The Fundraising Everywhere Podcast

Tune in to Florian Engel's session from our 2026 Individual Giving Conference "Closing the engagement gap: the missing piece to turn leads into donors" A common challenge in digital fundraising is the failure to engage supporters effectively before making a financial ask. This is what we call the ‘Engagement Gap’.This session explores how to cultivate deeper relationships through meaningful engagement actions. We will discuss designing strategies that go beyond simple clicks to build lasting trust and connection. Using real-world examples and actionable insights, you will learn to create experiences where supporters feel truly valued. We will also demonstrate how you can integrate wider engagement with your donation asks. By closing the engagement gap for your organisation you can improve the long-term results of your individual giving program. Key learnings from this session: Why engagement matters so much in digital fundraising. How to identify the engagement gap in the supporter experience. Practical ideas and examples for engagement actions that will inspire you. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

Tune in to Sinem Bilen-Onabanjo's session from our 2026 Individual Giving Conference "Embedding Legacy Conversations Across the IG Supporter Journey" Legacy giving shouldn’t be treated as a separate fundraising product or conversation. Instead, it should emerge naturally from the relationships we build with supporters throughout their journey. This session explores how Individual Giving programmes can create the conditions for meaningful legacy engagement by focusing on supporters’ motivations, values and identities rather than channels or fundraising asks. Drawing on practical examples from Oxfam’s supporter journeys, persona development, stewardship programme and the *Stay in the Fight* campaign, it will demonstrate how legacy can be introduced as a natural continuation of a supporter’s lifelong commitment to a cause. The session will also challenge the idea that legacy fundraising belongs solely to specialist teams, exploring how stewardship, volunteering, campaigning and supporter care all play a role in creating opportunities for legacy conversations. Ultimately, successful legacy fundraising is less about identifying the perfect moment to ask and more about embedding legacy thinking across the supporter experience, enabling people to see how the values they champion today can continue to shape the future long after they’re gone. Key learnings from this session: Understand why legacy fundraising should be embedded across the Individual Giving supporter journey rather than treated as a standalone fundraising product. Learn how supporter motivations, values and identities can be used to create more meaningful and authentic legacy engagement. Discover practical ways to introduce legacy conversations long before asking for a gift, using stewardship and relationship-building rather than transactional asks. Explore how legacy opportunities arise across volunteering, campaigning, supporter care and fundraising, and why every team has a role in enabling them. Gain practical examples from Oxfam’s supporter journeys, persona development, stewardship programme and *Stay in the Fight* campaign that can be adapted to your own organisation. Leave with ideas for creating a more integrated supporter experience where legacy becomes a natural expression of a lifelong relationship with your cause. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

Tune in to Ugo Ikokwu's session from our 2025 Trusts and Major Donors Conference "Grant makers: spotting an AI doozy – and what to do instead" “Grant makers: spotting an AI doozy and what to do instead” is a practical, myth-busting session designed for fundraisers navigating the new reality of AI-powered bid writing. As more charities turn to tools like ChatGPT to save time, funders are increasingly encountering applications that sound polished but hollow, generic or ethically risky. This session will help you understand what funders are actually looking out for and how you can use AI well without undermining your voice, credibility or case for support. We’ll cover the essentials: what AI is (in plain English), how it can genuinely support your fundraising, the ethical considerations you must keep in view, and the common “AI doozies” that immediately raise red flags for funders. Drawing on my experience assessing hundreds of applications and using AI in my own grant-making and social investment work at Trust for London, I’ll show you how to use AI to enhance clarity and storytelling while keeping lived experience, accuracy and authenticity front and centre. You will leave with practical tips, examples, and questions to ask yourself before submitting any AI-supported application, helping you write smarter bids that still sound powerfully you. Key learnings from this session: Attendees will learn where AI genuinely adds value, editing, structuring, simplifying, sense-checking without replacing their expertise or diluting their organisation’s voice. Funders increasingly spot tell-tale signs of poorly used AI: generic language, inaccurate claims, mismatched data, and applications that sound professional but say very little. You’ll learn how to avoid these traps. You’ll understand what red flags funders look for, why some AI-written bids get rejected immediately, and how to make sure your application still reflects authenticity, lived experience and clear need. Don't forget to join us at our Trusts and Major Donors Conference, happening on Thursday 10th December. Learn more here If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

