justice Center, in Baltimore: “Start small but with a good vision.”

Be flexible. If one approach isn’t working and there’s little interest from fund raisers, try another, says Ms. Pelton. “Be willing to experiment and be innovative,” she says. Ms. Lack agrees: Her group first tried networking events, forums, and happy hours before deciding that breakfast meetings were the best format.

Stay consistent with schedule. Once you’ve settled on a format, don’t mess with the schedule too much, fund raisers recommend. A group of annual-giving fund raisers, for example, meets every month at a room on the Johns Hopkins University campus, where one of its members works.

Mix formal and informal. Meetings often focus on a specific topic, such as using social media to raise money. But fund raisers try to leave an opportunity to discuss other subjects. Ms. Lack says her group saves 30 minutes of each hour-and-a-half meeting to talk about whatever is on peoples’ minds.

Listen to others. The topic of meetings should be decided by the group, not by one individual, fund raisers say.

Share leadership. Ms. Pelton, one of several founders of the meeting of “small shop” fund raisers in Baltimore, says her group rotates who leads each session. “We haven’t gotten stuck with one person’s style or one person’s agenda,” she says.

Build an online community. Fund raisers recommend setting up an e-mail list or a group on a site such as Yahoo to complement the in-person meetings. That gives people an opportunity to stay in touch and continue discussions outside of the monthly gatherings.

Bring props. Valerie Lambert, assistant director of development at the Center for Talented Youth at the Johns Hopkins University and the coordinator of round tables for the Maryland AFP chapter, suggests bringing books, articles, and other materials to get the conversation started, especially when it’s on a sensitive topic such as negotiating higher pay.

Pay attention to people’s needs. Some round tables focus on a specific type of fund raiser — people who work in annual giving, for example — while others are open to all development officials. People involved with round tables say the approach will differ based on the size of the community and the interests of people who want to join.

Build trust. Ms. Pelton’s group has a “whatever’s said here, stays here” approach to meetings. She says that’s key to making people feel comfortable about sharing their ideas and concerns. “No question is a dumb question,” she says, “and no question is too big and no question is too small.”