MY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR IS LEAVING. NOW WHAT?

Staff Turnover is unavoidable. Disaster is not.

By Catherine Heitz New

Development director turnover is inevitable. Whether prompted by retirement, relocation, career advancement, or a new opportunity, every arts organization will eventually experience the departure of a key fundraising leader. While the timing is rarely ideal, the transition itself shouldn't come as a surprise.

The organizations that navigate these moments most successfully aren't the ones that avoid turnover—they're the ones that prepare for it. With the right mindset and a thoughtful plan, a leadership transition doesn't have to become a fundraising crisis. In fact, it can become an opportunity to strengthen your fundraising program for years to come.

Every Transition Has Three Phases

When a development director leaves, it's easy to think of the transition as one long process. I don't think that's helpful. Instead, I encourage organizations to think about it in three distinct phases:

1. The interim phase

2. The search phase

3. The onboarding phase

Each requires a different mindset.

During the interim, your priority is to protect fundraising momentum. During the search, your focus shifts to finding the right person for your organization. During onboarding, your responsibility becomes investing in that person's long-term success.

Separating the transition into these three phases helps leaders focus on the decisions that matter most at each stage rather than trying to solve every problem at once. Let’s take a deeper look at the needs of each stage.

The Interim Phase

Your Objective in Phase One is to protect revenue first. Build outward from there.

Protect Momentum During the Interim

One of the biggest mistakes arts organizations make during the interim phase is trying to replace everything the departing development director was doing.

It’s impossible. Instead, identify the work that absolutely must continue and protect it first. Think triage, not perfection.

Which major gift conversations need to continue? What direct mail appeals have to go out? Which sponsorship renewals can't wait? What stewardship activities, gift acknowledgments, or reporting deadlines must continue uninterrupted?

Once you've identified those priorities, create a simple action plan. Determine who the target audience is, what action needs to happen, who will lead it, and when it must be completed.

The Search Phase

Your Objective in Phase Two is to clarify your needs and secure the best fundraising professional to meet them.

Hire the Person Your Organization Needs

Once you've stabilized the immediate future, it's time to focus on finding your next development director.

Before writing a job description, take a step back and evaluate the strengths already within your organization.

Some development directors are exceptional program managers. They organize people, systems, and fundraising operations. Others excel at building relationships and personally advancing major gifts.

Neither approach is superior in every case – the important question is, “which one best complements the rest of your leadership team?”

Too often, arts organizations hire based on a general idea of what a development director should look like rather than what their organization actually needs. The result is often a mismatch—not because the individual lacks talent, but because they aren't the right complement to the executive director, Board, or fundraising program already in place.

Look Beyond the Resume.

Another mistake I often see is placing too much emphasis on the perfect fundraising resume.

Experience certainly matters, but resumes only tell you where someone has been. They don't necessarily tell you how they will perform within your organization.

Some of the most successful development directors I've worked with didn't come through traditional fundraising careers. What they shared wasn't identical experience—it was the personal qualities that allowed them to succeed.

Three characteristics consistently stand out: passion, tenacity, and curiosity. Technical fundraising skills can often be developed. These characteristics are much harder to teach.

The Onboarding Phase

Your Objective in Phase Three is to consistently invest in your new hire.

Onboarding Is Critical

Hiring the right person is only the beginning. One of the greatest mistakes I see is assuming that once a development director is hired, fundraising growth will naturally follow. It doesn't work that way.

Your new fundraiser's success depends heavily on the investment you make in their success. Define what success looks like, establish priorities, and provide regular coaching and support.

Continue Investing in Their Success

Onboarding continues well beyond the first few weeks. Diagnose the obstacles your development director faces and respond accordingly to clear the path. Sometimes the answer is a coach who helps them make confident decisions. Sometimes it's greater clarity, better technology, additional staffing, or stronger volunteer engagement. Leaders who consistently provide direction and resources create fundraisers who are more productive and more likely to stay.

In Closing: Strong Systems Outlast Staff Changes

Development director turnover is inevitable. Long-term disruption isn’t.

Organizations that plan thoughtfully for the interim period, hire intentionally, and invest in meaningful onboarding don't simply survive leadership transitions. They preserve fundraising momentum, strengthen donor relationships, and build systems that continue performing through change.

If your organization is preparing for a development director transition—or wants to be better prepared before that day arrives—RSC Associates can help. From program evaluation and executive coaching to recruitment guidance and onboarding strategy, we help arts organizations navigate leadership transitions while protecting the fundraising momentum they've worked so hard to build.