Why I'm a fundraising fereakazoid.

I've raised £46 million over roughly 20 years so far, that's not bad is it?

I started out in Trust fundraising (back in the days when you posted of the form and hoped for a cheque in the post), then I went to the University and led a team of marketers, little did they know I was being a relationship fundraiser in disguise. And then I went to corporate fundraising, with a bit of individual giving, high net worth, Trust fundraising and business development thrown in. Before capital fundraising at the Museum and then back to corporate fundraising with some community and legacy added for good measure.

I know how to play the fundraising game, and I enjoy it. I am a fereak who reads the research and is interested in stuff, I'm really interested in how fundraisers can develop resilience, which is really, bloody hard. What do you do if you're a lone fundraiser in a tiny charity and the people you work with rely on you to bring in the money for their jobs? You get stressed and panicky is what you do. This is also why a healthy reserve account is so important for a non profit, and I know this from experience. I'm a Trustee for a little, new charity called Healthcare Workers' Foundation (HWF), which is interesting and good fun being on the other side of the fence. If you have time and the chance, try being a Trustee, it's worthwhile and charities desperately need fundraisers to become Trustees, they need the hands on 'I get it help'.

But back to me, although I've been delivering freelance projects for the past 8 years, I've never felt comfortable 'selling myself.' But my new mantra is that the cringiness of seeing a website with my face ('people sell to people;' debate and discuss) plastered all over it, is a price worth paying for doing the work I love to do. I've also recently finished treatment for ovarian cancer (terrible, avoid it if you can) and I'm feeling like life is too short not to try.

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