What Are the Top 3 Qualities of a Great F2F Fundraising Leader?

Since 2017, when I first got into face-to-face fundraising, I’ve had the chance to recruit a lot of people. Hiring fundraisers is one thing, but hiring directly for leadership roles is a different game. Leaders carry more responsibility, which means their impact is bigger.

If you've worked on F2F projects, you've probably asked yourself at least once: What are the most important qualities a leader should have to make the biggest difference?

Here are my top three picks right now. This list is a work in progress, just like me. As I grow, they change as well, so take them with a grain of salt.

1. Responsibility – Doing what you say you’ll do and seeing it through

Luckily, I have leaders in my team I can count on. But getting here was no easy journey. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and overcame diverse obstacles.

I remember one of the failed experiments. I hired and fired a guy withing 6 weeks. On paper, the candidate looked great: strong fundraising results, great pitch, lots of big promises. In reality, the follow-through just wasn’t there. He’d commit to things but rarely delivered. After a little over a month of increased stress and extra workload (for me), I had to let him go. That’s when I realized responsibility needs to be at the top of my checklist when hiring leaders.

2. Empathy – Seeing beyond words and stepping into other’s shoes

Culture matters just as much as performance. A team works better when people genuinely enjoy showing up for work, and for that to happen, they need to feel that their leader actually cares about them. That’s where empathy comes in.

Being empathetic also helps you support your team the way they need, not how you think they need. Over the years, I’ve built multiple high-performing teams, and one major reason our turnover stayed low was that I actually cared about my people. That, and making sure they’re paid decently.

3. Communication – the ability to communicate effectively should start ‘home’

Where there are people, there will be misunderstandings and conflicts. How quickly and effectively you solve them depends on how you communicate.

My favourite frameworks are NVC (Nonviolent Communication) by Marshall Rosenberg and LET (Leader Effectiveness Training) by Thomas Gordon. They’re science-based, human-cantered, and universally applicable. They also help develop emotional intelligence, not just for the leader but for the whole team. As a consequence, everyone’s quality of life at work and home improves.

So, those are my top three must-haves when I hire or promote leaders. I am aware that for different environments out there, the top three can be so much different. I mean I see just as important things like resilience, a growth mindset, flexibility, courage, the ability to inspire others, and many more.

Now, I’m burning with curiosity about what are the top three qualities you look for in a leader? Drop a comment or email me at alin@didof2f.com. Can’t wait to hear your take!

In the meantime, stay inspired and trust the process.