How I overcame a decade of self-doubt to help nonprofits thrive

When Your Fundraising Confidence Disappears
“Who am I to advise fundraisers after being away for over a decade?”

This question haunted me in 2021 when I considered returning to the nonprofit sector after 11 years in the corporate world.
Despite my early career experience at the Royal Museums Greenwich and Cancer Research UK, despite the transferable skills I’d gained in business development and digital marketing, despite everything I objectively knew about effective fundraising, I felt like an absolute fraud.

Have you ever felt this way about your fundraising work?

Like, somehow you don’t quite belong?

Like everyone else know some secret fundraising formula you missed?

You’re not alone. And today, I want to share my personal journey with impostor syndrome in fundraising and how I finally overcame it.

How the Fundraising World Left Me Behind (Or So I Thought)

In 2003, fresh out of university, I dove headfirst into the fundraising world. Those early years at the National Maritime Museum and Cancer Research UK taught me the fundamentals of connecting donors with causes they care about.

I was passionate, eager, and felt like I belonged.

Then in 2010, my career took a turn. I left fundraising to work in the translation industry as a business development manager, later becoming an independent digital marketing consultant for service-based entrepreneurs around the world. For over a decade, I built my expertise in completely different sectors.

Meanwhile, the fundraising landscape transformed dramatically:

• Digital fundraising revolutionised donor engagement strategies
• Social media became central to nonprofit communications
• New generations of donors brought different expectations and motivations
• Fundraising regulations have evolved significantly across the UK and globally
• Pandemic giving changed traditional fundraising assumptions yet again

When I contemplated returning to fundraising in 2021, the impostor syndrome was overwhelming.

Every fundraising webinar I attended, every nonprofit newsletter I read, every fundraising conversation I joined seemed to highlight just how much I’d missed.

“You’ve been away too long,” that inner voice whispered. “You’re not qualified anymore. Everyone will see right through you.”

I nearly walked away from my passion for helping mission-driven organisations before I’d even begun.

The Turning Point: From Outsider to Innovator

Taking that first step back wasn’t easy. Thanks to Animal Advocacy Careers, I secured a placement at New Roots Institute, which became my bridge back to the nonprofit world. And there I had a realisation that changed everything: my outsider perspective after years in different industries wasn’t a weakness, it was my greatest strength.

While working with the team at New Roots Institute, I discovered I could see patterns and opportunities that those deeply embedded in the sector sometimes missed:

• My business development experience brought fresh approaches to donor relationships
• My digital marketing expertise offered nonprofits strategies their competitors weren’t using
• My work with entrepreneurs gave me insights into efficient systems that nonprofits could adapt
• My cross-sector perspective helped bridge communication gaps between nonprofits and corporate partners

Most importantly, I could relate to the overwhelming feeling many nonprofit leaders experience when facing fundraising challenges from a non-traditional background.

The Hidden Value of the Outsider Perspective

What I once saw as a liability, my decade-plus away from fundraising, gradually revealed itself as my unique value proposition.
I wasn’t burdened by “we’ve always done it this way” thinking. I could question fundraising assumptions others took for granted. I brought innovative approaches from other sectors that breathed new life into traditional fundraising strategies.

The truth is, fundraising doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The most effective nonprofit professionals are often those who can integrate insights from multiple disciplines – marketing, psychology, business development, technology, and more.

Are You Experiencing Fundraising Imposter Syndrome?

If you’re nodding along to my story, you might be experiencing fundraising impostor syndrome yourself.

This feeling is particularly common among:

• Career-changers wondering if their previous experience “counts” in fundraising
• Returning fundraisers worried they’d missed too much during their break
• Accidental fundraisers thrust into development roles without formal training
• Nonprofit founders questioning their ability to secure funding
• Non-native English speakers (like me!) concerned about communication barriers in international fundraising contexts

Five Strategies That Helped Me Overcome Fundraising Imposter Syndrome

If you’re struggling with similar feelings, here are the approaches that helped me rebuild my confidence:

1. Find Your Bridge Back

My placement at New Roots Institute through Animal Advocacy Careers provided a structured way to re-enter the nonprofit world. Look for volunteer opportunities, board positions, mentorship programs, or part-time roles that can serve as your bridge.

2. Identify Your Transferable Superpowers

Make a concrete list of the skills you’ve developed elsewhere that apply to fundraising. Business development, relationship building, storytelling, project management, data analysis. These are all valuable fundraising skills, regardless of where you developed them.

3. Embrace Being the Beginner Again

Instead of pretending to know everything, I embraced being a learner. I asked questions, joined current fundraising courses, and approached experienced fundraisers with curiosity rather than competition.

4. Connect with Other “Outsiders”

Finding other fundraisers with non-traditional backgrounds reminded me that diverse perspectives strengthen our sector. Industry groups like the Institute of Fundraising often have special interest groups for career-changers.

5. Start Small and Gather Evidence

Begin with smaller projects where you can demonstrate your value, then document these successes. Each positive outcome builds evidence against that inner critical voice.

Your Unique Journey Is Your Fundraising Superpower

Today, I want to speak directly to every fundraiser questioning their legitimacy in this field:
Your unique journey isn’t a liability, it’s your superpower.

The fundraising world NEEDS fresh voices, diverse experiences, and people who question established practices. Your different perspective might just hold the innovative solution a nonprofit has been searching for.

Those moments when you feel most like an outsider? They’re often precisely when you have the most valuable insights to offer.

Moving Forward With Confidence

Seven years since leaving the corporate world to pursue my passion for helping passionate entrepreneurs and nonprofits, I no longer apologise for my winding career path. I celebrate it.

My experience with impostor syndrome hasn’t disappeared entirely, that voice still whispers occasionally – but I’ve learned to recognise it as a sign that I’m pushing boundaries and growing.

If you’re experiencing fundraising imposter syndrome, I hope my story helps you see that you’re not alone and that your unique perspective is exactly what makes you valuable.

Have you experienced impostor syndrome in your fundraising journey? What helped you overcome it?

Share your experience in the comments below. I respond to every comment, and your story might help another fundraiser who’s struggling with similar feelings.

About Sabine Panneau: Sabine helps nonprofit leaders and fundraisers leverage their unique strengths to connect authentically with donors. With experience spanning Cancer Research UK, international business development, and digital marketing, she brings a cross-sector perspective to fundraising challenges. Sabine is a volunteer mentor with Vital Voices Global Partnership and FemMentored, and advocates for Women Funders in Animal Rights.

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