ANTHEA IVA Director, Redstone Marketing
After 22 years in the nonprofit sector as a fundraiser (and many years as curator of Talking Point), I really wanted to add to the discussion on this topic because there is one valuable moment in my career that defines me as a fundraiser.
When I started my fundraising career in 2002, after transitioning from the corporate world, I took on the role of Direct Marketing Manager at Save the Children Australia. It felt like joining a startup, as we built the Individual Giving program from the ground up, turning it into a significant success. We grew Individual Giving income from almost nothing to over $48 million in just five years. At Redstone Marketing, I now enjoy sharing these valuable Individual Giving program experiences and learnings with our clients.
A pivotal moment in my journey was an overseas program visit to a Save the Children program in Ethiopia. There, I was interviewing a young girl who was completing a Save the Children program designed to provide employment skills. Her story was devastating. By the age of 14 she had lost both parents to AIDS, had been forced into prostitution by a family member, and endured severe hunger and homelessness for years. Listening to her story left me feeling overwhelmed with anger, sadness, and a real sense of helplessness. I felt that no matter what we did, it would never be enough to solve the world’s problems.
However, what struck me most was her incredible hope. Despite everything she had endured, she had plans for the future: to become a hairdresser, marry her boyfriend and have children. Her hope was a powerful reminder of why I was doing this work. When I had quiet time to reflect on it, I realised that even small contributions can have a significant positive impact. I was considering leaving the sector but this realisation was a turning point for me. I really came to believe that every effort counts, even if it doesn’t always feel that way from behind a desk. I realised that, as a fundraiser, I shouldn’t be afraid when asking donors for gifts. So, I became bolder and more creative in fundraising, balancing the ask with the story and the need.
For early-career fundraisers, my advice is to embrace the challenges and remain bold in your fundraising. Know that everything you do makes a difference, and your work is important, even if it’s not always immediately visible. It’s easy to think you have a desk job and aren’t really important in the scheme of things — you are very important. Your role matters.
MARNIE PITCHER Marketing and Fundraising Director, Variety the Children’s Charity, NZ
Having started out my fundraising career after 16 years working in the corporate landscape, I was a little late to the party, but quickly got to work on understanding the difference between my corporate marketing experience and what makes great fundraising. Here are my top tips for getting under the hood of fundraising from the get-go:
Read and read some more! Understanding the science behind the great fundraising writers such as Jeff Brooks was a late revelation and a game changer. Sign up to the likes of Mark Phillips’ Queer Ideas blog — full of insightful advice from a fundraising leader. Immerse yourself in as much reading as possible.
Know the donor pyramid Understanding the donor pyramid is fundamental in knowing where to put in time and investment.
Gain insights Work closely with a data scientist or your data insights team to understand who is giving, when and how and what their propensity is to give again. They are worth their weight in gold and will increase fundraising revenue.
Demonstrate impact The most important thing to a donor is to know how their donations are making a difference. Break up the asks with impactful reporting and you will see an increase in giving behaviour and loyalty over time.
Get the right suppliers on board Before taking on any new suppliers, do your due diligence, call around, get references and recommendations. One thing I have learnt is that fundraisers are generous people who are always happy to lend a hand and give you advice.
Make friends Create your own fundraising network, they will be invaluable to you when understanding the different elements of fundraising, and they will give you honest feedback and advice on what has and hasn’t worked for their organisation. It’s always good to have buddies to meet up with at fundraising conferences too!
EWAN GILROY Acquisition Executive,
Starlight Children’s Foundation
As I sat down to write this article I started to think about my career in fundraising, all the way to the very beginning which, thanks to COVID-19, feels twice as long as it has actually been.
A fundraising career that has spanned nearly 15 years across multiple agencies on both sides of the supply chain, from acquisition to retention, DM to eDM, analogue to digital, all the while striving for the very best ROI possible. Lots to think about but where to begin?
It was just then my partner called out, “Why don’t you just get ChatGPT to write it for you?” and I realised I had my answer.
No, this is not written with the assistance of any AI, and not because I am personally sceptical of its current efficacy (I’m not quite tinfoil hat just yet, but I do think one might look rather fetching) but because it removes the most important thing in all fundraising: the human connection.
Humans are natural storytellers and it is through these stories that we connect with each other. This is our job as fundraisers — to make that connection from one human to another through our shared experiences.
So my advice to that much younger me would be to never forget and always focus on the human element of fundraising, as either donor, programmer or beneficiary. At the end of the day, it’s the human connection that makes it all work.
