In February 2026 year we launched our four Advisory Panels. The panels have been created to support our ambition to double our impact in a decade by reversing the decline in giving and creating a sustainable, inspiring future for fundraising. By improving careers in fundraising, shifting public perceptions, raising standards, and making giving easier, we aim to build a future where fundraising is stronger, more inclusive, and better understood.   
 

Each panel is chaired by a trustee of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and, together with our panel members, seeks to drive and support our strategic aims by offering independent insight, challenge, and guidance to help CIOF develop and deliver against its purpose and the four strategic pillars that underpin it. 

Talent & Inclusion Advisory Panel

Charities are struggling to find, nurture and keep skilled fundraisers. Job ads aren’t getting enough strong applicants, and the fundraising profession still lacks diversity. This panel supports our strategic aim to attract, retain and nurture fundraising talent.  

 

Panel members: 

 

 

Matt Parkes, Chair and CIOF Trustee 

Matt was elected to the board of Trustees in July 2021. Matt has been a fundraiser since 1999, holding various positions charity side (CAFOD, ChildLine, NSPCC, Bible Society, Blind Veterans UK, Diocese of Westminster), agency side (Bluefrog, where he worked with over 30 different charities) and as a consultant (including Diabetes UK, Save the Children and Ripple Effect). 

 

He has broad experience across philanthropy, individual giving, grants and legacy giving. Matt is passionate about feedback-led fundraising, believing that the most powerful words in raising funds are: 'Thank you. This is what you have achieved.' As Co-Founder of Scenius Consulting and Coaching, he has worked with his friend and former colleague Ann-Mari Freebairn since early 2023. 

 

They met as Director of Communications and Director Fundraising in Blind Veterans UK, where they proved that the two functions can collaborate successfully. The sum of the whole was definitely greater than the sum of the parts! 

 

 

 

Andrew Murphy  

Andrew Murphy is Director of Ceres Financial Talent and co-founder of TrusteeConnect. With 17+ years’ experience in leadership recruitment, he supports organisations to build strong, effective teams and leadership pipelines. Through TrusteeConnect, Andrew advises third sector boards on governance, trustee recruitment and board development, and has a grounded understanding of the funding pressures charities face, shaped by three years working in charity fundraising earlier in his career. 

 

 

 

Paul McKenzie  

Paul McKenzie is the founder of Giant Steps Consultancy and a fundraising and leadership adviser with almost two decades of experience across the UK charity sector. He has led fundraising and marketing functions at Teenage Cancer Trust and Depaul UK, and has held senior fundraising leadership roles at organisations including Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, Action for Children, Age UK and Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. 

 

Over the past two years, Paul has worked as a consultant with more than 30 charities, supporting chief executives, fundraising directors and boards to build sustainable fundraising strategies, strengthen leadership capability and develop healthy, inclusive team cultures. His work focuses on how leadership behaviours, organisational culture and ways of working shape talent development, retention and progression in fundraising, and he brings this practical, leadership-led perspective to the Talent & Inclusion Advisory Panel. 

 

 

 

Sarah Cashman  

Currently the Philanthropy Manager at the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund, Sarah has been a fundraiser for seven years. She has predominantly worked as a lone fundraiser or in small teams, working across multiple income streams. In her previous role, she was the organisation’s first fundraiser. She hopes to bring a small charity perspective to the panel. 

 

 

 

Alex Chandler  

Alex is a fundraising professional at Glasgow Science Centre, with experience across the third sector, academia, and the creative industries. Alex’s work focuses on securing funding, building partnerships, and supporting organisations to deliver meaningful social impact. 

 

Alex’s perspective is shaped by lived experience of poverty and a non-traditional route into higher education, culminating in a PhD exploring access, public health, and inequality. This background has shaped a belief that people should be able to influence the decisions that affect their lives, and that organisations have a responsibility to listen to and work alongside the communities they serve. 

 

Through the CIOF Talent & Inclusion Advisory Panel, Alex is keen to help build a fundraising profession that is more open, representative, and accessible to people from all backgrounds. 

 

 

 

Cath Taylor  

Cath has worked in charities and the education/skills sector for over 15 years, starting in Universities and Students’ Unions before making the move to full-time charity fundraising in 2017. Cath began in corporate partnerships fundraising, with specialities in account management of six-figure-plus co-delivery and commercial partnerships, before making the move to fundraising operations to better support managing a chronic health condition. 

