Bots, squats and the kindness of strangers – day 2 at #IoFFC Fundraising Conventions

Day 2 at the Fundraising Convention was once again for me all about getting out of my bubble and trying to see people I hadn't seen recently if at all, and who (gasp!) I might not even know from Twitter. How did I get on? Dear blog-reader, please continue to find out. First up, featured extensively in the notes below, was a real hobby horse of mine: a good panel debating how to attract and retain great fundraising staff. It was a balanced, clear-sighted discussion, with a strong focus on understanding why fundraisers leave their organisations, and how we can support them and develop them so they might stay. First session for me at day 2 of #IoFFC is one on attracting and retaining the best fundraising talent, with Sonja_d30, Terence Lovell, Kane Moore, Imogen Topliss, and Matthew Ross. Matthew: staff leaving often due to lack of support and training. Organisations often don't understand the professional support and training needs fundraisers have. Matthew: deliverables are often too ambitious, with too little management or peer support. Imogen: building a team, I've focused on recruiting a good mix of talents and styles. Kane: mentoring has been important for me, and buddying can help. So many leave due to bad management but understand it works both ways. Stress can lead to micro management. Talk to your team about their growth and development. Pastoral role is as important as financial targets. Terence: ask your team what they want to be/do next