How to Build a Strong Culture when working in the field

The goal of any F2F project is simple: sign up as many quality donors as possible in the shortest time. So yeah, performance is key.

But here’s the thing, performance alone only gets you so far. You can have great training, strong leadership, and talented fundraisers, but if you don’t have the right culture, cracks will start to show. Internal conflicts, office politics, frustration, it all creeps in.

Culture is the glue that holds everything together. It’s what shapes how people work when no one’s watching, how they treat each other, and how they handle tough days. When done right, it keeps people happy 😊, lowers recruitment costs, and boosts performance naturally.

So how do you build a strong, positive culture while you’re out in the field with your team? Here’s what worked for me:

1. Be present 👥

As a leader, just being there matters more than you think. Back at SOS, I was in the field every day, fully in it with my team. I knew what they were going through, and honestly, it was a lot of fun. But more than that, it shaped our mindset - win or learn.

I made it a habit to be the first one out, the last to leave, always giving feedback and keeping my energy up. Because if the leader loses their spark, the team feels it instantly.

2. Set development goals 🎯 and actually review them

Daily goals create focus. Going out without a plan is a plan, it just happens to be a bad one.

We use a structured approach inspired by professional sports. But here’s the catch: setting goals means nothing if you don’t track them.

For me, the toughest area to master was handling objections. At first, I hesitated to push back or redirect to the cause. It took time to get comfortable with those moments. But once I built that skill, everything changed.

3. Make it fun 🎉 challenges, games, and a daily strategy

A good daily strategy keeps motivation high. As a leader, your role isn’t just to push for results, it’s to keep the energy up. So challenging your fundraisers with personal development and fun things to do can give a big hand.

Some of my all time favorites are: take a creative team photo with 10 or more people 📸, only stop elderly people for an hour, stop people using just eye contact 👀

Little things like this make the job more fun and keep fundraisers engaged.

These simple things made a huge difference in my teams, and I’ve seen them ripple out as new leaders carried them forward.

Every project is different, whether it’s in-house, agency, or hybrid. But at the core, culture is always about the same things. You want people to feel comfortable, respected, and motivated to work together.

What’s working for you and your team? Drop a comment 💬 or shoot me an email at alin@didof2f.com, I’d love to hear about it.

Until next time, stay inspired and trust the process. ✨