Fundraisers need to communicate better with their chief executives and financial directors so as to secure investment and growth for the organisation, a top international fundraiser has told the International Fundraising Congress.

Tim Hunter, international fundraising director at Unicef, told a debate at the IFC in Holland that fundraisers may not be native in financial 'speak', but that they must adopt the language of their chief executives and financial directors in order to secure investment in fundraising.

“We have to learn to speak their language,” he said.

Making a data-driven argument is necessary when pushing for a fundraising focus within a charity, Hunter argued. “You can almost bet 100 per cent that [investing in fundraising] will deliver a better return than leaving the money in the bank,” he said.

In a debate about how fundraising success should be measured, Hunter suggested that fundraisers should not fixate on return-on-investment without having an eye to the overall income being generated. He also called on fundraisers to work towards these targets as a team, not as “sole traders” protective of their prospects and profits.

Meanwhile, John Trampleasure, chief executive of WSPA, called on fundraisers to think more broadly about their role. “I've met resistance from fundraisers who resent having to be good at customer service,” he said. “We're not just looking for technicians.”

He also said that fundraising staff must think more about brand and representing it. “The word 'brand' doesn't creep into too many conversations around fundraising, and it really should.”