 

Along with managing and architecting large strategic partnerships at The Prince’s Trust and the The Sutton Trust, Cath has also recruited, developed, and managed teams of skilled fundraisers, and brings a data-driven approach to fundraising strategy. 

 

Identifying and developing talent is a workplace passion, driven by the belief that skills developed outside of academia and qualifications are also highly valuable and there should be equality of opportunity for all. Cath strongly believes in the recognition of fundraising as a skilled profession, equal to other chartered and professional careers. 

 

 

 

Dominic Will  

Dominic is managing director of face-to-face (F2F) fundraising agency Gather Campaigns, where he leads the business across the UK and Ireland, and most recently into India. Dom previously led the award-winning F2F agency HOME Fundraising and has worked within the charity community for over 25 years. Earlier in his career he managed corporate partnerships at a major UK charity and devised employee engagement programmes for blue chip companies while working with Charities Aid Foundation.  He is a committed advocate of the charity sector and professional fundraising, and has previously served as a Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising in the UK. 

  

Dom is passionate about the importance of one-to-one channels for helping charities engage with the public but also the employment opportunities they can create for young people from all walks of life.    

  

During the Covid pandemic, when face to face fundraising came to a sudden and abrupt halt, Dom’s focus was to protect fundraiser jobs and pivoted his agency teams into public outreach work, supporting local authorities in distributing and collecting coronavirus test kits. Since then, he has developed a dedicated public outreach service, promoting and sharing public messaging across various health issues, including heart disease and mental healthcare.  In resuming face to face fundraising post-lockdown, Dom has focused on innovation and developing new ways for engaging charity supporters. 

 

 

 

Kat Ebbs 

Kat Ebbs is Trusts and Foundations Officer at Sheffield Hospitals Charity. Kat has been in the sector for two years and is excited to bring their previous experience as Fundraising Apprentice to the Talent & Inclusion Advisory Panel. Kat is also excited to contribute to the panel from the perspective of a queer person in fundraising. 

 

 

 

Lucy Honeyman 

Lucy has dedicated her life to charity work and founded a small charity that facilitates uplifting projects in East Africa and Palestine in 2006. Lucy has won awards for her charity work, including the honour of Freedom of the City of London.  

 

Since 2021, Lucy has worked in charity sector recruitment and people management with Level 7 Professional Coaching and Level 7 Strategic People Management certification under her belt. She specialises in Inclusive Management and has her own podcast about how teams are creating a more positive work environment in non-profits. Lucy loves her job helping charities develop inclusive policies, coaching candidates to reach their potential and improving workplace wellbeing. She takes pride in the relationships she has built with sector workers at all levels around the globe.  

 

When not working, Lucy takes part in active fundraising events, such as the Bethlehem Marathon and Sahara Desert 100km. This tireless energy and dedication is a strength Lucy brings to the CIOF Talent and Inclusion Panel. 

 

 

 

Tunde Balogun 

Tunde has worked in the charity fundraising sector since 2019, starting his career as a door-to-door fundraiser for Action for Children. Driven by a passion for people, performance and purpose-led leadership, Tunde progressed quickly, founding 100 Fundraising, just 13 months later.  Tunde later founded a second organisation, CKT, where his full fundraising team now operates. 

 

Across his career, Tunde and his teams have raised over £5 million for more than 15 charities, they have achieved major performance milestones, and been recognised through partnerships such as Centrepoint Partner of the Year. 

 

Tunde is a strong advocate for diversity, inclusion and representation within the fundraising profession. After five months in the industry, Tunde became a Diversity Champion within his organisation and has continued to promote inclusive practices in recruitment, leadership development and team culture. Tunde’s passion is reshaping how senior management roles are filled, ensuring talent pathways are fair, inclusive and reflective of the communities we serve. 

 

Jaswant Sodhi 

Bio to follow 

Championing Fundraising Advisory Panel 

Many people don’t fully understand fundraising or see it as something worth investing in. Despite its importance, spending on fundraising has gone down since before the pandemic. This panel supports our strategic aim to change the perceptions of fundraising.  

 

Panel Members: 

 

 

Kelly Maklowicz, Chair & CIOF Trustee 

Kelly is a fundraising specialist with over 20 years’ experience. Kelly’s experience across the non-profit sector has helped grow mass fundraising programmes for environmental charities, heart research and mental health. Kelly’s passion is social justice and she is also a trustee at Breaking Barriers, supporting refugees to gain access to meaningful employment and build a new life.  Kelly is currently the Director of Supporter Fundraising at RSPB and was co-opted onto the Board of Trustees in September 2025.  

