Trish, how did you get into non-profit development? That is where my passion is; I would love to work somewhere that made a difference in people's lives.
I actually just fell into it. I worked as an administrative assistant at a housing authority's community center, and luckily, my boss couldn't do anything and I had to pick up the slack. After learning to write grant applications as I went, I was promoted to manager, when I wrote a huge grant that brought in a nonprofit educational group. My job was eliminated, and I went to work for that group - and that's where I am now! I like grant writing, but it's easy for me and has lost its challenge. It also doesn't inspire me to get up in the morning. That's why I'm going back to school to become a teacher.
It's easier than you think to get into the field. Ignore the people who tell you that a fund development degree is needed - my degree's in German, yet I'm one of my area's top fundraisers. Try volunteering for a cause you believe in, and eventually they'll give you more responsibilities. I give trainings on how to write grants and I'll appear in an upcoming documentary with the working title "Fundraisers on Fundraising". Cool, eh?
