Fund raisers have a tendency to burnout within a couple of years. It’s a tough job! There are so many moving parts and the kindling tends to weaken under the flame. When work, stress and pressure outweigh the enjoyment it causes a lack of energy and burnout surfaces.

How do you fight burnout?

1. Delegate aspects of the program to your volunteers. New people bring different ideas. Delegating sounds easy enough but it does take a bit more work than just handing things over. There’s the letting go piece, training, and then being okay with how things are progressing. The fund raiser’s work doesn’t necessarily reduce but it does change and that can create a feeling of newness.
2. Take each day in pieces! The full picture can be daunting. Small steps make adjustments easier. Keep a priority calendar and update it at the end of each day.
3. Take a step back. I often talk about the V formation and how the lead bird falls back to let another bird lead for a while within a flock. You can do the same when you consider the V in V formation as volunteer. Stepping back empowers another person. It actually rekindles the flame and makes the program stronger in the end. This is not giving up your role but opening the door for someone to relieve you for the moment.

Let’s have some fun. We know what air does to a flame and I’m jumping into the ring of fire on this playfulness because I’m wearing my Air Jordans! The slogan “Just Do It!” comes to mind. Delegate, take each day in pieces, and work with your V (volunteer) formation to create success. It’s time to reduce burnout and go big!