Fundraising on the Margins

For many busy fundraisers, the last 2 ½ years have been relentless! As we continue to journey through uncertainty, there has never been a greater need for accessible, relevant and equipping training.

For fundraisers working in charities across the UK significant barriers exist for them in accessing this training when it is delivered in person, in London and at a high-ticket cost that comes with such a location.

South West Fundraisers Forum’s Fundraising on the Margins conference aims to delete all those barriers in one go!

On the afternoon of 17th November we invite you to gather together with hundreds of fundraisers from right across the UK to network, learn and be empowered to achieve more for your fabulous causes.

We’re delighted to be partnering with Fundraising Everywhere to broadcast the conference live and online. Using this sector-leading platform will enable us to create an accessible, interactive experience for all.

We’re thrilled that one of the charity sector’s best storytellers, Lucy Gower, will be opening our conference and she will be joined by many others throughout the afternoon covering a range of topics to equip you as a fundraiser and look after yourself as an individual.

All sessions will also be available to all delegates for 30 days after the conference to watch back, listen again or catch up on any content people may have missed on the day.

We are HUGELY grateful to our sponsors for making this event possible and for helping us to keep ticket prices as low as possible.

Headline Sponsor 

donorflex - one database, one cause www.donorflex.com 

Making a Difference Locally  https://www.nisalocally.co.uk/community/

Richard Newton Consulting http://www.richard-newton.co.uk

GivePanel https://givepanel.com

Fundraising Jobs https://fundraisingjobs.org.uk

Ticket Prices: 

£50 per ticket

£500 for group bookings of ten or more (no limit on team size)

Programme

1300 – 1400 - Welcome and opening Plenary

Lucy Gower, Founder of Lucidity Network – The Power of Storytelling

Whatever your fundraising role or level, your ability to tell powerful stories with passion and conviction is the secret to engaging and inspiring your supporters, volunteers and colleagues and delivering the most impact for the cause you fundraise for. In this practical session we’ll explore why storytelling is an especially powerful tool for fundraisers from regional and small charities. You will leave with a greater confidence in your storytelling abilities and practical techniques that you can apply straight away.

1400 – 1410 – BREAK

1410 – 1455 – CHOOSE YOUR SESSION

ROOM ONE – Tackling the challenges and shining a light on great fundraiser recruitment

Polly Symondson is mega passionate about doing so much better with recruitment in the charity sector. Polly and guests will explore how to reach more candidates, champion inclusivity, value every applicant and design an entire hiring process that has strong stewardship at its heart. You’ll hear from organisations getting it right and leave armed with the tools to make the ‘not so right’ better for everyone.

OR

ROOM TWO – The Power of Words – philanthropic psychology meets copywriting - Jen Shang, Professor of Philanthropic Psychology, Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy

In this special session, Jen Shang, professor of philanthropic psychology, will take a dive into the nuances of fundraising copywriting from a philanthropic psychology perspective. Using real-life examples, Jen will share the practical implications that have helped non-profits around the world raise more money by shifting their focus from the money to the person. Based on several years of research, Jen will explain the elements of fundraising wellbeing and how these can be applied in the copywriting context, presenting an exciting new opportunity to build supporter loyalty.

OR

ROOM THREE – Trusts and Foundations – what do they really (really) want?

Join Richard Newton to explore what makes trust funders’ eyes light up. He’ll unpack some myths, explore some recent examples of huge successes and highlight what you can do to make your funding applications fly high.

1455 – 1505 – BREAK

1505 – 1550 – CHOOSE YOUR SESSION

ROOM ONE – Don’t let the big charities dominate with digital – a panel discussion Alex Aggidis, Fundraising Everywhere’s Head of Growth Marketing, will be joined by Carla Ankiah from Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland, Tom Murtagh from the National Deaf Children’s Society, Emma Halahan from Dogstar Foundation and Alex Gregg from Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance. Together they will explore how we can blaze a trail with digital even if we’re not one of the big national charity brands.

OR

ROOM TWO - Working through the menopause – why did nobody tell me how shit this can be! Emma Malcolm, Director of Fundraising & Marketing, Macular Society.

Women make up almost 51% of the population and all will go through the menopause at some point. Whilst every single one of them will experience the loss of hormones, some women will find it easier to get through than others. With a predominantly female workforce, how can we ensure that we support all these women so we don’t lose this wealth of knowledge and expertise? Emma will share her journey through the menopause fog, what she wishes she had known before it started, and how she is helping her organisation to support everyone through their own menopause journey.

OR

ROOM THREE – Seize corporate opportunities in a crisis with Nicola O’Donnell, Partnerships Manager at Remarkable Partnerships

Despite all the doom and gloom of the cost-of-living crisis, one phrase keeps going through my mind: “Out of darkness cometh light.”This is the motto of the city of Wolverhampton. It’s an optimistic and hopeful message, which feels so appropriate right now. That’s because corporate-charity partnerships are a huge opportunity in the crisis. We saw it in the pandemic, and we will see it again now.  Our session will share tips on how to develop business skills by being more engaging, focusing on the right prospects, delivering compelling opportunities, and securing more meetings with companies.

1550 – 1600 – BREAK

1600 – 1700 – Final Plenary

Harnessing the power of authentic community engagement to deliver change

Bushra Ahmed will close our conference exploring how we can utilise the powerful tools available to us at grass-roots community levels to mobilise and sustain the positive change we want to see for our beneficiaries. This is not about self-preservation but empowering the communities around us.

Bushra is an experienced charity sector leader and campaigner and a trustee for

Lloyds Bank Foundation, HomeStartUK and various other charities.

In conversation with Paul Courtney, Bushra will share powerful stories, challenge us to look at our structures and cultures and end our conference focused on what’s really important.