TPP's presentation at Third Sector's 2016 Fundraising Week

1. The journey of a fundraiser:
What transferable skills do you
need?
Ashby Jenkins – Senior Consultant
Matt Adams – Senior Consultant

2. About TPP
• TPP are specialist charity recruiters
• We have a dedicated fundraising team and
recruit to roles at all levels
• Since January, we have arranged 210
interviews across the country for fundraising
roles

3. Journey of a fundraiser
• Demonstrating your value
• Staying at the cutting edge of fundraising
• Personal development
• Barriers to promotion
• Cultural fit

4. Demonstrating your value
• Targets
• KPIs
• Strategic thinking

5. It’s all about targets
• How many of you know your team target?
• How many of you know your individual target?

6. Targets
• How did you perform to target?
• Can you link to impact and outcomes?
• What if you don’t know your individual target?
• You need to start tracking now

7. KPIs
• Evidence of working methodology
• Proves commitment to role/working ethic
• Useful evidence if financial targets not hit
• Demonstrates breadth of knowledge

8. Strategic Thinking
• E.g. cross-charity working group
• Demonstrating impact
• Understanding of trends in sector/competitor
analysis
• Innovation
• Collaboration with other charities

9. How do you
stay at the cutting edge of fundraising?

10. Staying at the cutting edge:
What the experts say
“Digital will be key – across all
disciplines”
Peter Rowbottom, Fundraising
Director Director
“Successful fundraisers need to
understand the business as a
whole… this will help to position
fundraising at the heart of the
organisation”
Cherry Bushell, Fundraising Director
“Focus on mentoring
relationships…. find these inside
and/or outside your organisation”
Leo Visconti, Group Head of
Relationship Fundraising, RNIB

11. Staying at the cutting edge:
What the experts say
“US model of philanthropy –
one to one relationship
fundraising. Diversification of
income with focus on major
donors”
Anne Phipps, Senior
Fundraising Consultant
“Smart fundraisers will recognise you don’t push a donor into a specific
partnership type. Look holistically – it’s dangerous to try to silo donors.
Don’t leave money on the table because you’re concerned with whose
revenue line they sit in”
Danae Leaman-Hill, Fundraising Director, Tommy’s
“Don’t just fixate on
conferences, set up peer to peer
networking groups”
Wayne Murray, Interim Head
of Fundraising and Brand,
Refugee Action

12. Staying at the cutting edge
• Training – sector specific / generalist
• Mentor
• Conference/Seminars
• Blogs/social media
• Network internally – understand charity
structure/governance

13. In what ways can you take
responsibility for your own personal
development?

14. Professional development:
What the experts say
“Tell your manager in your
appraisals – what you want to
achieve, where you want your
next steps to be”
Mary O’Hagan, Head of
Corporate Fundraising, Action
for Children
“Don’t silo yourself. Don’t
focus on one specific technique
– gain as much experience as
possible”
Wayne Murray, Interim Head
of Fundraising, Refugee
Action
“I would always encourage my
staff to get a mentor – not just for
the sake of it, but to really improve
and develop”
Tom Lemons, Head of Volunteer
Partnerships, NSPCC

15. Professional development:
What the experts say
“Networking is vital – have
confidence to network with
people from other
organisations working at a
senior level”
Anne Phipps, Senior
Fundraising Consultant
“We need to encourage our teams to step
outside their comfort zones. Seek new
experiences. Go to events outside their
field of fundraising. Look at secondments
or temporary attachments to businesses”
Jonathan Badger, Director of Fundraising,
The Climate Group
“Be open to learning at
all times – you can learn
from all members of your
team” Humah Akram,
Senior Account Manager,
Scope
“Be mindful that as you move up the
ladder, you will do less and less of the job
in the title. Your role will one of
smoothing over and path clearing”
Malcolm Tyndall, Senior Fundraising
Consultant

16. Managing your own personal
development
• Mentors – both internal & external
• Design your own PDP
• Networking – groups, events, LinkedIn
• Breadth of experience
• Volunteer/trustee
But beware the thankless project presented as an
‘L&D opportunity’

17. What are the barriers to your next
promotion?

18. Barriers to Promotion
• Lack of self confidence
• Low staff turnover
• Thinking small - no strategic vision (Trustee role?)
• Poor relationship with boss
• Take constructive feedback poorly
• Lack of expertise in self promotion
• No mentor / organisational sponsor
• No experience of other income streams

19. Barriers to Promotion
“You don't become a leader by being promoted,
you get promoted by being a leader”
“People who are unable to motivate themselves
must be content with mediocrity, no matter how
impressive their other talents”
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”

20. The only way is up?
• Career progression does not have to mean
promotion
• Volunteer for new projects
• Dotted line management

21. Cultural fit – getting it right when
interviewing

24. Cultural Fit
What is organisational culture?
“Organisational culture is a system of shared
assumptions, values, and beliefs, which governs
how people behave in organisations. These shared
values have a strong influence on the people in the
organisation and dictate how they dress, act, and
perform their jobs.”

25. Cultural Fit
Why is it important?
- Skills and experience vs personal attributes
- Survey: 47% hiring managers thought that cultural fit
was most important factor in decision making (27%
said experience, 26% skills and education) (Allen Associates survey)
- Of hires that fail, 80% are due to cultural mismatch (TPP
Survey)

26. Cultural Fit
What is important to you?
Think about culture before you start your job search. Use
typical questions that interviewers will ask you to assess
yourself:
Describe the work environment in which you were most
productive and happy
What are the characteristics of the best boss that you've had?
What are your expectations of senior leaders?
What is the role you are most likely to play in a team?
Who inspires you?

27. Cultural Fit
Research – organisation
- Website and social media
- Language on job description
- Has the organisation published its
values?
- Working for us page
Interview
- Pre-interview contact
- Ask what the culture is - describe in 5
words, favourite part of working in
organisation, hours in the office
typically, social life. Ask for examples
- “Reception test” – arrive early and
observe
Research – Other sources
- Recruitment consultant / hiring
manager
- Peers, linkedin contacts, mentor,
networking, former employees
- www.glassdoor.co.uk
Remember:
Others’ opinions should inform, not
make, your decision
Think back to what motivated your move
and the importance culture plays in that
decision

28. Thanks to…

29. TPP Mentoring Scheme
• Match fundraising professionals
• Based on developmental needs

30. Thank you
• 020 7198 6040
• fundraising@tpp.co.uk
• www.tpp.co.uk
• @TPPFundraising
Matt Adams
Senior Consultant
TPP Senior Appointments
Ashby Jenkins
Senior Consultant
TPP Fundraising and
Development