Effective development requires a substantial amount of input from different kinds of ‘players’ throughout an organization. For example, a fundraising/development professional needs an accurate understanding of the accounting picture to communicate fiscal realities to donors/philanthropists.
Development should entail ‘’buy-in’ from the organization’s leadership, whose vision helps to paint the proverbial picture the fundraising/development professional is ‘selling’ to donors/philanthropists.
Effective development also entails that the fundraising/development professional solicit internal support from program managers, for instance, who can provide insights into ways in which financial support can ‘transform’ some aspect of what they do or the lives served by their program. Development may also entail reaching out to individuals served by the organization through the staff who have directly worked with them.
At its core, effective development relies on internal relationships throughout the organization that result in actionable information that enhances every aspect of the fundraising and donor stewardship process.