Hire an Influencer Fundraising Program Manager
By: Alyssa Sweetman
One of the best things you can do when your organization starts down the path of creating an influencer fundraising program is to hire a person to manage that program.
Anecdotally, each charity I have worked with that invested in a program manager saw results faster than those who did not, and they saw more repeat fundraisers than those who did not. While organizations may call the role something different, the role is roughly the same across most organizations.
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions that I have received regarding hiring an influencer fundraising program manager:
What exactly is an influencer fundraising program manager? The job of this individual is to work with online content creators/influencers, online communities, and organizations to recruit digital fundraisers and execute custom fundraising activations.
What’s the difference between an influencer fundraising program manager and a community manager? A community manager is similar to a program manager in that they both focus on working with external parties and executing programs; however, community manager is a relatively new title and is concentrated in the gaming / influencer sphere. In general, a program manager often has additional responsibilities beyond a community manager’s role such as exploring fundraising opportunities with any and all digital influencers rather than just gaming. That said, many use the terms interchangeably.
Does the individual I hire need to be a streamer? No, they just need to be well versed in social media platforms, general marketing strategies, and why they care about your cause.
What background would be ideal for candidates? Good starting places include Influencer Marketing, Community Management, Brand Campaign Managers, and (non-technical) Program Managers. You’re looking for somebody who has strong communication skills and a high emotional intelligence.
Who would this person report to in my organization? The same person your social media manager reports to (but not the social media manager directly). It’s also important to note that community managers are not social media managers. You can learn more about the difference on Sprout Social.
What kind of goals should I set for this position? While output goals can be a good metric (number of fundraisers in a year or amount raised in a year), the best goals to measure the success of this role are input goals. Examples include:
Number of new influencers reached out to over a given period.
Number of returning influencers reached out to over a given period.
Prepare monthly / quarterly reports.
Specific initiatives such as working with a team of influencers on an activation once a quarter
Identifying key events to travel to and the goals for each trip.
If I hire an influencer part-time to take on this role, what kind of boundaries and expectations should I have?
Workload expectations – You may decide to hire an influencer that is still in the throes of their career, and without setting expectations your cause may not be a priority. Be very clear on the boundaries and expectations as well as the goals you’d like to work towards.
Consultant vs community manager – If you hire a part-time consultant, note that you’re paying for a review of the work you’re doing and feedback on how it may be received by other influencers. Consultants are not expected to act as community managers or represent your organization on their social media.
At the end of the day you’re going to have to decide what you want this role to be at your organization. As long as you remain flexible and open as the role develops within your organization, you’re set up for success.
Need help finding the right candidate, writing a job description, or internal justification?
