Supporting a charity for life, not just for Christmas.

As a Director of Fundraising my job description includes delivering huge income targets and at the end of the year there is no ambiguity around my success in the role. I’ve either lead a team who have raised enough money for the charity or I haven’t. At Barnardos the consequences of failing to hit those targets impact the children we work with and the livelihoods of the staff who provide those services. Those kinds of implications are enough to cause sleepless nights - as many of my fundraising colleagues will know.

I’ve been a fundraiser for almost 25 years so working to financial targets doesn’t faze me (as much as it used to!) I know the patterns and can see trends developing that allow me to plan, adjust and communicate expected levels of income to the senior management team in a way that allows us to consistently deliver services to the children in our care. Those vital services in Barnardos include providing over 74,000 nutritious meals and thousands of hours of intensive family support every year to children all over Ireland.

As my world is surrounded by fundraising asks, my ears are finely attuned to picking out a charity ad on the radio and I can spot the first solemn musical bars of a fundraising TV ad from a mile away. But this year I have found the need to be overwhelming.? The world has seen so much destruction, grief and violence and through the power of social media those images have found their way onto the screens in our pockets and in our hands. ?As a society we have never before experienced war, hunger and pain in such a horrendously accessible way. ?The increased conflict around the world has resulted in even more requests for help and support from charities working with causes across the globe.

Christmas is a time of year when many people donate to charities. All charities plan fundraising campaigns and appeals to reach out to donors who want to help alleviate the pain and suffering they see. Donors worry about the lives of others and the state of the world. Donors want to make a difference and charities are the way in which they can make that difference.

But if you want to make a difference all year round consider organising a direct debit donation to your chosen cause rather than giving a voucher or a one-off donation at Christmas time. You’ll become more connected with the charity you support and you’ll be allowing them to plan a sustainable future. The power of giving to charity regularly goes far beyond the amount it can raise. It?provides a predictable and stable income stream, allowing for the planning of long-term impacts to beneficiaries.

And I wouldn’t be able to call myself a fundraiser if at this point I didn’t include a link to Barnardos Ireland donation page.

Become a monthly donor and help support some of Ireland’s most vulnerable children. Because Childhood Lasts a Lifetime. ?www.barnardos.ie/donate