Strategies for Retaining Development Professionals

Nonprofit development staff turnover is a serious and pervasive challenge across organizations of every shape and size. Short tenures and high vacancies in development positions disrupt donor relationships, reduce revenue continuity, drain institutional knowledge, and result in high replacement costs. For a small nonprofit, the exit of even a single development staff member can derail fundraising efforts for several cycles. And the challenge of attracting and retaining development staff can feel daunting when resources and staff capacity are already stretched thin.