If the job description says “must have access to 7- or 8-figure donors,” run.
by Annalisa Holcombe, Founder & Principal Consultant
I’ve been fundraising for a long time. And I’ve seen a lot of job descriptions over the years. But there’s one type of line that still stops me cold. It usually goes something like this:
“Ideal candidate has access to 7- and 8-figure donors.”
That one sentence tells me everything I need to know about the organization, and honestly, it’s not good. Because here’s the thing. Yes, relationships matter. Of course they do. That’s true in just about every profession. But this idea that fundraising success is about having a secret list of rich friends you can call? That’s not fundraising. That’s wishful thinking.
More than that, it’s a fundamental misunderstanding of the work. Fundraising isn’t about who you know. It’s about what you believe. It’s not about convincing people to give you money. It’s about aligning their values with a mission that matters. It’s about clarity, not charm. Strategy, not schmoozing.
I understand why people get confused. If you’ve never done this work, it’s easy to think fundraising is all about charisma and connections. But that assumption does real damage. It leads to bad hires. It sets up fundraisers to fail. And it sends the message that the job is to “bring in big money,” instead of building belief and long-term alignment around impact.
I’m not trying to call anyone out here. I just think we need to tell the truth about what makes fundraising work. Because I’ve watched too many smart, capable fundraisers step into roles where leadership doesn’t understand the fundamentals, and then the fundraiser carries the blame when the shortcuts don’t pan out.
If you’re a fundraiser, pay attention. Job descriptions and interviews are full of clues. And if you see language that puts all the weight on your personal rolodex instead of the organization’s mission? That’s not a challenge. That’s a warning.
If you’re a leader hiring a fundraiser, ask yourself three questions:
Do we have a mission worth believing in?
Do we know how to talk about it clearly?
Are we willing to invest in the infrastructure that makes fundraising work?
Because here’s the truth:
Donors don’t give to you. They give through you.
That idea is at the very center of the belief-based fundraising. When we treat fundraising as a directional act—something that flows through mission, not personality—we stop chasing money and start building alignment. And that’s when real momentum begins.