Tune in to Eoghan Beecher's session from our 2025 Individual Giving Conference "Why Won't You Let Me Donate?" There are many reasons why someone would choose to donate to a charity of their choice, but there are also many reasons why they might not donate. In this session, we will explore areas that may prevent a supporter from completing an online donation. We will focus on a variety of areas, including creative journeys, user experience and technical implementation. Our goal is to increase revenue from those who already want to give, but have his an entirely avoidable barrier. Key learnings from this session: UX design Payment technology Cyber security Digital Marketing Don't forget to join us at our Individual Giving Conference, happening on Thursday 15th October. Learn more here If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast, host Simon Scriver sits down with Jeff Schreifels (Principal & Owner) and Andy Milligan (Managing Director, UK & Europe) from Veritus Group for an "ask the expert" session tackling the most frequently asked questions from fundraisers about major and mid-level donor programs. The conversation covers practical, numbers-backed guidance on: Touch points & channels - Whether newsletters, mass emails, and appeals count as real touch points, and how to blend direct response with personal cultivation Caseload size - Why 150 donors is the benchmark for a full-time major gift officer (and 500–700 for mid-level), plus how to scale that down for one-person shops Qualifying donors - How to identify donors ready for a major gift approach, and why current giving behaviour beats wealth screening Justifying the investment - Why organisations hesitate to fund major gift programs, the ROI comparison with direct response, and why you should budget for at least two years Re-engaging lapsed donors - A multi-channel approach, and why you shouldn't let re-engagement come at the detriment of active donors Contact frequency - At least one touchpoint per month for major donors, and why most organisations are under-contacting rather than over-contacting Value attrition - The overlooked metric that's costing nonprofits 40–60% of revenue from existing donors year over year, and why year-over-year growth can mask the problem Program costs & core costs - How to work with finance teams to present full-cost donor offers, and why major donors understand overhead better than we think A huge thank you to Veritus for being our headline for our Trusts and Major Donors Conference, happening on the 10th December. Learn more here Check out Veritus' upcoming webinars Take the free donor assessment Contact Veritus If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere podcast, host Simon Scriver has a conversation with proud FE member Sarah Shooter, Head of Development at Theatre Royal Wakefield. This episode delves into Sarah's journey as a fundraiser, the unique challenges and successes she’s experienced in the arts sector, and the importance of community and personal touch in fundraising. Discover insights on membership, corporate fundraising, and the art of balancing various fundraising activities within a small team. Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser or new to the field, this episode offers valuable lessons on maintaining passion and optimism in the face of challenges. Click here to find out more about Fundraising Everywhere membership If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

A few months ago, we broke down the incoming UK email soft opt-in regulation and what it could mean for charities. Now, the guidance is finally here - and a lot has changed. Josh Leigh from Hynt returns to the Fundraising Everywhere podcast with three specialists to unpack the latest ICO guidance and the fundraising regulator's new framework. Fundraising regulation strategist Cam St-Omer Donaldson explains where the two bodies differ, what third-party platforms mean for your data, and why a Legitimate Interest Assessment should be your first step. People and processes consultant Kirsty Mooney breaks down how to map your data flows, document your decisions, and get your team trained and confident. And digital fundraising strategist Sarah Crowhurst explores the opportunities beyond compliance - from smarter segmentation and welcome journeys to SMS, telemarketing, and boosting supporter retention by up to 9%. Whether you're a small charity wondering where to start or a major organisation navigating complex partner ecosystems, this episode will help you turn regulation into opportunity. Listen to part 1 here If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere podcast, host Simon Scriver sits down with Robin Peake, Deputy CEO of Wycliffe Bible Translators and author of the newly updated Complete Fundraising Handbook (8th edition, published by the Directory of Social Change), to talk about what it takes to build a resilient, confident, and effective fundraising career. Robin shares the story behind writing the book — a nearly 400-page reference designed for fundraisers in the first five years of their careers, especially those working solo or in small teams. They dig into the "squiggly career" path many fundraisers find themselves on, why fundraising is hard (but not complicated), and how to build the confidence to push back when senior colleagues offer opinions that aren't grounded in evidence. The conversation also covers: - Time management - Stephen Covey's urgent/important matrix, the Pareto principle, and why "being busy" shouldn't be worn as a badge of honor - Resilience and self-care - how to develop an inner sense of security that doesn't depend on whether a funder says yes or no - Career development - the progression from managing tasks to managing projects, people, and change, plus the powerful question of "what's the job after your next job?" - Practical starting points - how to carve out time for learning and development when your to-do list never ends Become a Fundraising Everywhere member for ongoing support Purchase The Complete Fundraising Handbook — available from the Directory of Social Change

