On Tuesday evening Charity People hosted a seminar with Fundraising coach and trainer, Kim van Niekerk. This event marked the launch of a new series of events from us designed for professionals in the charity sector seeking inspiration, advice, insight and networking opportunities. For those of you unable to join us Kim has just summarised and shared her tips in the piece below.
Stepping up to your first head of fundraising role
Kim van Niekerk
There is no doubt about it, the fundraising profession is exploding. Every day I speak to charities that are investing more in fundraising. They are expanding teams or taking on fundraisers for the first time. And in the midst of this there is a need for talented Heads of Fundraising who have the confidence and skills to grow their organisations.
Whether you are working out how to get there, or wanting to shape the ‘Head of’ role that you are in, the most important thing to remember is that your development is a very personal journey and there is no one size fits all answer.
One of the most valuable places to start is by working out what your questions are. What do you want answers to? I commonly hear, ‘How do I confidently move from a manager to a leader?’ or ‘How do I manage Board expectations around fundraising?’ Working with a coach can be the perfect way to explore these questions and check you are getting to the really pertinent bit...like do you have a definition of leadership in fundraising to work towards or do you understand your Board well enough to manage any expectations?
In the meantime, I want to share with you some of the traits that the most successful Heads of Fundraising use to achieve their goals. I’m sure you will be ticking several of them off as you go, but hopefully there are some to get you thinking too.
1) They know how to listen. And no it’s not as easy as it sounds. It means interpreting and understanding everything they hear and using this information to shape their decisions and strategies for growth. Behind every conversation there is a mind asking ‘Why am I hearing this response? What is causing it? How can I shape this to support fundraising?
2) They know how to influence. And yes this can be learnt, but it takes dedication and practice. It means being an expert in fundraising, knowing how to build relationships, positioning yourself as essential to the success of other teams and being able to throw in a good dollop of charisma.
3) They know the meaning of commitment. This doesn’t mean spending every waking hour at work, but it does mean throwing your emotional, intellectual and social skills behind the purpose of the charity.
4) They know what indicators to look for across every fundraising discipline even if they aren’t a specialist in that area. Acquisition, retention, life time value, return on investment and market orientation are just some of the familiar metrics.
5) They audit their fundraising on an annual basis. This is a step so many teams miss out because they are pushed for time, but auditing gives clarity on what is working, what isn’t and why. It looks at internal and external factors and tells a charity what is feasible for income delivery each year, what opportunities for investment exist, and where they should prioritise their efforts.
6) They know their donors. Really know their donors. They take time to understand what they are thinking, feeling, saying, doing, worrying about and hoping for, not just how much they are capable of giving. And only then do they develop communication plans for each audience that are piloted and rolled out.
7) They make short term decisions that play into long term goals. With so little to invest in fundraising there can be a temptation to fund only the immediate fundraising needs of organisations, but strategic thinking links these decisions in to the broader long term ambitions of growth.
8) They set up several scenarios for development and investment to discuss with their teams and across the organisation. This is how they create buy in and work up solutions and ideas that benefit as many stakeholders as possible.
9) They experiment. Fundraising is not about perfection. It is about careful research, best made plans, careful observation and constant iteration to find solutions that really work.
10) They make recommendations and plans based on evidence, not assumptions. The fundraising world has become extremely sophisticated and academics, professional bodies and consultants are publishing data all the time for us to use. We can also borrow from dozens of other disciplines if we know how to apply them into the fundraising sector and of course we can produce our own internal data. Wherever the information comes from, this is the stuff that builds confidence in fundraising plans and investments and gathers the support of Boards and SMT alike.
It is a thrilling, rewarding role being a Head of Fundraising, but it can also be lonely and incredibly stressful when you have no fundraising expertise around you to back your decisions, or worse still, if you are surrounded by people who find fundraising uncomfortable and want nothing to do with it. It takes stamina and determination to craft the culture you want.
