With the launch of Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF)’s new Purpose, it feels like an exciting time to be joining the team. I’ve always been a bit of a learning geek: how we evolve, adapt, and share knowledge interests me so the role of Head of Learning suits both my personality and my skillset.
My career path hasn’t been a straight line, I know that’s true for many fundraisers too, so I’m in good company. After studying Psychology at university, I worked in construction and civil engineering as a project manager. When my daughter was stillborn, everything changed, and I retrained as a midwife. This eventually led me to Sands, the baby loss charity, firstly as a Trustee and later as Head of Training and Strategic Planning.
It was at Sands that I really got to understand fundraising. Fundraisers are some of the most passionate, creative, driven, and entrepreneurial colleagues I’ve worked with. I’ve had some very inspiring (and occasionally lively!) debates with wonderful fundraisers, and I’m looking forward to more now that I’m at CIOF. I genuinely believe fundraisers are at the heart of the third sector and they deserve to be supported and celebrated.
My first task in this role is to lead a learning review. Its purpose is to understand what fundraisers and their employers need in terms of professional development. What skills, knowledge, and behaviours are core to the role? Where are the gaps? And how can CIOF support learning that’s meaningful, accessible, and rooted in the realities of fundraising work?
I’ve already spoken to many fundraisers and three key themes are emerging as guiding principles for the review. First, there’s equity. We need to think about who already accesses learning, what is working well and what is not working so well. Whose experiences and needs aren’t currently reflected in professional development offers. Then there’s access itself: what makes learning feel possible or impossible for different fundraisers, depending on cost, geography, or the organisation they work for. And finally, professionalisation. We need to work towards ensuring fundraising is recognised and valued as the skilled, purposeful career it is.
The review also includes something that fundraisers have already asked for, chartership pathways. Chartership pathways will offer fundraisers who want to formally demonstrate excellence in their practice a clear and achievable route to do so. Whether you’ve built your expertise through academic qualifications or hands-on experience, there’ll be options to suit your journey. The pathways will be co designed with fundraisers – so if that’s you, and you’d like to be involved in the creation, or pilot, or the pathways, I’d love to hear from you.
The learning review isn’t a simple task. Fundraising is such a broad profession, full of nuance and a wide range of expertise. That’s why I’m starting with listening. Before we make changes or introduce anything new, it’s important to understand what’s happening across the sector by hearing directly from the people doing the work every day.
CIOF is a charity, and we exist to support the fundraising profession, but that only works if our direction is shaped by fundraisers themselves. So, my first call to action is simple: please take a few minutes to complete the Learning Review survey.
The survey should only take a few minutes, and as a thank you, you’ll have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a free place on a CIOF training course.
If you’d prefer to share your thoughts with me directly, please feel free to email me, I welcome questions, frustrations, ideas and “what ifs”. Every contribution is valuable, especially if you feel like your voice hasn’t been heard before or if you aren’t quite sure what the CIOF can offer you.
It really feels like the right time to come together and shape learning and development that’s relevant, supportive and sustainable for all fundraisers. As I settle into my new role I’m looking forward to seeing where this takes us, especially with fundraiser voices helping to shape the way.