Following our "Banned and Blocked" webinar on Meta advertising for digital fundraising, we're diving deeper into the questions we didn't have time to answer on the day. Simon Scriver sits down with Josh Leigh from Hynt to tackle the Meta challenges charities are facing right now - from realistic ad budgets and lead generation strategies to navigating Meta's ever-changing restrictions on social issue content. We cover: What budget do you really need? Why £500 won't cut it for donor acquisition on Meta - and what a realistic starting budget looks like From lead to donation: How to turn guide downloads and lead form sign-ups into actual gifts, and why you should ask sooner than you think Finding your "why": Using Simon Sinek's Golden Circle to craft messaging that stops the scroll in 0.7 seconds Meta lead forms vs. landing pages: Which performs better and why Meta doesn't want you leaving the platform Advantage+ targeting, social issue ad approvals, health content restrictions, and more — practical answers to the questions fundraisers submitted Check out the full Banned & Blocked Webinar On-Demand Why not become a member? Where you'll get full access to all of our Fundamentals, including our Digital Fundamentals, created in partnership with Hynt If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

Navigating rapid growth, fame and change. Medical Aid for Palestinians rose from an organisation with an annual income of £10m to over £50m in less than a year. From a small, niche, and dedicated supporter base to attracting tens of thousands of new supporters from over 150 countries through digital channels. Find out more about how the charity has adapted its ways of working and fundraising programme to deliver on ambitious goals, whilst also planning for a future where the media and public interest fades, but the need continues to be great. Key learnings from this session: A case study of a small team shifting their approach in response to rapid organic growth / an emergency How to drive reactive giving Focusing in on sustainable giving Want to continue your learning? Join us at our Individual Giving Conference on the 15th October 2026 If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this rapid-fire Q&A episode of the Fundraising Everywhere podcast, host Simon Scriver puts corporate partnerships expert Andy King (Fireside Fundraising) on the spot with the most commonly asked questions from the Fundraising Everywhere community. Pulled from feedback and conference audiences, this episode covers everything fundraisers want to know about building and sustaining corporate partnerships. Topics include: What good corporate partnerships actually look like — and why companies don't want to be treated like bank accounts Fewer big partnerships vs. more medium-sized ones: which strategy to start with Realistic partnership values for small charities (with real-world examples) How to find and qualify the right prospects using mission alignment and giving preferences Cold vs. warm outreach: realistic reply rates and why the difference is staggering Mixing channels (email, phone, LinkedIn, Instagram DMs) and why consistency matters How to approach corporates at networking events without killing the mood Andy also shares details about upcoming Fireside Fundraising research on how companies give, available free at the end of September, plus a Fundraising Everywhere webinar sharing the highlights. Andy King, Founder of Fireside Fundraising — find him on LinkedIn or at firesidefundraising.com Become a member to access our Relationship Fundraising Fundamentals Check out our next Corporate Partnerships Conference

