To some of our colleagues, development professionals must seem like a very demanding bunch. We always want or need something: new software, more staff, more volunteers, or a more visible office space closer to the CEO.  And we’re always pushing our way onto the board agenda to present and discuss some urgent matter related to the organization’s future.

By David S. Goettler, CEO

As development professionals, we work hard to communicate with our constituents and to position our organizations in the most favorable light. How much time, however, do we spend communicating with our own colleagues about what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it?

We may need to work harder to explain to our own colleagues exactly what it is that development brings to the table.

The development function, for example, has the capacity to:

• Build authentic and lasting relationships with those who can advance the organization.
• Attract volunteers who can become advocates and greatly increase our productivity.
• Generate substantial revenues.
• Actively listen to the marketplace and recognize changes that affect the organization.
• Listen to those the organization serves, and witness firsthand its impact on the community.

If we can help our peers to comprehend the full value of what the development office has to offer, then our CEOs and board of directors are sure to get the message. And that just might make it easier for them to provide the kind of human and financial resources that will move the organization toward the achievement of its true potential!

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For more on Strategic Advancement, Aligning Your Resources to Attract Philanthropy, access Goettler Series Volume 12