Where does rest fall into the donor cycle?

We’ve all heard the statistic: the average tenure of a development director is 18 months. Some sources are even citing 16 months now! A big contributing factor to this is burnout. But what exactly is burnout?

Burnout is exhaustion caused by chronic stress. To be clear, stress isn’t necessarily a bad thing. A healthy amount of stress can help motivate us to meet that upcoming deadline, get creative with our ideas, and feel a sense of purpose. But when the deadline we’re given isn’t reasonable, we’re not compensated fairly, we’ve been given unrealistic fundraising goals, or we lack support from colleagues or leaders, that’s when burnout happens.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve experienced burnout more than once in my fundraising career and it led me to almost leave the field of fundraising altogether. The burnout I experienced showed up in every area of my life. I would come home from work and fall asleep on the couch at 8 pm, I skipped almost every lunch break, and I was even having nightmares about my job. I may be a Type-A, anxious person, but this was not me.

What I needed at the time was a way to recover, set boundaries, and rest. That got me thinking about the donor cycle. The donor cycle (a process by which we build relationships with donors through acquisition, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship) is a framework we refer to a lot at GiveMN. But what about a cycle of care for fundraisers?

Here’s what I think that could look like:

Acquisition: How we discover practices, habits, and activities that bring us joy and how we find values-aligned people that uplift and support us. Here are some ideas:

• Attend an event or happy hour in your area (professional associations can be a great place to start if you’re looking to network!)
• Try new activities! Take 15 minutes in between meetings to practice piano or attend that bocce ball league after work. (At GiveMN, we have a “Hobbies of GiveMN” Slack channel to share our hidden talents and skills with each other!)

Cultivation: How we invest in ourselves as people and professionals. Here are some ideas:

• If you have professional development dollars at your organization, use it and take the class you’ve been wanting to take or attend the conference you want to attend. Your growth is worth the investment.
• Find a coach or mentor. Sometimes having an outside perspective can make a huge difference in how we perceive a situation or ourselves. A trusted partner can be a great way to grow both as a leader and a human.

Solicitation: When we lean on our networks and ask for help. Here are some ideas:

• Schedule a standing coffee meetup or happy hour with a friend or colleague. When you’re booked and busy, having a standing meeting on the calendar will come in handy.
• Have an honest conversation with a trusted partner—your mentor, your manager, etc.—and ask them to help you find ways to streamline your workload or prioritize your projects.

Stewardship: How we celebrate our wins and make time for rest and recovery. My number one tip is:

• Your. Paid. Time. Off. Whether it’s a staycation in your backyard or a trek across Europe, use your PTO and step away from your desk! (Pro tip: GiveMN includes PTO taken as part of quarterly employee reviews. Not only does my manager keep tabs on my work performance, but she is also invested in the sustainability of my workload and ensuring I step away to rest.)

Whether you’ve experienced burnout before, are a manager looking for ways to mitigate burnout with your employees, or anything in between, I encourage you to think about what your cycle of care looks like and lean into it. Minnesota’s nonprofit sector needs you and prioritizing your wellbeing and rest is worth it.

GiveMN will be closed from July 1-5, 2024, to provide staff with a period of collective rest. The Mightycause Help Team will be still be available during that time except for the federal holiday on July 4. Our team thanks you in advance for your patience as we step away and reset!

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Courtney Backen (장정미) is GiveMN's director of community and capacity development.