In March 2025, Mind launched a dedicated In Memory cash journey – our first tailored email stewardship programme for supporters giving in memory of a loved one. This session will share how the five part email journey was shaped by audience insight, the results from six months of performance data, and our plans for stewarding different in memory audience segments across channels. Attendees will gain practical ideas for designing supporter journeys that resonate emotionally, interpreting data to refine approaches, and building multi-channel stewardship strategies that strengthen relationships and encourage repeat giving. Key learnings from this session: How to use audience insight to design meaningful, tailored supporter journeys. How to analyse performance metrics -including second gift rates – to guide improvements. Mind’s plan to segment and steward in memory audiences effectively across multiple channels. Want to continue your learning? Join us at our Legacy and In-Memory Conference on the 24th September 2026 If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast, host Cam St.Omer Donaldson is joined by two graduates of the JustGiving Digital Learning Grant Programme — Kayleigh Wingate from Cambridge Cyrenians and Claire Caborn from Dove Cottage Day Hospice. Both fundraisers work in small charities where wearing multiple hats is the norm, and both came into the DLG program with different goals — Kayleigh to build her fundraising foundations after a background in copywriting and marketing, and Claire to take her charity's first steps into digital fundraising ahead of a landmark 30th anniversary Big Give Christmas Challenge. Together, they share: What they learned across six months of the program — from email marketing and social media strategy to storytelling and grants Why it's okay not to have all the answers (and why that realisation was liberating) How the program boosted their confidence and sparked new strategies for their organisations Why Fundraising Everywhere feels like an extended fundraising team — and a "fundraising encyclopaedia" Applications for the Digital Learning Grant Program 2027 (sponsored by JustGiving) are now open. Head to https://www.fundraisingeverywhere.com/digitallearninggrant/ to apply. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere podcast, host Cam St-Omer Donaldson is joined by Claire Stanley, Director of Policy and Communications at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, to unpack not only what the new rules mean, but also where charities are still looking for greater clarity. Together they explore the distinction between the ICO's legal guidance and the Fundraising Regulator's fundraising framework, discuss some of the grey areas charities are navigating, and explain how the Chartered Institute of Fundraising is working with regulators to represent the sector's experiences and help shape future guidance. They explore: What the charitable purposes soft opt-in changes and what it doesn't. The difference between the ICO's legal guidance and the Fundraising Regulator's practical framework. Areas where charities are still seeking greater clarity, including common implementation questions. How the Chartered Institute of Fundraising is engaging with the ICO and other regulators to raise sector feedback and support further clarification. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast, host Sarah Crowhurst — Founder of digital fundraising agency Hynt — sits down with three brilliant sector leaders ahead of her own talk at Pizza for Losers , the event that celebrates what happens when things go wrong. Sarah is preparing to speak about professional burnout and a knock to her confidence that left her questioning her future. To calm her nerves and sharpen her thinking, she chats with: Henry Rolling (Flying Cars Innovation Agency) — who shares how his first Christmas appeal at the Refugee Council went out without a return envelope, why failure is easier for some people than others, and what cracking an apple with your bare hands has to do with persistence. Lesley Pinder (Compass) — who spoke at the very first Pizza for Losers about burnout and missing the warning signs. She reflects on the "vulnerability hangover" of opening up on stage, and why having your team in the front row cheering you on can change everything. Harpreet Kondel — who opens up about being the only person of colour in the room for 32 years, the roles she was never offered, and why she refuses to let others define her worth. Together, they explore vulnerability, self-belief, bias, and why talking about failure might be one of the bravest and most important things we can do.

What does return on investment actually look like in corporate fundraising — and what can the numbers tell us about strategy? In this episode, host Simon Scriver brings together Caroline Richardson (Lark Owl) and Andy King (Fireside Fundraising) to dig into Caroline's latest benchmarking research on corporate partnerships. What does return on investment actually look like in corporate fundraising — and what can the numbers tell us about strategy? They explore why more charities than ever are doing corporate fundraising, what the data reveals about success rates (including why 50% of respondents had a 100% success rate — and why that's not necessarily the full story), and how ROI for corporate partnerships is trending. Caroline and Andy also unpack the key strategic difference between a high-volume and a quality-over-quantity approach, why corporate fundraising has more in common with major gifts than trusts, and why it's very much a team sport. Caroline and Andy also discuss: - ROI - Percentage of charities actually doing corporate fundraising - Success rates - Differences between large and small charities - Differences between 2025 and 2026 Caroline's newsletter, The Nest Egg Fireside Fundraising research on why companies give If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

