Dec 2, 1954 The Senate voted to censure Joseph McCarthy.  This was the beginning of the end of the blacklist era.  Were US citizens with Communist leanings ever a threat to this country?  Outside of high security clearance jobs, it's hard to imagine.  But thousands of teachers, academics, entertainers, government workers and executives all got filtered out of the job pool, because of the list that the junior senator from Wisconsin claimed to hold in his hand.  (Incidentally, McCarthy never turned over a single name to the FBI for investigation.)

Hiring a fund raiser is one of the most vexing tasks (and there are many!) that keep non profit executives awake at night.  But it does not require a House Un-American Activities Hearing.   Here are some tips:

• Do a mock donor visit Give the candidate a fictionalized profile of a donor.  Assign a board member or program staff person to accompany the donor on a mock donor visit.  The new hire's supervisor should act the role of the donor.  You can see a lot about a person when you look through a donor's eyes.
• Ask for a writing sample Instruct the candidate to write a thank you note to the fictitious donor, and a note about the visit for the files, and get them back to you within 24 hours.
• Think: is this someone that I would look forward to seeing if he called to ask for a meeting?  A pleasant personality is important for any employee.  If the employee is going to represent the organization in conversations with donors, it is one of the most important factors. 
•  Think: are the candidate's successes commensurate with your challenges?  Over-qualification can be as lethal as under-qualification. Don't be dazzled by a glitzy resume.  Your ideal candidate will see this job as a challenge, a learning opportunity, a chance to prove and improve herself.

When you get past the hype and the mystique, fund raising means being a good listener, a good conduit for enthusiasm, and a good writer and conversationalist.  If you have an empty slot, and you want to talk about how to craft a job description, choose the right person, or train and evaluate a new employee, you know how to find me.  

(If it matters to you, no, I have never been a member of the Communist Party, although I have spent most of my adult life associating with organizations that Senator MacCarthy would, doubtless, have labeled Communist front groups.)