 

 

 

Adele Franghiadi  

Adele is a high value fundraising communications and proposition development specialist. In her role at Prostate Cancer UK, she develops compelling funding propositions across the charity’s Major Appeal and High Value income streams, helping fundraisers to secure meaningful and strategic gifts. She previously held fundraising communication and proposition roles at Alzheimer’s Society and earlier worked in Birmingham’s arts and cultural sector. As an experienced writer, Adele brings expertise in strategic communication, narrative development, and impact-led storytelling to strengthen the value and visibility of fundraising. 

 

 

 

Manjeet Pabla  

Manjeet is a charity consultant and fundraising strategist with 17+ years’ experience, and founder of Lumos Consulting, helping charities and purpose-led organisations grow income through events, community fundraising, corporate partnerships and integrated campaigns. She brings a practical, performance-focused approach, with experience leading diverse teams and delivering fundraising activity across in-person, virtual and hybrid formats. Manjeet is also Director and co-founder of Design Makers, a creative studio supporting charities and organisations with branding, websites, and social media content creation and management, helping teams communicate clearly and show up professionally.   

 

 

 

Kurstin Finch Gruehm  

Kurstin is a staunch believer in the power of education to change the world. This conviction has driven a 20+ year career as a fundraiser, teacher, mentor and writer, culminating in her appointment as Senior Partner at Cairney & Company. She has honed her skills in some of the US and UK’s most renowned universities, priding herself on her ability to help institutions meet their financial goals and build strong, sustainable philanthropic cultures. 

  

Kurstin’s fundraising experience, launched as Director of Advancement Operations at Linfield University on the west coast of the USA, now spans campaign management, major and principal gifts, regular giving, operations, event management, supporter care and legacies.  She joined Cairney & Company in 2024 from the Dogs Trust, where she led a 55-member high value fundraising team and oversaw the Trust’s £30m capital campaign, Lead The Way. 

  

Prior to that, Kurstin held senior roles at the Royal Academy of Music (managing the £60m Future of Music campaign), the University of Aberdeen, Imperial College London and the University of St Andrews, where she served as part of the 600th Anniversary Campaign team. 

 

 

 

Keith Kibirango  

Keith is a British Ugandan executive leader with over 20 years’ experience in social impact and fundraising across the UK, Europe, Africa, and globally.  

A lawyer by training, he has held senior roles at Tommy’s, JUSTICE, and Save the Children UK, where he secured a landmark £10 million African donor gift.  

 

As CEO of New Global Markets Consulting and former Chief Executive of Crown Agents International Development, he has driven organisational growth, raised over £100 million, and built cross-border teams.  

 

A recognised global speaker, he contributes to major forums including Davos, the UN General Assembly, and COP28. 

 

 

 

Emma Low  

Emma is co-director of Nova Fundraising, a consultancy committed to empowering small and medium charities to excel at fundraising. She is a highly qualified fundraising leader with over 30 years of experience in the non-profit sector.  Starting her fundraising career in trusts and grants during the 90’s, Emma has delivered hands-on fundraising across all income streams and specialises in developing new business streams, creating transformational programs ready for funding, and building fundraising functions from the ground up. 

 

Emma has led fundraising and communications teams and exceeded ambitious targets as a leader for organisations including Crisis, Asthma UK, Diabetes UK, Womankind Worldwide and Fight Bladder Cancer. She also has a wealth of experience in corporate social responsibility projects with major brands such a Body Shop; Costa and Premier Inn. With a passion for social justice and commitment to results, Emma has successfully raised millions of pounds from government, major donor and foundation grants. She holds an MA from Edinburgh University, the CIOF Diploma, and the Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology.  

 

Emma is an experienced chair and charity board member. She was co-chair of CIOF Chilterns; is a member of CIOF London and South East; a trustee for Youth Concern, and Chair of trustees for Vision Care.  

 

 

 

Marina Jones  

Marina is Executive Director, Development & Public Affairs at English National Opera and brings over twenty years’ experience across leading arts and cultural organisations. Previously, Marina spent 13 years at the Royal Opera House, where she held senior roles including Head of Membership and Fundraising Appeals and Head of Trusts and Foundations. Her work spanned three major capital campaigns alongside audience engagement, endowment, learning and participation, core funding, apprenticeships and major infrastructure projects. Earlier in her career she worked with organisations including Lyric Hammersmith, Polka Theatre and the Orange Tree Theatre. 