The digital fundraising landscape is changing. How are you navigating it? If you get your digital engine room (Meta, Google and Email) in order, then you can continue to get value out of digital, despite the ongoing restrictions put on charity advertisers looking to grow their share of voice and share of money. Join Josh Leigh, Director at Hynt in this session that will equip attendees with practical strategies and tools to navigate the ongoing changes in digital advertising: charities need to know WHY they exist, and work in the middle of the marketing funnel to bring it to life. Key learnings from this session: Participants will understand how the ongoing restrictions on digital advertising are affecting charities. You will learn how to create effective campaigns that leverage your charity’s value to grow consideration and create deeper value through digital retention. Are you ready to gain actionable insights and tools to implement immediately? Don't forget to join us at our Digital Fundraising Conference, happening on the 9th July 2026, learn more here If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

Is email the most underrated tool in your fundraising toolkit? In this episode, host Simon Scriver sits down with Anya Muir Wood, Head of Creative at Forward Action, to explore why email deserves far more attention than it gets — and how to make it work harder for your cause. Anya shares how Forward Action takes a data-led, human-first approach to email fundraising, helping organisations of all sizes move from sporadic sends to strategic, story-driven campaigns that genuinely connect with supporters. They cover: Why fear of unsubscribes is holding your email programme back How to overcome the blank page and write emails people actually want to open The power of honesty, urgency, and a single clear ask Where AI fits in (and where it doesn't) for creative email teams How to build an email content plan even with limited capacity Anya also gives a preview of her session at the Digital Fundraising Conference on 9th July — "Six Email Tactics That Make Supporters Fall in Love With Your Cause" — packed with practical, steal-worthy ideas you can put into action straight away. Links & Resources: Forward Action website Join us at our Digital Fundraising Conference If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

What does it actually feel like to be a donor — and why does it matter more than you think? In this episode, host Simon Scriver is joined by Steven Dodds (Managing Director) and Paul Seabrook (CEO) of Beautiful Insights, a full-service market research agency specialising in the charity sector. Together they explore one of the most overlooked challenges in fundraising: how do you measure the emotional experience of your supporters, not just the financial data? The conversation covers: Why satisfaction alone doesn't predict donor loyalty or generosity The SAFE Index — Beautiful Insights' benchmarking tool for measuring non-financial supporter KPIs How donors often vividly remember why they first gave, but rarely recall anything about the ongoing supporter experience Why feeling "useful" might actually be a warning sign in your donor data How charities can compete with commercial brands that have mastered emotional advertising The difference between transactional stewardship and communications that genuinely move people This episode sets the scene for Steven and Paul's session at the upcoming Individual Giving Conference, where they'll dive deeper into the specific emotions that drive donor retention — and which ones should have your attention. Find out more about the SAFE Index and Beautiful Insights at beautifulinsights.com Join us at our Individual Giving Conference 2026 If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this episode, host Simon Scriver is joined by Natasha Evans (About Loyalty & Your Experience May Vary podcast) and David Amos-Reeves (Prostate Cancer UK & Experience Hub) to reflect on Fundraising Everywhere's recent Supporter Experience Conference. Together, they unpack some of the conference's key themes - including the "relevancy crisis" facing charities, why so many organisations struggle to turn their commitment to supporter experience into real organisational change, and what it truly means to reflect a supporter's motivations back to them. They also explore the differences between large and small charities when it comes to delivering great supporter experiences, share standout moments from the conference (including a powerful session on storytelling from Lisa at Fireside Fundraising), and look ahead to what's coming; from AI's role in closing the relevancy gap, to protecting the irreplaceable human element in fundraising. Members can watch the Supporter Experience Conference sessions On Demand Not a member? Check out our membership options here Find Natasha and David's podcast, Your Experience May Vary Check out The Experience Hub Connect with David Connect with Natasha If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.