Every chief executive must be chief fundraiser, says MP

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Every chief executive must be chief fundraiser, says MP 10

Fundraising | Becky Slack | 5 Oct 2011

Unless charities change their attitude to donors, giving will not increase, Ed Vaizey MP said yesterday.

Speaking at a Conservative Party Conference fringe event on how to encourage giving by the wealthy, the minister for culture, communications and creative industries said one of the main problems lies with organisations themselves.

He said: “Too many organisations think the conversation with the donor ends when the cheque is written. They have to understand it is not grubby to ask for money but that it is a massive opportunity to build relationships. Donors bring a hell of a lot more to the table than just money.

“Not many chief executives realise they are the chief fundraiser. If you, as a chief executive, can’t be bothered to engage with donors why should anyone bother to write you a cheque?”

He also said that more could be done to ensure donors are thanked and engaged properly with the work of the charity. Referring to his own personal experiences of donating he highlighted how he has rarely been thanked or provided with information about the work his money has helped fund.

“When I have supported many charities in the past they have not engaged me or thanked me. It’s about being seen in the community, taking down the walls and letting people in. People who want to give money need to feel involved and have a stake in organisation.”

And while he accepted there is more the government could do to help create a culture of giving such as celebrating people who give money and simplifying gift aid, he felt it was taking steps in the right direction. Referring in particular to the new £100m Catalyst fund aimed at helping cultural organisations diversify their incomes streams and access more funding from private sources, he said: “We have put our money where our mouth is with Catalyst, which is effectively a matched-giving programme.

“We will put in place the ecology that will make it easier to raise money but you have to do your bit too.”

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Gareth Edwards
Lead Trainer
Company Solutions UK Ltd
13 Oct 2011

Perhaps there would be less hostility to a government MP if the coalition government took a few steps to truly make Big Society a legitimate concept again.

A great beginning would be to honour the last government's commitment and, when the stadia are all sold after the olympics, to pay back the money taken from the good causes pot and give charities and the Big Society they promote a welcome boost. It is a golden opportunity to truly take a step in making the Big Society credible again. I do hope they take it.

As for CEOs being hostile to fundraising - it is a shame some are, but I have persuaded many over the years to include a commitment to support fundraising in the person specs of every employee. Certainly CEOs should have the interpersonal skills to be a good relationship fundraiser and not see fundraising as another F word as I am sure some do.

[Reply]

Ian Chisnall
12 Oct 2011

I am gobsmacked. I clearly operate in a different world to several other contributors and to Ed Vaizey.

I am speculating but he as a Government Minister in BIS was invited to reflect on the poor econmic prospects for UK businesses, and he used the opportunity to tell companies to pull up their socks and stop underperforming, that he would be looking for a new role by the end of the day. However apparently he has been able to speak authoritively on the charitable sector as though he understands it in its entirety, based not on some departmental assessement or sector wide analysis but on (and I am not making this up) on his anecdotal experience of the charities that he has personally given money to. Now of course if this was not a Government Minister speaking at a public conference event his personal experience and perspective would simply be as relevant as any other wealthy donor. But he has a position of Governmental responsibility. His Government is overseeing the most swinging cuts since before Margaret Thatcher (based on several widely accepted assessments) and he has come out with generalised criticism of the whole sector that is we are told at the heart of the Big Society.

No doubt there are some charities that need to raise their game, no question our sector needs help to appropriately engage the wealthy. Certainly not all CEOs are the right people for their jobs. However I do not recognise the type of CEO he purports to know of (which may be a reflection that I don't get out enough). Presumably if he gives relatively small sums, he would not normally expect any contact with the CEO and if he gives large sums he would check out the charity and its approach to donors so is this actually simply a case of donors remorse?

[Reply]

Peter Anscombe
trustee / service provider
many
12 Oct 2011

Ed V must have been short of something to say. Comparing Oxbridge fund raising to the life in a typical charity adds little value to the debate about funding and fund raising.
My experience of giving to UK NFPs is that they all pretty much try and develop a relationship with me - and it's not always welcome! I can make my own decisions about who recieves my cash and when.
As for comments on the role of the CEO; CEOs lead all aspects of the charity's operation and, yes, that should include fundraising. If, as one comment above suggests, an organisation has a CEO who is hostile to fund raising it is up to the trustees to determine whether this is acceptable and take appropriate action.

[Reply]

Ed
6 Oct 2011

This may be teaching fundraisers to suck eggs, but it will certainly come as a surprise - and an unwelcome one - to some Chief Execs.

There are many Chief Execs (egged on by non-fundraising senior managers) who are actively hostile to fundraising, let alone pro-actively helpful!

[Reply]

Adrian Beney
Partner
More Partnership
5 Oct 2011

I struggle to admit that I agree with a Tory minister, but credit where it's due.

And I know some Chief Execs find this hard, but they are de facto the leaders of their organisations, and if they want someone with a lot of money to give to their organisation then they have to be willing to engage. Some are and some are not. Those that are not are unlikely to raise big gifts.

It's not rocket science to suggest this, but there are Heads of Fundraising who will (probably silently) being saying "Yes" to this.

[Reply]

Stephen Pidgeon
Ideas Engineer
Tangible
5 Oct 2011

Just a thought for all those who are bristling because a major donor who happens to be a Conservative MP has given some sensible advice.

Charities are indifferent at getting big gifts, particularly when compared with the further education sector. £1.4bn was raised in £1m gifts in 2010 by ALL charities. Just Cambridge University raised nearly sum that in their recent centenary campaign, Oxford did much the same and King's London are half way through a £500m campaign right now.

Until charities are doing as well as that, I'd be interested to hear advice from anyone. So for me, comments from people who refuse even to give their name are pretty irrelevant.

[Reply]

Rarry Revan
Ranter
Rantingrules
5 Oct 2011

Do fundraisers go to the house of commons to advise MPs on how to do their jobs? ***gratuitous content removed*** No!

So I wonder why they feel the need to tell the fundraising community to suck eggs.

[Reply]

Corrie Darker
5 Oct 2011

Obvious to us in the fundraising world yes, but there are lots of small 'charities' out there that have been delivering services with goverment money for so long that their Chief Execs have neither the skills or the understanding to develop relationship fundraising with the speed necessary to fill their funding gaps.

[Reply]

Emma Malcolm
Chief Executive
Prostate Action
5 Oct 2011

Wow, talk about stating the obvious!!

[Reply]

Stolen
5 Oct 2011
Response to [Emma Malcolm]

True but why do politicians deceive themselves that saying something is better than saying nothing?

[Reply]

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