Young Fund Raisers Face Many Challenges

To the Editor:

Thank you very much for your article “Wanted: a Little Respect” (October 13).

I too am a “young” fund raiser and have the same struggles that the fund raisers in your article have encountered with co-workers, board members, and donors in my career. I appreciate this article acknowledging our struggles for respect and providing advice to people working with younger colleagues.

In my first job after college, as operations coordinator for a national Christian organization, my boss — the executive director — would often make comments about my “youngness.” In addition, while conversing with one older board member he commented that I should stand up straight because he wanted to be “a grandfather figure” to me. In addition, at my current job, my boss, who is also the executive director, has commented that she is old enough to be my mother.

Because of those experiences, I have become self-conscious about my age and frequently wish I were 10 years older so I could receive the respect. In addition, although I have earned a master’s of management in nonprofit administration, have four years’ work experience as a senior manager and fund raiser in the nonprofit sector, provide consulting services to start-up nonprofits, and teach a nonprofit class at a local university, I repeatedly work with vendors, donors, and co-workers who ask my age.

I simply want to respond to all of them: “I am old enough to have a master’s degree, etc.” However, instead I politely say “my age is 26″ and I try to not to take those inquiries personally.

Heather Carpenter
Operations Manager
Low-Income Families Empowerment Through Education
Oakland, Calif.