Hello I am Michelle Benson

Today is 1st May 2019 I am sitting at my desk and am starting “Culture of Philanthropy”, after 20 years of working as a fundraiser - from Account Manager to Development Director for charities both big and small.

So why the jump? Why leave being a Fundraising Director?

I have had a great fundraising career, my jobs have always been varied, full of amazing experiences and equally amazing people.

I have worked with and on some incredible partnerships from super high profile to deeply personal, raised millions of pounds towards causes, and have led and coached literally hundreds of fundraisers. Several of whom are now leading organisations themselves.

BUT over the years, I have witnessed a definite culture shift within charities.  A culture that makes being a fundraiser much harder and much more pressured. Targets have not only gone up but frequently orbit reality, morale amongst fundraisers generally stays positive, it’s just when it interacts with the rest of the organisation…😉

It seems the job and career I have loved and been loved by - is starting to really become more and more pressurised.

But it still has all the ingredients that has made it such a wonderful career - it is just getting buried under a pile of ever-growing distractions and demands fuelled by the scarcity mindset of its leaders (although not consciously or intentionally).

Ultimately, I was running a team, had line reports, was part of the Senior Management team/serving Boards and the wider organisation, stewarding key donors, fire-fighting one urgent request after another, fighting off the never ending emails, running from meeting to meeting, arguing why we needed better impact data, better budget information, more clarity around the case of support, speaking at conferences, overseeing re-brands, overseeing new website development and shielding my staff from the incoming demands from the rest of the organisation.

I was painfully aware that the Senior Management Team and Board did not really understand fundraising (apart from one charity I worked for which really understood it - all Board members fundraised and donated personally).

So, I have stepped out and created the service I would have loved to have had when I was up to my fundraising neck in the day to day madness of the Development Departments, I once called home.

I have poured 20 years of fundraising knowledge, 8 years of SMT/Board experience and 14 years of coaching teams into a “Fundraising Growth Formula”.  I have created the solid foundation every fundraising strategy needs BEFORE you set the goals and the targets, the foundation has to come first.  HOW do you best fundraise for your charity and why.  Once you understand that and have identified what you need to be “fit for purpose” then you can start adding on goals, targets, strategies etc.  BUT if the foundation, the systems, the bedrock is not understood or set up well you will always be on shaky ground and playing catch up. 

This service is:

• How to set your fundraising department up to win.
• What your departmental strategy should focus on and why.
• On-line advice for Fundraising Directors - all aspects of how to set up, run and build a successful fundraising department.
• Me, being your “personal guide” as an experienced and successful Development Director – total honest no BS what works, what to avoid and why.

Can’t wait to get cracking now!!