Here's how you can maintain a fulfilling personal life as a fundraiser and avoid burnout.

Remember that fundraising is best done through building personal relationships Its not by sending manually 100 emails a day Its not by cold calling 100 potential investors a day If you do Fundraising for living, it’s a lot of fun if you do it the right way You meet wealthy and successful individuals, you develop close relationships with them, and its not nerve recking process Indeed, it does take time, just like everything in life, but you will have to embrace the fact that you wont be able the best fundraiser over night Enjoy the journey, that’s the key

Establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. During my journey with TheCocoLove, I learned to set specific work hours and stick to them, ensuring I have time to recharge.

Es muy difícil poder tener un trabajo operativo en recaudación de fondos y poder desconectarte de tus responsabilidades. Lo que mejor me funciona es tener una libreta si se me ocurre una idea, solo lo anoto, no me quedo con ese pensamiento constante. Y dedícate a tener hobbies, no todo es trabajo. Consigue desconectarte y cuando regreses a trabajar, te sentirás rejuvenecido.

Take care of your mental and physical health. Reading books like “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz taught me the importance of self-care in maintaining resilience. I make time for regular exercise and hobbies.

Keep your tasks and schedule well-organized. Tools like Trello and Google Calendar have been invaluable in managing my fundraising activities without feeling overwhelmed. This organization helps me balance work and personal commitments.

Maintain strong personal relationships. Spending quality time with family and friends provides emotional support and a sense of balance. Even amidst intense fundraising efforts, I ensure to nurture my relationships.

It can be easy to lose yourself to some of the more challenging aspects of modern fundraising from mastering digital marketing on a budget to maintaining major donors during political volatility - it can be overwhelming. But remind yourself that fundraising is a sacred and ancient practice. People will always need your talents. It’s human nature to care for others and provide resources. We are lucky to engage in this work.

Stay connected to your mission and why you started. Reading “Venture Deals” by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson reminded me to focus on the long-term vision of TheCocoLove, which helps keep me motivated and centered.

Adapt to changes and be flexible with your plans. Fundraising can be unpredictable, but maintaining flexibility helps manage stress. I learned to adjust my strategies and schedules as needed to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

It is essential to understand that the fiscal year has its ebbs and flows, but even in the "slow" times, there is always the chance that something urgent may come up. Flexibility is a critical skill to master but essential in this type of work. That being said, do so when you can take some time off! If you've worked hard and need time to reset, take that time and come back refreshed and ready to take on the next big project.