by Jane McIntosh, CFRE
Chief Philanthropy and External Affairs Officer
Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation
Over the last two years, I've mentored several early-career fundraising professionals, and I'm struck by two things: how much they emphasize networking as essential to success and how heavily they weigh professional development when evaluating job opportunities.
Those conversations have been an interesting contrast to the way I remember beginning my own career.
I scoured the want ads in The New York Times, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and The Village Voice. I wrote cover letters and résumés, printed them at the public library, and mailed them to prospective employers. Then I'd come home from various temp jobs hoping the light on my answering machine would be blinking with an invitation to interview. The process took weeks—sometimes months. It was hard.
My first fundraising job was in the music department of a prominent New York City church. As the development associate, I was responsible for the annual appeal. After carefully running spell check, I proudly printed 5,000 appeal letters. They were folded, stuffed, sealed, and ready to be mailed.
Thankfully, before they went out, a member of the choir happened to read one.
Instead of promoting the church's public organ recital series, my letter invited donors to the pubic organ rectal series.
My cheeks stayed pink for days.
I share that story because fundraising is a craft, and like every craft, it is learned through apprenticeship. You learn by making mistakes, watching experienced colleagues, asking questions, and doing the work.
Master the fundamentals. Learn prospect research and portfolio management. Understand donor cultivation and stewardship. Learn to write compelling proposals and tell stories that inspire generosity. Build relationships not only with donors but also with colleagues in finance, IT, human resources, marketing, and programs. Fundraising doesn't happen in isolation. The more you understand how your organization works—and how your role contributes to its success—the more effective you'll become.
Watch how experienced colleagues prepare for meetings, write proposals, navigate setbacks, and build trust over time. Ask not only how they do something, but why.
The early years of your career aren't about collecting titles. They're about collecting lessons.
Every organization you work for and every person you work with has something to teach you—both what to do and what not to do. Observe. Learn. Adapt. Over time, you'll develop your own judgment, your own style, and your own voice.
Networking matters. Professional development matters. Both can accelerate your growth—but they are most valuable when they complement the experience gained by doing the work.
There are no shortcuts.
Master the craft, and the career will follow.
Jane McIntosh is Chief Philanthropy & External Affairs Officer at the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF), where she leads the Foundation’s fundraising, communications, and external engagement strategy in support of its mission to accelerate the discovery of drugs to prevent, treat, and cure Alzheimer’s disease. With more than 25 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Jane has helped mission-driven organizations build the relationships and resources needed to advance ambitious ideas. Her career has spanned cultural and scientific organizations, where she has led strategic growth, strengthened organizations, and cultivated enduring philanthropic partnerships. Jane holds a master’s degree in arts management from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from Binghamton University.
