We are often approached for help with recruiting a fundraiser or asked to provide interim support during times of recruitment to cover maternity leave, sabbaticals or restructure.

Our experience of support has highlighted how recruitment is a minefield! We know that for many, the costs of recruitment are off-putting – our recent research has shown that options range from around £80 for a simple advert through to the recruitment consultant route which can cost up 20% of the total salary.

Unfortunately it’s not as easy as simply going for the cheapest option. We know from our clients that it’s increasingly difficult to find the right people, so you need to make sure your advert reaches as many jobseekers as possible. You also need to think carefully about what you can offer them – it’s competitive out there and you need to make sure that your offer stands up against all the rest.

We spoke to some job seekers via social media and here’s what they told us:

Where they are looking for jobs

The main place people are looking for a fundraising job is online and via the following sites:

What they are looking for

  • Clarity on who the organisation is and what they do – they wanted to know whether the organisation mission was something they could get behind.
  • Job title – people are naturally looking to progress, so often the job title is important.
  • Salary – 8 of the 12 jobseekers we asked said they would not even bother applying if no salary was stated. This guide from Harris Hill will give you an indication of what salary ranges people are being paid across the board for fundraising roles: Salary Survey
  • The application process – people were almost unanimously put off by a generic application form and preferred applications which required a cover letter and CV.
  • Extras: pension, annual leave, other benefits.

If you need advice on where to go to find a fundraiser we’d be happy to help, we can provide job descriptions, advice on where to advertise and support with the recruitment process.

Likewise, if you aren’t ready to recruit for a permanent post or can’t find the person you are looking for and need interim support then just get in touch to see how we can help.

“Fundraising Central has been a great help to Leicester Hospitals Charity. We needed to recruit new staff but didn’t have anywhere to put them. Fundraising Central provided an interim solution for us, helping us research and bid for funds from grant-making trusts to support some key projects we had. Their input helped us maintain momentum whilst we found new premises for the Charity, as well as securing additional funds for us. After recruitment they then helped brief the new members of the team, and were very generous with their time and expertise at all times.” Tim Diggle, Head of Fundraising – Leicester Hospitals Charity