Conversations I'm looking to have
I have a few questions I want to ask fundraisers.
And conveniently, I’m going to be in Glasgow for four days with a lot of you! I’ll be there from Tuesday 22nd to Friday 25th September for the Scottish IoF conference, where I’m presenting two sessions.
The first is about why companies give to charities in their own words.
Because corporate fundraising is still, in many ways, swimming in a sea of assumptions. So we'll talk about
We talk about what companies want. What makes a good partnership. We’ve interviewed 20 people inside companies to find out why their organisations give, why they stop, what matters to them, what turns them off, and what they wish fundraisers understood. I'll give you the insights, tools and gossip we found while doing the research.
My second session is about diversifying income streams.
Because we all know we're supposed to diversify. But being told to “go make money from companies” or “set up a legacy programme” is a bit like being handed the technical challenge on Great British Bake Off and being told, “Here are the ingredients. Good luck.”
So we’ll look at how to work out which income streams are actually right for your organisation, where to start, and how to build a balanced mix that supports your long-term goals.
But honestly, the conversations I’m most interested in having are the ones in between the sessions.
There are a few things I’m particularly curious about right now.
How are your trustees and senior leadership teams responding to corporate fundraising? What questions are they asking? How engaged are they? Are they making introductions?
And how are you prospecting? Do you feel like you have what you need to get your foot in the door with the right companies? Are you drowning in a spreadsheet of 400 prospects and absolutely no idea which one to email first?
I want to hear from people who are doing brilliantly and people who are finding it really bloody difficult... and everyone in between. Real world answers to these kinds of questions make me come alive, so I'd love to hear yours - either in person in Glasgow or virtually over a coffee.
We’ve got data from 18,000 corporate partnerships, and we’re using it to help work out which companies might actually give to your cause.
I’ll be sharing more about that soon, but if you’re curious, I’m very happy to give you a sneak preview over coffee.
And that's really what this email is about.
I want to have some conversations.
If you’re going to be in Glasgow between Tuesday 22nd and Friday 25th September, let’s grab a coffee. If you’re nowhere near Glasgow, let’s grab a call! Tell me what’s happening in your organisation.
Will I see you by the Fireside soon?
Andy