As I watch fundraisers grow into awesome leaders, I’m also completely biased about the role I think coaching can play in helping individuals reach the goals they set themselves. If you have been on training courses and are comfortable reading and self learning, but you want guided direction and very individual support for your development, then I cannot recommend it highly enough. Find someone who you connect with, who you trust to bring out the best in you and who gets results and I promise you will cherish the investment you made in yourself.
You can also find a wealth of information behind auditing and strategy in books such as Fundraising Principles and Practice by Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang. And if you are thinking about your next steps to becoming a Head of Fundraising why not think about becoming a Trustee where you can gather great exposure to governance and SMT activity.
For more tips and advice to develop your fundraising skills join me at www.kimvanniekerk.com
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
Well done to Anna, Ben, Tim, Graham and Neil who ran this Bupa 10k at the weekend!
A few of our lovely team ran the Bupa 10k around some of London’s greatest landmarks on Sunday, raising funds for mental health charity the Richmond Fellowship. We are proud to say that the team together raised a fantastic £645 which will go towards helping people with mental health problems live independently, find work and make the most of life.
The Richmond Fellowship are specialist providers of mental health services. They help over 9,000 people each year and offer a wide range of housing, care, employment and community support across more than 120 services. They help people break free of mental stigma, overcome isolation and take control of their lives. The charity require much needed funds to carry on with their wonderful work and support more people to live independent lives. You can find out more about them here www.richmondfellowship.org.uk
This is one of several fundraising activities Charity People have planned for 2015. Keep an eye on our blog to hear our latest news.
The Richmond Fellowship are specialist providers of mental health services. They help over 9,000 people each year and offer a wide range of housing, care, employment and community support across more than 120 services. They help people break free of mental stigma, overcome isolation and take control of their lives. The charity require much needed funds to carry on with their wonderful work and support more people to live independent lives. You can find out more about them here www.richmondfellowship.org.uk
This is one of several fundraising activities Charity People have planned for 2015. Keep an eye on our blog to hear our latest news.
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
Free Seminar from Charity People – Stepping up to Your First Head of Fundraising Role. – Date changed due to Tube strike
***The date of this event has now changed due to the planned London Tube Strike on Wednesday 7th May. The event will now take place on Tuesday 3rd June.***
Free Seminar from Charity People – Stepping up to Your First Head of Fundraising Role.
On Wednesday 7th May Charity People is running a free event for people looking to move to a Head of Fundraising role. It’s relevant for people who are new to a Head of Fundraising role or who are aiming to become a Head of Fundraising soon. If you’re interested in attending please see the details below and reserve your place via the event page.
Stepping up – Your First Head of Fundraising role
Guest speaker – Kim Van Nierkerk Tuesday 3rd June 2014, 6.00-8.00pm Central London
Taking on your first ‘Head Of Fundraising’ role can be an exciting, challenging and daunting time. We regularly hear from candidates wanting to know how to secure their first Head of Fundraising role and adapt their skills and management style to their new position.
On Tuesday 3rd June you’re invited to join us for a free, short session in which we will offer advice, insight and encouragement for managers wishing to step up into their first a ‘Head of Fundraising’ role. The session will cover the following areas:
6.00pm –Registration, welcome and refreshments
6.30pm-7.30pm – talk from our guest speaker Kim van Nierkerk, plus time for questions
7.30pm – 8.00pm – opportunity for networking
Our guest speaker Kim van Nierkerk has worked in the charity sector for over ten years, as a fundraiser in the largest and smallest organisations. She is a regular speaker at international fundraising conferences and an approved trainer of the Institute of Fundraising’s Diploma in Fundraising. Kim is also a Trustee of Sail 4 Cancer, founder of Profit with Purpose Fellows Network at the Royal Society of Arts. She also runs The Coffee House, which helps great social projects get off the ground and injects a new lease of life into non-profits by improving their fundraising and business strategy.
