“Say it out loud. We are not alone” – day 2 at Institute of Fundraising North East conference

Executive summary: Another great day in regional fundraising conference land! I'm typing this blog on the train back from Newcastle to London so I can capture the learning for myself as soon as possible, and of course for you, dear readers. First up, after another excellent plenary which had us out of our seats and jiggling about like nobody was watching, was Helen Duncan of University of Hull, talking about reflexivity and major donor fundraising. Helen is a great presenter, and I got a real sense of why she must also be an excellent fundraiser too, because she expertly built a rapport with her audience. I particularly liked her emphasis on listening to their motivations, rather than behaving like a fact spewing automaton when meeting supporters. My notes are here: Helen Duncan of University of Hull is presenting on reflexivity (making the familiar strange) in relation to major gift fundraising. Interesting subject. Interesting side note from Helen with regard to the #NonGraduatesWelcome campaign. When recruiting front line fundraisers, charities often forget that they have back office staff under their noses who could transfer, as she did. Can you tap into the passions of people in your organisation and become their mouthpiece? Great point: you don't have to have encyclopediac knowledge of your organisation when meeting a supporter. You might end up gabbling and spewing facts anyway. Stop. Ask. Listen. "What are your motivations for giving?"