Dearth of quality fundraisers in UK, says NPC chief

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Dearth of quality fundraisers in UK, says NPC chief 8

Fundraising | Vibeka Mair | 3 May 2011

There is a dearth of quality fundraisers in the UK who can market to high net worth donors, according to Martin Brookes, chief executive of charities think tank New Philanthropy Capital.

Brookes was speaking today at a Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) meeting on bankers, financial services and philanthropy.

Chair of the PASC, Bernard Jenkin asked whether charities were marketing themselves well to the financial sector.

Brookes said the charity sector had started to invest in high net worth donors but in general it was not very good:

“Even fundraisers say this,” said Brookes. “There is a dearth of quality fundraisers in the UK unlike in the US. Therefore it is hard to make pitches to companies such as hedge funds who are used to high quality presentations.

“It’s easy to blame the financial services,” he added. “But charities often do a poor job of marketing themselves.”

Directory: New Philanthropy Capital
Who's Who: Martin Brookes

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John Thompson
Director
Changing Business
5 May 2011

Maybe part of the problem is that many prospective major donors, some hoarding relatively new and fast-tracked fortunes, simply aren't that good at giving?

Indeed, if donors have the most influential impact on fundraising perhaps there's a need for an Institute of Donors offering members training in how to maximise their giving, working collaboratively with fundraisers and opportunities to get under the skin of the sector through volunteering placements. Its board could regularly meet with those of IoF and offer objective feedback on their members' experiences – good and bad.

An overall aim would be to improve the standards of both giving and asking.

[Reply]

TrevW
GGL
5 May 2011

While it may very well be true that there is a limited level of skilled fundraisers within the third sector there are nevertheless a few exceptional ones and a great number of less exceptional ones who work tirelesly to support their cause.

My personal view is that the average British citizen, including business people are having it spoon fed that by playing the lottery each week they are supporting charities and that thet truth of this is that they feel they already give enough and no amount of corporate skill will even get you an audience with many that you would have been able to a few years ago.

I'm surprised by the crudity of the comment made by NPC merely for the fact that surely it should be organisations such as theirs that are championing the cause for all 3rd sector organisations and acting as an umbrella to then support "lesser" but just as important organisations.

[Reply]

Anon
4 May 2011

Why do Civil Society keep giving oxygen to these time-wasters at NPC?

They having nothing to offer the sector accept tedious, misjudged and ignorant criticism.

Perhaps if they actually spent some time raising money instead of writing press releases to drum up trade for their shambles of an organisation, they might actually have some interesting insight to share.

[Reply]

Joe Saxton
Driver of Ideas
nfpSynergy
3 May 2011

I am just wondering what the evidence is for this assertion: and particularly the inference that if we had more high quality fundraisers we would raise more money. I take as evidence the recent NPC paper on giving which said it was the banks who needed to develop better product and no mention was made of a dearth of fundraisers as being a barrier to raising money.

[Reply]

Martin Brookes
Chief Executive
NPC
5 May 2011
Response to [Joe Saxton]

Joe, I find your comment a bit odd. Recommendation 10 of that report talks about managing relationships with donors better. That is the flip side of being better at high end fundraising. The precise phrasing of the problem was different, but a lack of good quality high end fundraisers was implied on one of the 10 ways to boost giving.

[Reply]

Catherine Clark
Head of Communications, Marketing & Development
Royal School of Church Music
3 May 2011

It's hardly any wonder, Mr Brookes. We aren't SUPPOSED to 'market' our charities to our donors. We are supposed to form relationships with our donors, and high-value donors want relationships with their peers. Until UK charities get serious about finding high-value VOLUNTEERS doing the asking (by which I don't mean financial value, by the way),supported by professional, experienced, development staff acting as trainers, coaches and partners -- the dearth will continue.

[Reply]

Bashiera Rosser-Owen
Principal
FunderMentals
3 May 2011
Response to [Catherine Clark]

I worked at the top end of the secretarial ladder ten years ago before entering the Charity Sector and thought that my transferable skills lay with major donor fundraising, until I saw the practices applied. As a result, I have kept away from this, quietly observing how MD fundraisers vye and juxtapose with one another, showing who is best at bringing in the most, using their contacts and connections. Having for over 18 years been in a position to observe the other side of the fence, I know that any major donors worth pursuing will run a mile and put all sorts of obstacles in place to avoid having to meet suited charity staff, to listen to their slick presentations and the 'sell' of the cause. Catherine is right about relationship-building and about high-value donors wanting relationships with their peers. A donor takes time to cultivate and nurture, if the upshot from it produces a sizeable donation. Also, the UK donor is quite DIFFERENT from its American counterpart, and although many fundraising techniques in the US are used in the UK, I think this particular one is a very different animal.

[Reply]

Rarry Revan
Ranter
Rantingrules
3 May 2011

Probably cos all the high fliers have beeen lured by the blood money of the financial services sector, leaving just the bleeding heart liberals who have excessive levels of morals. All we need to do now is pay corporate sector salaries to get corporate types to raise money from corporates.

[Reply]

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