The event will be hosted by Carla Miller, Managing Director at Charity People, where she also recruits senior fundraisers. Carla has worked in the charity sector as a fundraiser since 1998 and has held Fundraising & Marketing Director roles at a number of national charities. Carla is also a qualified career coach and specialises in coaching people who want to work in roles that make a difference.
This event marks the launch of a new series of events from Charity People designed for professionals in the charity sector seeking inspiration, advice, insight and networking opportunities. Charity People works collaboratively, and with integrity, to match talented people to rewarding and much needed positions in the sector.
Reserve tickets
You can reserve your place (which is free!) at this event here. Places are limited so please RSVP soon.
We hope to see you there!
Free Seminar from Charity People – Stepping up to Your First Head of Fundraising Role.
On Wednesday 7th May Charity People is running a free event for people looking to move to a Head of Fundraising role. It’s relevant for people who are new to a Head of Fundraising role or who are aiming to become a Head of Fundraising soon. If you’re interested in attending please see the details below and reserve your place via the event page.
Stepping up – Your First Head of Fundraising role
Guest speaker – Kim Van Nierkerk Tuesday 3rd June 2014, 6.00-8.00pm Central London
Taking on your first ‘Head Of Fundraising’ role can be an exciting, challenging and daunting time. We regularly hear from candidates wanting to know how to secure their first Head of Fundraising role and adapt their skills and management style to their new position.
On Tuesday 3rd June you’re invited to join us for a free, short session in which we will offer advice, insight and encouragement for managers wishing to step up into their first a ‘Head of Fundraising’ role. The session will cover the following areas:
- Gaining confidence as a leader rather than a manager
- Becoming a generalist who managers specialists – adding value when your direct report knows more about their specialism than you do
- Overseeing different specialisms – getting up to speed, measuring success, identifying indicators of poor performance and excellence
- Investment – deciding where to make it across different fundraising techniques
- Innovation – understanding when and how to introduce it
- Managing fundraising expectations with boards
6.00pm –Registration, welcome and refreshments
6.30pm-7.30pm – talk from our guest speaker Kim van Nierkerk, plus time for questions
7.30pm – 8.00pm – opportunity for networking
Our guest speaker Kim van Nierkerk has worked in the charity sector for over ten years, as a fundraiser in the largest and smallest organisations. She is a regular speaker at international fundraising conferences and an approved trainer of the Institute of Fundraising’s Diploma in Fundraising. Kim is also a Trustee of Sail 4 Cancer, founder of Profit with Purpose Fellows Network at the Royal Society of Arts. She also runs The Coffee House, which helps great social projects get off the ground and injects a new lease of life into non-profits by improving their fundraising and business strategy.
This event marks the launch of a new series of events from Charity People designed for professionals in the charity sector seeking inspiration, advice, insight and networking opportunities. Charity People works collaboratively, and with integrity, to match talented people to rewarding and much needed positions in the sector.
Reserve tickets
You can reserve your place (which is free!) at this event here. Places are limited so please RSVP soon.
We hope to see you there!
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Charity People are running for Richmond Fellowship
Anna, Ben, Neil, Natalie, Tim and Graham are running the Bupa London 10k in memory of Jules, Anna's Dad's best friend who tragically passed away in October. Jules was such a funny, generous and wonderful man who cherished his wife and two young boys and who we will miss so very much.
The Richmond Fellowship are a very important charity and they supported Jules and his family at a time of great need. They are specialists at helping people with mental health problems live independently, find work and make the most of life. They help people break free of mental stigma, overcome isolation and take control of their lives. www.richmondfellowship.org.uk
All the money raised will go directly to The Richmond Fellowship who are specialist providers of mental health services. They help over 9,000 people each year and offer a wide range of housing, care, employment and community support across more than 120 services. The charity require much needed funds to carry on with their wonderful work and support more people to live independent lives.
