Our Insight in Fundraising conference 2024 highlights

One of the first talks at the conference explored the state of the charity sector, presented by our Jessie Parker and Anna Frodsham of Pancreatic Cancer UK (PCUK).

They provided a comprehensive look at the key trends currently shaping the charity sector drawing upon data from the InsightHub benchmarking platform, revealing insights into how economic factors like the rising cost-of-living have affected donor behaviour.

It was pleasing to hear overall charity income is continuing to grow following a dip in the pandemic period, regardless of further economic setbacks. PCUK has defied trends by focusing on retention and effective messaging, while significant wealth transfers have been identified as future opportunities.

Several sessions centred around maximising existing data. Damon Boughen of Northampton Hope Centre provided advice for small teams, emphasising the importance of using available data and free resources for tailored outreach.

An inspiring contribution came from Gemma Cornwell of Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK (SRUK), who advocated for maximising current systems and resources in pursuit of growth.

She reinforced the need for data-driven strategies to streamline operations and improve supporter journeys.

The conference also touched on larger-scale strategies, with a session from the RNLI discussing how lifetime value (LTV) metrics, despite their complexity, could be used as strategic fundraising indicators. The talk highlighted the importance of flexible LTV models that allow charities to adapt to changing costs and campaign dynamics.

The use of data in successful media campaigns was explored by Jodie Hanrahan of Join the Dots, alongside representatives from Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS).

The strategic use of data and insight informing KSS’ ‘Buy if for Life’ integrated fundraising campaign was shown to enhance both new supporter recruitment and retention, as well as deliver almost double the campaign’s original donation goal in just seven weeks.

Broader themes were also explored, including the underrepresentation of young women in data, discussed in the plenary session by Jenny Wilkins and Tori Tompkins from Girls in Data. Their call for early engagement with young girls to break gender bias resonated deeply, emphasising the importance of inspiring future generations in the field.

With sessions on AI and machine learning, and insights into the latest trends around this, the conference provided an invaluable learning experience for those seeking to leverage AI for impactful change.

Salocin Group‘s Alex Holt and Marc Dallimore presented a beginner-friendly exploration of how AI and ML are transforming the charity sector, breaking down complex topics into practical, relatable examples.

They focused on key areas like understanding AI basics, identifying ideal use cases and maximising the benefits of using AI tools.

The conference ended with Steve White’s closing remarks, reflecting on the collaborative and open nature of the day’s discussions, which showcased successes and failures, ultimately providing a roadmap for the future of fundraising through insight.

You can revisit and catch up on all the conference sessions via the CIOF360 app.

At the evening’s awards ceremony, Marc Dallimore, representing headline sponsor Wood for Trees, gave an opening speech highlighting the importance of creativity, collaboration and determination in fundraising.

We were delighted to present honours including Team of the Year to Marie Curie and Rising Star to Erin Freeman of Alzheimer’s Society. Wood for Trees celebrated winning two awards for data-driven work with Cats Protection and SRUK. We were also delighted to be highly commended for our work with PCUK and within the Supplier of the Year category, alongside our sister brand, Join the Dots.

We had a brilliant day and night, catching up with sector colleagues, being inspired by their work and celebrating success!