 

Marina is an Honorary Researcher at the University of Kent and she holds an MA with Distinction in Philanthropic Studies and a Certificate in Philanthropic Psychology with Distinction from the Institute of Sustainable Philanthropy. She champions studying the history of fundraising to understand more about current practice and leads fundraising think tank Rogare’s exploration of fundraising history and historiography. She is known for her generosity in sharing knowledge and her commitment to developing the fundraising profession. Marina is an international speaker in demand, regularly invited to speak on fundraising, philanthropy, behavioural science and donor psychology to professional, academic and sector audiences across the UK and Europe. 

 

 

 

Bronwyn O’Riordan  

Bronwyn has worked in the third sector for over 20 years; from working across social firms, managing charity retail, heading fundraising teams, leading third sector interface teams, to becoming a CEO. Bronwyn is the Chief Officer at Stepping Stones Organisation, a mental health charity based in West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. 

 

Having served two terms as Chair of Chairs for Scotland, and over three terms Chairing the Scottish Community & Event SIG, she supported the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Scottish committees and the fundraising communities; she is a constant champion of professional fundraising and advocate for the third sector. Bronwyn is a Trustee of an Arts charity and a Volunteer for an animal rescue. She also does public speaking and presenting for Women in Fundraising and Women in Leadership.   

 

 

 

Greg Fenton  

Greg is an award-winning strategic consultant specialising in charity governance, fundraising strategy, and social impact investment. He advises charities, community organisations, universities, and public bodies across the UK on sustainable income models, capital projects, and evidence-led funding approaches. Greg was named CEO of the Year in 2023 and is founder of Parker Bay, a consultancy supporting organisations to strengthen trust, professionalism, and long-term impact across the fundraising ecosystem. 

 

 

 

Sophia McNeill MInstF(Cert)  

Sophia is a senior philanthropy professional with 18 years’ experience across higher education, charity partnerships, and governance. She is Senior Philanthropy Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she leads major gifts and corporate fundraising strategy in support of institutional priorities including social mobility, access to education, and research. 

Sophia brings strong expertise in ethical fundraising, donor engagement, and strategic collaboration, and serves as a School Governor. Earlier volunteering roles working directly with people and communities continue to inform her values-led approach to philanthropy and her commitment to creating lasting change. 

Learning & Standards Advisory Panel 

Fundraising must be done to a high standard, with honesty and transparency. Complaints are rising, and more charities are reporting when things go wrong. This panel supports our strategic aim to drive excellent fundraising practice, setting standards, ethics and guidance.  

 

Panel members: 

 

 

Damian Chapman, Chair & CIOF Trustee 

Damian Chapman is a Transformation Consultant at Fundraiser In The Room, helping organisations build effective fundraising systems and create environments where people can perform at their best.  

 

After spending over twenty years in fundraising and communications leadership, Damian’s work now sits at the intersection of behavioural science, systems thinking, technical and data architecture, fundraising product management, and practical organisational design. He is known for taking complex operating environments that leader's see aren’t working but don’t know how to address, and helping them create effective solutions that deliver fundraising growth and increased fundraising potential. 

 

Damian's commitment to fundraising extends into his voluntary roles with The Elischer Foundation, Fundraising Regulator, Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and Rogare - the fundraising think tank. In his role as a Trustee at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Damian chairs the Learning and Standards Panel 

 

 

 

George Collins  

George is Chair of the Lotteries Council, Commercial Director at CFP Lottery & Raffles, and CEO of Navigator Media & Advertising. He has spent the last decade helping charities launch and grow sustainable lottery programmes, combining digital innovation with robust governance and regulatory compliance. Working across Gambling Commission requirements, advertising standards, and data protection, George brings practical experience of operating in a highly regulated fundraising environment while protecting supporter trust. He is looking forward to contributing his insight to the Learning & Standards Advisory Panel, helping shape guidance and learning that supports best practice and sustainable income growth across the sector. 

 

 

 

Hannah Lyons  

Hannah is a Partner in the Charity and Social Enterprise Department at Bates Wells. She has worked in the charity sector for over 12 years and advises charities and non-profits on a range of legal issues. Hannah has a particular specialism in fundraising law and regulation, which includes working on  everything from compliance with the Code of Fundraising Practice and Fundraising Regulator investigations, to contracts with corporate partners and professional fundraisers. 

 

 

 

Donna Day Lafferty MSc 

Donna has worked as a professional fundraiser and project manager since 1997. She is author and senior lecturer to the MA Fundraising at the University of Chichester, launched 2025. Previously she authored the first dedicated fundraising undergraduate degree. She is co-editor of The Fundraising Reader (2023), Routledge, with Beth Breeze and Pamala Wiepking. 