The team agree that 10k won’t be as challenging as say a marathon or climbing Kilimanjaro (well for them it might!), but hopefully the fantastic work of this charity will inspire you to donate some of your pennies. They are all training hard to ensure they actually reach the finishing line and have lots of bakathons and fundraising curry nights lined up to try and raise funds and also create more awareness for a fantastic cause.
We have opened a donations page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=CharityPeople
Thank you so much for your support.
The Charity People team
The Richmond Fellowship are a very important charity and they supported Jules and his family at a time of great need. They are specialists at helping people with mental health problems live independently, find work and make the most of life. They help people break free of mental stigma, overcome isolation and take control of their lives. www.richmondfellowship.org.uk
All the money raised will go directly to The Richmond Fellowship who are specialist providers of mental health services. They help over 9,000 people each year and offer a wide range of housing, care, employment and community support across more than 120 services. The charity require much needed funds to carry on with their wonderful work and support more people to live independent lives.
The team agree that 10k won’t be as challenging as say a marathon or climbing Kilimanjaro (well for them it might!), but hopefully the fantastic work of this charity will inspire you to donate some of your pennies. They are all training hard to ensure they actually reach the finishing line and have lots of bakathons and fundraising curry nights lined up to try and raise funds and also create more awareness for a fantastic cause.
We have opened a donations page at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=CharityPeople
Thank you so much for your support.
The Charity People team
Monday, 3 March 2014
A busy week in the Charity People team!
As if their To-Do lists aren't long enough, the Charity People team were out and about last week offering a much needed extra pair of hands to some fantastic causes. Our Fundraising Consultant Anna took a trip to the Anaphylaxis Campaign Charity in Farnborough and spent the day helping the team there to develop a trustee recruitment business case. The charity work across the UK and offer support to the growing number of people at risk from severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Ultimately, their aim is to create a safe environment for all people with allergies by educating the food industry, schools, nurses, colleges, health professionals and other key audiences. Anna found the time she spent with the charity really rewarding and it gave her a good insight into some of the challenges they face. She’s now in the process of helping them to write job descriptions, conduct salary benchmarking and advising on recruitment costs.
Over in Vauxhall, Natalie, our Fundraising Resourcer spent an afternoon at the Children’s health charity Sparks. They fundraise to enable research on medical conditions affecting babies and children. Natalie offered to help them promote their Bake for Bumps event which is running from 15th-18th May this year. Sparks are asking the public to get baking and host a cake sale and raise money to help support their pioneering research into children’s medical conditions. Laura White at Sparks said “Natalie was such a star for the afternoon last week helping make up the Bake for Bumps fundraising packs, thank you! We really appreciated her lending a hand, for having such a positive attitude and great enthusiasm, and for bringing along some much appreciated sweet treats for us all too.”
Find our more about the Anaphylaxis Campaign Charity here.
Find our more about Sparks and their Bake for Bumps campaign here.
Charity People aims to give back to the Charity sector. We think part of that means ensuring that our consultants have first hand, on the ground experience of the organisations they work with. We are committed to encouraging everyone that works for us to volunteer within the sector on a regular basis. Between us, we have a wide range of experience to offer, including; recruitment advice (we've previously talked though everything from job specs to a volunteer recruitment strategy), data entry (several hours slaving in front of Raiser’s edge adding supporter details), fundraising advice, marketing expertise and everything in-between. We have plenty more fun and wonderful things planned for 2014. Keep your eye on this blog to hear more.
Over in Vauxhall, Natalie, our Fundraising Resourcer spent an afternoon at the Children’s health charity Sparks. They fundraise to enable research on medical conditions affecting babies and children. Natalie offered to help them promote their Bake for Bumps event which is running from 15th-18th May this year. Sparks are asking the public to get baking and host a cake sale and raise money to help support their pioneering research into children’s medical conditions. Laura White at Sparks said “Natalie was such a star for the afternoon last week helping make up the Bake for Bumps fundraising packs, thank you! We really appreciated her lending a hand, for having such a positive attitude and great enthusiasm, and for bringing along some much appreciated sweet treats for us all too.”
