Fundraising - The Unsung Profession

Name: Sarah Goddard | Current role: Public Fundraising Consultant | Years in the sector: 15years (or so)

Speaking with Sarah was like a breath of fresh air. From the immediate outset, Sarah’s passion and enthusiasm for the sector absolutely shone through. Like many though, Sarah didn’t always want to be a fundraiser, “when I was younger, I wanted to be an Actress. I studied performing arts through school and college. I was an academic kid, in a not particularly academic school and I had no backup plan outside my BTEC in Performing Arts.

I auditioned for many drama schools. It’s an incredibly intense process, and I didn’t get into any of them. That’s quite expected for an 18 year old auditioning for the first time though” Undeterred, and maybe a sign of how she was destined to work in fundraising before she even knew it, Sarah’s determination and perseverance set it and she stepped back to practice her craft in community theatres with amateur dramatic groups before she was going to try again.

“During this time I needed to earn money and I had seen an advert in the Metro for a Face to Face (F2F) fundraiser paying ￡8.50p/hr. I did this for about a year – I didn’t love the agency, but I loved speaking with people and the idea of working for a cause.” Like most, Sarah had no idea what a career in the charity sector could look like. “It just sounded like a fun job and more interesting than retail!”

But Sarah had a passion for making a difference. Through the job, she met people who had been doing the role for years and that was her first glimpse that fundraising could be a viable career. “I liked the idea of working for a charity, but after a year I knew F2F fundraising was not for me long-term. The agency I was working for wasn’t really promoting or creating career opportunities, and it was a bit of a fluke when I saw in the Guardian paper on a seat next to me on a train an advert for an unpaid internship for the Haemophilia Society and took my next step.”

Looking back Sarah spoke of how she recognized the privileged position that she was in, to volunteer, unpaid, and get such a great experience, but it wasn’t easy either. “I was in a position that I could intern as I was living at home in London. But I also had to work at the same time. I got a job as an usher at a theatre and also worked in a charity call center alongside my internship. I worked all of the hours I could, but I know that still isn’t an option for some people.

When I started in the internship, I had a gist of fundraising for the F2F work but it was the phenomenal managers at the Haemophilia Society that put me on my career path. They were so good at training and helping me discover skills I didn’t know I had.”

So reflecting on her experience, I asked Sarah what are the key skills you need to be a fundraiser? The answer is a complete range. “Immediately people say you need to be good with people & outgoing, and although this is true to a degree, it isn’t be-all and end-all. It really depends on what role you’re doing.”

Looking across the sector, it is easy to see how outgoing people and those who are good at public speaking thrive, but Sarah raised the need for more diversity and different voices. “You don’t need to be able to stand in front of a crowd, maybe you are better 1-to-1 conversations. As long as you are confident and have a desire to want to understand people, understand the cause you are working for, and understand how a charity should be about creating a fairer world not just getting a pity vote, then whether you are confident talking to thousands or just one person, you will be a good fundraiser. The sector as a whole needs to be more diverse and we need different personalities to succeed".

"Fundraising should come from a place of standing with someone. We should be creating justice not just raising money. People who are good at fundraising have a passion for creating a fairer world. And you need the passion; there are incredibly tough days and frustrations. Passion is the drive that will keep you going. It’s powerful.”

Making fundraising, and working in the charity sector generally, more accessible as a career is vital. “More people need to know fundraising is a career choice. At the earliest people are exposed to fundraising at University through RAG programmes, or see it on the street, or at their door, but that isn’t early enough or a fair representation. There are incredible organisations and campaigns out there such as #NonGraduatesWelcome, Show The Salary, and #CharitySoWhite, who are pushing the need for diversity and challenging the sector, but we need schools and colleges to showcase the type of careers in the sector and make it a viable option, so we can diversify and evolve.”

It is not just up to the school system however, it is also up to the sector itself that needs to work from the top down to support those who choose to work in a charity sector. “Charities need to do better. For example, developing middle management is so important. Not everyone wants to be (or should be) a manager - but it is often the only way to progress. Charities have a horrible habit of trapping people into manager roles as it is seen as the only path for progression.”

Sarah learned the love for developing people through her F2F role. The endless enthusiasm and bringing people together, celebrating wins, excited Sarah. The tradition of just promoting people based on tick box results doesn’t always work. “We need to develop people how they want to be developed. Develop specialist options as a career – a cause can’t be the best at something without the experts to back it up. We need to develop career paths for the people who want to manage and have the potential to be brilliant leaders and managers, but at the same time move away from a set career development path that ultimately loses good fundraisers who get maneuvered into a management position they don’t want and then don’t get to fundraise anymore".

"Charities need to give training, support & development, at the head of and director level too, and fundraisers shouldn’t be afraid to ask what development options charities can offer.”

Lastly, I asked Sarah what advice would give someone starting their career in fundraising:

“Listen & learn – from the most diverse group of people you can find. Attend things like BAME online, be on Twitter, expand your network, and form connections. People in the sector want to talk! Learn from their experiences and be inspired by those on the ground being great fundraisers.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions & challenge – why do we do it like that, and when did it last get reviewed? When you are new, you might see something in a different light and it can be scary, but don’t be afraid to challenge. It is the responsibility of someone new in an organisation to ask questions. That’s not to say to go in and change things for the sake of it, but you can be the person to bring a different understanding and look at things with a fresh lens.”

It was an absolute pleasure speaking with Sarah and amazing to learn more about her experience in the sector. You can follow Sarah for more fundraising insight on Twitter @FundraiserSarah?

If you are interested in sharing your route into fundraising or the charity sector, email me at: [email protected]