 

Prior to becoming and academic, she raised over €22 million in funding as Development Director of the Better Cotton Initiative (2010-2012). As Director of Co-funding for the Tropical Forest Trust (2000-2006), income secured included €14 million in EU funding and she managed an international project to help end the trade in illegal timber from tropical forests. At WWF her income portfolio included their first Comic Relief grant, £600,000, and was she their millennium political campaigns coordinator. 

 

Donna designed and authored the how2fundraise.org website, the Chartered Institute of Fundraising and coordinated the launch of their first online learning programme.

 

 

 

Gemma Bradley  

Gemma is currently the Director of Operations at Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity. Previously, she has held finance and operational roles across healthcare and not-for-profit organisations. Throughout Gemma’s career, she has supported teams to build capability, confidence, and ethical practice. With a strong understanding of regulatory expectations and best practice, Gemma is committed to strengthening excellence across all aspects of fundraising. 

 

As a member of the Learning and Standards Advisory Panel for the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, Gemma is passionate about ensuring learning frameworks remain relevant, inclusive, and responsive to the evolving needs of the fundraising community and wider public expectations.

 

 

  

Emma Louise Singh  

Emma-Louise is a highly experienced and qualified fundraiser with nearly 20 years of hands-on experience across trusts, events, Individual Giving, Legacy and In Memory fundraising. She has worked with leading national charities as well as local organisations, implementing strategies that diversify income streams. Emma-Louise founded Nova Fundraising to empower small and medium charities to excel fundraising. She is highly qualified, having completed the CIOF’s Diploma in Fundraising and International Advanced Diploma in Fundraising qualifications. Her passion is helping charities turn possibility into reality by building professional, resilient fundraising programmes from the ground up.  

  

She is a strategic and organised thinker and is currently Chair of Trustees of two animal welfare charities.

 

 

 

Samuel Butler  

Starting in face-to-face fundraising at the Gift Group in 2002, Sam worked with over 60 charity clients in his 10 years there. In December 2011 he joined St John Ambulance, doubling net income in five years through working with an amazing team of fundraisers and agencies. 

In 2017 Sam joined Tibet Relief Fund as their Director of Fundraising and Communications, working with a tiny and committed team to grow their capacity, lead on digital integration and developing an organisational strategy with their executive team. In 2019, Sam joined Starlight as Head of Public Fundraising. Implementing and award-winning digital fundraising programme to help navigate the pandemic and lift their public fundraising programme into the Twenty-first century.

In September 2024, Sam started in his current role as Head of Fundraising, Communications and Business Intelligence and The SJOG Foundation, working with the largest mental health provider across the Republic of Ireland.

Sam believes in collaboration and that growth in our sector can only be achieved sustainably by bringing people together. 

 

Julia Mckechnie-Burke  

Bio to follow

Growing Giving Advisory Panel

Fewer people are giving to charity, even though the total amount donated has gone up slightly. This means fewer donors are giving more, which isn’t sustainable. This panel supports our strategic aim to foster a culture that inspires more people to give.  

 

Panel Members: 

 

 

Jayne George, Chair & CIOF Trustee 

Jayne is an experienced and successful charity leader in the UK and has held senior positions at Save the Children and The Children’s Society. She was also Director of Fundraising and Communications at Guide Dogs and is currently Chief Fundraising and Communication Officer for the RNLI.  

 

With more than 32 years of experience in charity fundraising, Jayne is internationally recognised as an outstanding leader in the field. She regularly lectures at fundraising conferences across the UK and Europe, sharing her expertise and championing best practice. 

At the heart of her work is a commitment to ensuring that RNLI donors and supporters enjoy a world-class experience, fostering lifelong relationships with people who share her passion for the charity’s mission.  

 

Along with the being a Trustee for the CIOF, she serves as Chair of Trustees for Imagine This, a small but highly impactful charity improving the lives of sick children across the South of England, and also supports the Macular Society, which is running a major fundraising campaign to beat Macular Disease. 

 

She leads by example through her own fundraising challenges, inspiring others with her energy and dedication. Jayne was co-opted onto the Board of Trustees in September 2025.  

 

 

 

Rob Halkyard  

Rob is an executive leader with a strong, diverse background in fundraising and marketing. He is currently the Executive Director of Charities at the Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation, leading a portfolio of three charity brands that work with the NHS to provide faster, fairer healthcare. 

