There are people that enjoy building relationships and asking for support for organizations, and there are those that would rather do anything but ask or money. The first category of people is happy to call themselves development officers and make a career working within that department.  The rest of the staff may not call themselves development officers, but they do play a role in the process of fundraising.

A primary goal in development is creating and nurturing relationships that will hopefully engender charitable gifts.  Anyone in a role that works with the public they impact this relationship building process.

The first experience that a person has with an organization is often when he or she visits a website.  The first people they talk to are in the ticket office, the concessions stand, or souvenir shop.   They may not encounter a member of the development staff for weeks, months, or years.

When a person searches for information on the website, or comments on social media, they have a relationship with that organization.  When a person calls the organization the person that answers the phone is impacting the relationship.  When a person buys a ticket to a show or event that interaction, digital or in person, impacts the relationship.  When that person stops a member of the crew for a show outside the theater to ask a question they are building a relationship.  And all these things may happen before a patron meets a member of the development staff and begins to build a relationship themselves.

So what should we do to protect these relationships before they make it to development?

1. Consistent messaging
2. Solid Customer Service
3. Preparing ALL staff to interact with the public

Involving the development staff in the creation of the messaging that comes out of the marketing department will provide a consistency for patrons between marketing and development materials.  While the departments have separate ultimate goals the path to accomplishing those goals often intersects.

Building solid customer service skills will ensure a consistent, positive, experience for those interacting with the organization.  A positive experience can lead to a return visit and positive word of mouth that builds the organizations reputation.

All staff members need to learn how to communicate with the public about the theater.  They are a representative of the organization when they attend events, in meetings with other organizations and outside partners, and in or around the organization’s physical location.  To have prepared talking points to common questions about the organization and current public relations activities is important.

Ultimately, while it isn’t the responsibility of all staff members to ask for charitable contributions, it is everyone’s responsibility to act as a development officer and begin building a relationship with patrons.