A. Primarily because it is very hard to find the right person for the job. Most organizations principal objection is the added cost, but these costs often pale in comparison to the opportunity costs of a vacant office in your development department as well as the real expense of staff and volunteers who focus on the search rather than their “day jobs.”

A June 19th article in the New York Times (nytimes.com) speaks to the difficulty of filling interesting, well-paid positions at every level. The article also referenced that “nearly 100 groups in the region (New York) were (currently) looking for fund-raisers, grant writers, special events coordinators and other development workers – and those are only the groups that have continued to place ads (in the Chronicle of Philanthropy)” The Association of Fundraising Professionals-the national organization of development personnel-reports that nationally, the turnover rate for fund-raisers in the US in 2003-the most recent year for which there is complete data – was 25 percent.

Mersky, Jaffe & Associates can decrease the time it takes to fill the position, save staff time and resources, and recruit qualified candidates who may not be looking for a job – and therefore would not see an ad – but would be ideal for the position. We screen candidates, prepare staff and volunteers for interviews and guarantee a successful transition.