London and South East

You can sometimes feel quite isolated when you work as a freelance fundraising consultant, and one of the reasons I initially got involved with the committee was to be part of an amazing team.  I am beyond proud to now lead this incredibly talented and committed group of people who are passionate about delivering support to fundraisers in our region in an engaging, dynamic and accessible way: we offer grants and concessions for everything we do so that our community can participate and learn, regardless of their financial situation.

I discovered my passion for the third sector in 2022 and quickly realised that authentic relationship-building is at the heart of incredible fundraising. Drawing on a professional background in project management and experience across multiple income streams, I now specialise in Trust and Foundation fundraising.

As a Trust Fundraising Officer at Heart of Kent Hospice, my focus is on securing the sustainable, long-term income that allows our team to deliver essential daily care and fund transformative capital projects for the families who need us.

I am a huge believer in lifting others up and creating the kind of supportive environment where everyone can succeed. Because of this, I actively champion neurodivergence inclusion, positive workplace cultures, and peer networking. Serving as the Volunteer Operational and Marketing Lead for the CIOF London and South East Committee is my way of giving back to this brilliant community, ensuring every fundraiser has access to the resources and support they need to shine.

A dedicated training manager with over 20 years of experience in telephone fundraising, compliance, and caller development, committed to empowering professionals with the knowledge and skills to excel while upholding ethical standards

As a lead trainer, mentor, and committee member at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising SE & London region, I actively shape industry best practices through meetings, training sessions, and events, deepening my commitment to knowledge-sharing and professional development.

Passionate about fostering ethical fundraising, I am dedicated to equipping professionals with the tools and insights they need to thrive while maintaining the highest standards of compliance.

Kofi Oppong is the founder of Urban MBA, an educational charity revolutionising entrepreneurship training. With over 20 years of corporate experience, Kofi has created a dynamic learning environment that has empowered more than 600 students through Bachelor's Level 6, 12-week, and 6-week enterprise programmes. His hands-on mentoring has directly supported over 60 young entrepreneurs in launching their businesses. Through Urban MBA, Kofi bridges the gap between traditional education and practical business skills, creating accessible pathways for both young people and career changers to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions.

Dimitra is a Fundraising Consultant and Coach with over 15 years’ experience in major gifts and philanthropy. She has worked with universities, charities, NGOs, and foundations across the UK and Europe, securing significant funding and supporting the development of fundraisers. Previous positions include roles at Age UK, Victim Support, Action Against Hunger UK, the University of East London, and the Bodossaki Foundation, where she led and supported initiatives in fundraising, programme development, and organisational growth.

Through her consultancy, Dimitra helps organisations design effective fundraising strategies, build teams and systems capacity, strengthen donor relationships, and embed a culture of philanthropy. She also offers psychologically informed coaching to enhance fundraising, helping fundraisers and nonprofit leaders build resilience, support wellbeing, sharpen leadership, and achieve sustainable success.

A Fellow of the RSA, an Associate Fellow of Advance HE, a Clore Social Leadership Fellow, and a member of the British Psychological Society Coaching Division and the International Society for Coaching Psychology, Dimitra is passionate about mentoring, inclusive leadership, and helping fundraisers thrive with confidence.

With over 17 years of experience in recruitment in the non-profit sector, I bring a wealth of expertise in talent acquisition and workforce strategy. I’m passionate about working with organisations, particularly those focused on awareness and support. In addition to my recruitment career, I actively contribute to the nonprofit sector, supporting events for the Chartered Institute of Fundraising in London and the South East.

Celia brings over 25 years of experience in fundraising across the charity and education sectors. She holds a Diploma in Fundraising Management and has a proven track record in designing and delivering integrated campaigns. Her expertise spans strategic project development and extensive event management.

Throughout her career, Celia has contributed to a range of respected organisations, including the British Red Cross, Sue Ryder, and Queen Mary University of London. She currently leads engagement and fundraising at Gresham College, an institution that has been offering free public lectures for over four hundred years.

Celia is excited to bring her passion and experience to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, where she will be delivering First Thursday events across London and the South East.

James Kliffen is a fundraising consultant with a track record of delivering sector-leading growth rates in private income. Over three decades he has provided fundraising leadership for Comic Relief, the British Red Cross, the Disasters Emergency Committee and Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders. James' core work has been in enabling diverse teams to fully achieve their potential, whilst ensuring that strategies are both optimal and future proof. He is dedicated to supporting peer fundraisers throughout the UK charity sector, and has extensive experience across a wide range of fundraising markets globally. James is a trustee of the charity Music Support, which was formed by music industry professionals to help peers experiencing substance use, addiction and/or mental health challenges.

Emma-Louise Singh is a highly experienced and qualified fundraiser with over 15 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.

Emma Low 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 programmes 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 as The 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. 

Rory built his first business, Flow Caritas, into a trusted supplier of fundraising staff to charities across the UK. In 2017 he moved to France for a change of pace and spent eight years in Provence, where alongside family life he developed and ran a brewery and bar.

Now back in the UK, Rory has launched Longhouse HQ. The focus is simple: helping charities and schools find excellent fundraisers and development professionals who are the right fit for their organisations. He brings particular experience in face-to-face fundraising, having supported a number of charities to establish successful in-house teams.

Rory founded Longhouse HQ with a clear intention — to support both clients and candidates in building strong, sustainable working relationships, and to make the recruitment process thoughtful, straightforward and genuinely valuable for everyone involved.

I have spent the last 9 years building a career in the charity sector. As a passionate corporate fundraiser, I focus on developing value-aligned, transformational partnerships through strong, purpose-driven internal and external stakeholder relationships.

I moved into the role of Head of Corporate Partnerships at Greenhouse Sports in 2023, a dynamic organisation with ambitious growth targets and a mission to support every young person who needs us most through the power of sport and mentoring. Before this I worked in corporate fundraising roles at Teach First, Centrepoint and started my career with meaningful voluntary roles at Wonder Foundation, Maggies and the Red Cross.

When I'm not fundraising, I am a keen dancer, a slightly less enthusiastic runner and love all things TV and film.