 

Prior to his role with the Foundation, Rob has led fundraising and marketing for some of the UK’s best-known charities: Crisis, Teach First, Friends of the Earth, Tate and The Scouts. He also served as a Trustee of Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity. 

 

 

 

Nick Georgialis  

Nick is responsible for leading the Income and Public Engagement at Christian Aid.  He is a career fundraiser, having led fundraising teams at Cancer Research UK and British Heart Foundation. 

 

 

 

Peter Esuola-Grant  

Pete is the Head of Planning at GOOD Agency. He leads the agency’s strategy function, working across brand and direct response for the UK’s leading charities, including Marie Curie, The Children’s Society and RNIB. He leads on the agency’s proprietary thinking and research for charities, including most recently The Integration Effect, the first sector-wide piece of econometric modelling to prove the value of integration for charities. 

 

 

 

Meredith Niles  

Meredith is an experienced charity leader who is passionate about strengthening civil society organisations.  Professionally, she has served as an Executive Director in the Investment Banking Division of Goldman Sachs, as an Investment Director at Impetus Trust, and as Executive Director of Fundraising and Engagement at Marie Curie.   

 

She currently gives her time as Deputy Chair of Plan International UK; as a trustee of the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), Trust for London and the Clothworkers Foundation; and as a member of the Board of Visitors of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She recently co-edited a book, Change for Better, focussing on how insights from behavioural science can be harnessed to foster greater giving. 

 

Meredith has previously served as Chair of the SOFII Foundation and as a trustee of BookTrust, Toynbee Hall, Hestia, and Wandsworth Women’s Aid and was a member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s Standards Advisory Board from its inception through 2021.   

 

 

 

Liz Tait  

Liz is responsible for leading fundraising at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

 

Liz joined GOSH Charity after holding a number of senior roles in the charity sector. She was Director of Fundraising at both Teenage Cancer Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, after heading the Individual Giving team at British Red Cross, as well as holding marketing roles at Sense and Plan UK.

 

Liz has been a professional fundraiser for over 25 years and is an experienced Trustee, having previously held roles at RNID and the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and is currently a Trustee of the Richer Sounds Foundation and People’s Postcode Lottery’s Care, Support & Children’s trusts.  

 

 

 

Nina Saffuri  

Nina is a sector-leading fundraising strategist and the Co-Founder and Principal Consultant at Raise Impact. A former Fundraising Director and founder of NS Consulting, Nina has a proven track record of driving institutional growth and delivering award-winning campaigns for NGOs worldwide. 

 

As an expert strategist, Nina leans into high-value fundraising and innovation, with a particular focus on developing unrestricted impact mechanisms. Her forward-thinking approach earned her a National Fundraising Award for Innovation, reflecting her commitment to pushing the boundaries of traditional income generation. Beyond strategy, Nina is a dedicated leadership coach and mentor for fundraisers, leveraging over 20 years of experience to build and grow high-performing teams. She is a vocal advocate for driving unrestricted income, empowering organisations to achieve sustainable growth and greater operational flexibility.  

 

Nina currently serves as a Trustee for Make-A-Wish UK and is a volunteer on the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s Growing Giving panel. She also brings deep global expertise to her work, having served for seven years as a volunteer on the Advisory Panel for the International Fundraising Congress (IFC).  

 

 

 

James Searle  

James is Director of Income Generation at The Donkey Sanctuary, where he leads organisational strategy for income, including fundraising, legacy, and commercial activity, to drive sustainable long-term growth. He has extensive experience scaling income in complex charity environments, balancing innovation with ethical fundraising and organisational resilience. 

 

Working at senior leadership and board level, James brings a practical, solution-focused perspective on growing income responsibly. He is particularly interested in how strategy, culture, and capability come together to deliver measurable results, and is a strong advocate for confident leadership in fundraising and the profession’s role in shaping sustainable change. 

 

 

 

Amanda Santer  

With over 20 years’ experience in fundraising leadership at organisations including the Royal British Legion, ActionAid UK and most recently as Associate Director of Public Fundraising at Sense,  Amanda is a senior fundraising leader dedicated to growing generosity and strengthening the connection between charities and the communities they serve. Passionate about insight-led, supporter-centric strategies, her career has been shaped by a deep curiosity about what inspires people to give and a commitment to building trust and lasting engagement in an evolving social landscape. 

 

Amanda has recently joined Moorfields Eye Charity as a volunteer member of their Fundraising and Communications Committee.