Find our more about the Anaphylaxis Campaign Charity here.
Find our more about Sparks and their Bake for Bumps campaign here.
Charity People aims to give back to the Charity sector. We think part of that means ensuring that our consultants have first hand, on the ground experience of the organisations they work with. We are committed to encouraging everyone that works for us to volunteer within the sector on a regular basis. Between us, we have a wide range of experience to offer, including; recruitment advice (we've previously talked though everything from job specs to a volunteer recruitment strategy), data entry (several hours slaving in front of Raiser’s edge adding supporter details), fundraising advice, marketing expertise and everything in-between. We have plenty more fun and wonderful things planned for 2014. Keep your eye on this blog to hear more.
Tuesday, 21 January 2014
We are now a Living Wage Employer!
The Living Wage campaign has been running for ten years and has lifted over 10,000 people out of poverty. An independent study of the business benefits of implementing the Living Wage policy in London found employers to believe it greatly enhances the quality of their staff’s work, reduces absenteeism and helps with staff retention. David Lale Chairman at Charity People said “We think that anyone temping for Charity People at one of our clients deserves to be paid the living wage as an absolute minimum. We think our clients will understand instinctively why this is important and we’re really happy to be a part of the Living Wage campaign.” To find out more about the scheme and how to become an accredited Living Wage Employer please visit: www.livingwage.org.uk.
Monday, 6 January 2014
Charity People helping to bring Christmas cheer to South London
At the end of last year some cheerful members of the Charity People team offered some well-received support to the Better Bankside Together at Christmas scheme. Teaming up with several other local businesses the Charity People office donated some much needed gifts including warm clothing, toiletries and food all of which were given to needy youngsters and the homeless in the local area. The team then took a trip down to the Better Bankside offices to help wrap the presents (all 1800 of them) which were then distributed to 11 local housing projects and to Beormund Primary School which helps children with special needs. Daniele Cohen of Better Bankside said: “There has been an amazing response from Bankside workers and residents to Together at Christmas, a record number of businesses hosted collection boxes and, I’m delighted to say, we will give more gifts than ever before to some of the most vulnerable individuals in Bankside.
Several charities are supported by the Together at Christmas scheme. They include the Robes Project which provides shelter and food, The Manna Centre (a drop-in centre for the homeless), Look Ahead, who work to help house young people and both Hopton’s Almshouses and Lucy Brown House who work with older people.
David Lale, Chairman at Charity People said: “The Christmas project at Better Bankside was a great way to support our local community and improve our wrapping skills in the run up to Christmas. We thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend the experience to other local businesses.”
Charity People aims to give back to the sector it supports and this was just one of a number of team fundraising and volunteering activities in 2013 which included a company donation to the Philippines Typhoon Appeal and our Chairman David Lale and Team Leader Neil Hogan slogging their way through 26 miles in Frankfurt for Tiny Tickers, the baby heart charity, in October.
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| Charity People wrapping Christmas Presents |
Several charities are supported by the Together at Christmas scheme. They include the Robes Project which provides shelter and food, The Manna Centre (a drop-in centre for the homeless), Look Ahead, who work to help house young people and both Hopton’s Almshouses and Lucy Brown House who work with older people.
David Lale, Chairman at Charity People said: “The Christmas project at Better Bankside was a great way to support our local community and improve our wrapping skills in the run up to Christmas. We thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend the experience to other local businesses.”
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| More Christmas wrapping |
Charity People aims to give back to the sector it supports and this was just one of a number of team fundraising and volunteering activities in 2013 which included a company donation to the Philippines Typhoon Appeal and our Chairman David Lale and Team Leader Neil Hogan slogging their way through 26 miles in Frankfurt for Tiny Tickers, the baby heart charity, in October.
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