Jerold Panas is a long-time hero of mine, ever since I saw him at my first ever AFP (then NSFRE) conference in San Francisco back in the early 1990s. He is a great writer and has authored many influential, even seminal, books. I quote him all the time in my seminars.

To publish a series of his ‘verities’ that we can make available to the fundraising world...well, that’s almost too good to be true. One Jerry (Huntsinger) is great. Two Jerrys seems almost greedy! Particularly when the second is Panas.

Ken Burnett.

What makes a great fundraiser?

Of my own books, Born to Raise is one of my favourites. In it I write about the attributes, personal traits, skills and talents that make a great fundraiser. Not a fundraising manager, but someone who manages a staff and development department: they aren’t the same.

I wanted to answer the question: is there a ‘fundraising type’? Outgoing, people-oriented, backslapping, extremely well-organised, goal-oriented, brilliant. This magnificent creature probably doesn’t exist. It’s really hard, perhaps impossible, to know what makes an ideal fundraiser.

What are the secrets, the mysteries? What profound bits of wisdom explain why one person racks up one fundraising success after another, while someone else lives out a humdrum career and existence? Why do some simply never make it?

Here’s a quick and easy explanation that seems to sum it up. Success takes common sense, the ability to communicate effectively and easily, the talent to motivate people, a good memory and the hunger to succeed.

The craving to succeed, the drive and determination to win, may be the most important of all.

I spent a day interviewing 50 great fundraisers – with a few, several days. I have been around the slippery, greased track for many years – and have worked directly, one to one, with probably close to a thousand men and women in the field.

What I offer here are some observations and findings about fundraising and fundraisers – the verities of our profession. Canons to work by, tenets you can count on. These are truths and principles that will assure you are the best you can be.

Here they are, the verities: each important, many a virtual strike of lightning. 

Verity one: you have great joy in what you are doing

Verity two: success is always coupled with perseverance

Verity three: you are a communicator

Verity four: you are high-touch, low-tech

Verity five: this one is obvious: you ask for the order

Verity six: great fundraisers are winners

Verity seven: you have decisive resolve.

Verity eight: you delight in the premise that fundraising provides fulfilment to deeds not words.

Verity nine: you have presence

Verity 10: boldness has genius, power and magic to it

Verity 11: you have an unwavering commitment to the institution and a near-militant belief in its mission.

Verity 12: if you can conceive it, you can achieve it.

Verity 13: you inspire others to action.

Verity 14: you have a quality of leadership

Verity 15: you understand that every grand opportunity is simply masquerading as a problem, a mystery waiting to be solved.

Verity 16: all of the great fundraisers have certain success factors in common.