Third Sector Fundraising Conference 2021

Having attended and spoken at a few virtual conferences over the last 16 months it was fair to say I was slightly apprehensive to join the two-day fiesta of fundraising as sometimes virtual conferences do not completely go to plan and the length of talks can sometimes be a little too long.

However, the team at Third Sector smashed it!

Emily Burt, brought the energy from the onset and that torch was carried by all the wonderful hosts, who drove the discussion, told people to come off mute (we’ve ALL been there) and picked popular and pertinent questions from the cool Q&A chat function.

The length of each presentation was spot on - short, sharp and punchy delivered in a well-structured format of individual chat, group discussion then Q&A. There were little 10/15-minute breaks in between to raid the fridge, put a load of washing on and decide which Pukka Tea would match the next session, ‘Tulsi Clarity’ – perfect.

The topics were well thought through and the guest speakers well curated, giving a varied lens and perspective from some of the industries biggest hitters, as well as those unsung heroes of the smaller charities who sometimes have more challenging time, especially in challenging economic environments.

All in all, the conference was superb, I learnt a lot, listened to some super intelligent and inspiring people, and heard some wonderful success stories that came out of what we all agreed was the most challenging time the sector had ever seen. 

Key personal takeaways...

Despite an incredibly challenging year there have been many positives and learnings.

• NHS Charities Together - Justine Davy, Head of Fundraising talked about her extraordinary year and probably the biggest and most coveted success story of the year - the 2020 Appeal that raised over ￡150m. Captain Sir Tom Moore inspired a whole nation into taking action, giving people the much-needed boost and realisation that no matter who you were, or what ability you have, you can make a difference. A truly beautiful pandemic story.
• Scotservs Ambulance – SJ Cameron, the sole fundraiser at the organisation, spoke about the sheer panic that the beginning of the pandemic brought. However, after overcoming those early panics, she turned the dire situation of Covid into some much-needed positivity. All of a sudden, she didn’t have to convince people that ambulances were vital to saving lives as they suddenly became incredibly relevant and were constantly in the public eye. As a result, she capitalised and had a triumphant year in terms of fundraising, increasing partnerships and individual donors along the way. Just goes to show that good things can come out of terrible situations.

Digital fundraising is no longer a nice to have, it is an essential need to have.

• Railway Children - Mary McLaughlin, Corporate Partnerships Manager spoke about their partnership with Network Rail and how they have implemented new digital donation kiosks in some of the UK’s major train stations. With the continuing trend of the reduction in the use of cash as we move to an even more cashless society, donation kiosks are playing an ever-increasing role in fundraising. Traditional bucket fundraising which still plays a vital role in our sector is being upgraded in terms of digital. People are more inclined to give a much higher donation to a digital kiosk when compared with dropping some silver and gold into a bucket. So if you haven’t, it is time to consider this as a vital stream of revenue and worth the initial investment.
• British Red Cross – Nana Crawford, Social Media Manager shared her story of becoming an accidental fundraiser during lockdown. Previously the British Red Cross had never put out fundraising asks through social but capitalising on an incredibly engaged audience she tested the water and had some great successes. One included a Facebook live event partnered Ladbible (Yes you read currently, the 150-year-old British Red Cross Ladbible! Love it!) and another used tiktok to engage a younger audience to fundraise. An absolute digital wonderland of fundraising! 

There are so many benefits to focusing on equality diversity and inclusion (EDI).

• Nathan Nalla, Founder/Director at Be The Riot, spoke about the many benefits of making EDI a top priority in your organisation. He talked about how it is vitally important for people to feel part of something whilst also being recognised as an individual. Getting that blend will benefit absolutely everyone in your organisation and allow people to be their authentic self.
• He went on to talk about recruitment and retention. Getting recruitment right and attracting the best talent is essential, it contributes to a high performing and well-run organisation, but we all know the best talent is hard to find, so when you get one you must do everything you can to keep them! You can do this by creating an inclusive and diverse culture. Nathan discovered that employees stay 1.2 X longer if the organisation lives and breathes EDI. Being committed to EDI will reduce turnover, saving everyone time and money as well as keeping you most talented people where they should be.
• Diverse teams = diverse ideas. FACT.

So, there you have it, a brief run through of what stood out for me, there were of course plenty other fascinating and impactful stories and learnings that I could have included but this was a nice snapshot. I am most definitely looking forward to the next one, whether that is virtually or IRL, and I am most definitely looking forward to hearing about how 2021 has gone as we contemplate our next challenges.

NHS Charities Together

We at Peridot Partners are in the very privileged place of working to support NHS Charities Together through a significant growth phase across their fundraising team. We are currently recruiting an Assistant Director of Supporter Engagement and a New Business Manager, if you are interested and want to work in the most exciting roles in the sector, please contact me directly. Or check out the below links:

Assistant Director of Supporter Engagement: https://www.peridotpartners.co.uk/jobs/assistant-director-supporter-engagement-nhs-charities-together/

New Business Manager: https://www.peridotpartners.co.uk/jobs/corporate-business-manager-nhs-charities-together/

I look forward to hearing from you.