Fundraising Futures: Bristol

What it is

Fundraising Futures is a series of small, high-quality, educational mini-conferences for the people who lead fundraising and advancement. Each one steps back from the day to day and asks the bigger questions: why do we do what we do, what actually serves those objectives well, and where is fundraising heading. It is deliberately educational rather than promotional, with expert voices, honest discussion, and room to think.

Who is in the room

Directors and senior leaders of development and fundraising from universities, schools, colleges and charities, plus a handful of invited experts. A friendly, high-trust group of exactly the peers worth spending a day with.

The shape of the day

The running order below is the shape every Fundraising Futures follows. Exact session times for Bristol are confirmed with the programme nearer the day.

1. Arrivals, breakfast and informal networking, a relaxed start for those travelling in
2. Welcome and framing: why we do what we do
3. Session one: an expert keynote to set the horizon
4. Session two: a panel or facilitated discussion
5. Lunch and networking
6. Session three: a practical, roll-up-your-sleeves workshop or case study
7. Session four: where fundraising is heading, and what it asks of us
8. Closing reflections

Speakers

Confirmed so far, with more to come. Sessions are placed in the programme nearer the day.

• 

  Adrian Sargeant Co-Founder and Professor of Fundraising, Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy

  Relationship Fundraising 3.0: Rethinking and a New Approach

  This session will introduce you to the development of relationship fundraising and the latest science that underpins it. We will look briefly at early approaches and where the sector is currently in its thinking. We will then introduce a new model from the field of philanthropic psychology based on identity, human wellbeing and love. We will explore how to uncover who your donors are and how to use that knowledge to design fundraising and stewardship communications that resonate deeply. We will also introduce you to the science of wellbeing, focusing on connectedness, autonomy and competence. The session will close with an introduction to the science of love, different forms of love and who the focal love should be between. We will illustrate how to use all three elements of the new approach to write stronger fundraising copy and develop more meaningful supporter relationships.

  Adrian Sargeant is the Professor of Fundraising at the Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy. He was formerly the first Hartsook Chair in Fundraising at the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. In 2010 he was named to the Nonprofit Times Power and Influence list in the United States, and in the same year received a Civil Society award in the UK for his services to the profession of fundraising. In 2016 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Institute of Fundraising. Adrian designed the UK's system of professional education for fundraisers and has recently re-designed the European qualification framework for the European Fundraising Association. He is listed by Research.com as one of the UK's leading Business and Management academics, having published 249 articles and been cited over 8,000 times by his peers.

• 

  Steven Dodds Managing Director, Beautiful Insights

  Warm feelings but closed wallets?

  What benchmarking data tells us about the gap between being liked and being chosen, in universities and charities. Donors can feel very warmly about their university and still give their money somewhere else. This session draws on the SAFE Index (Supporter Affinity & Future Engagement), Beautiful Insights' supporter affinity benchmark, which compares data from sixteen charities and four universities to date. It demonstrates a clear gap between university donor goodwill and giving: donors feel warm towards their university and give more of their money to other causes, and are less committed to giving again. So what turns affection into commitment? We will tour the drivers of supporter affinity across motivation, emotion and communication, and look at what universities and charities can each learn from the other. Expect thought-provoking insights and discussion to help university fundraisers think differently about supporter affinity.

  Steven is an experienced researcher and communication strategist with 25 years in the field, the last 15 of which have been working primarily with charities and universities in the UK, Europe and Australia. Beautiful Insights are the specialist market research agency for fundraisers, working with well-known charities and universities including Bristol, Manchester, Cambridge and Imperial. Prior to Beautiful Insights, he worked extensively in communication agencies, helping guide the development of successful campaigns and brands. Central to this role was understanding the use of research in the creative process, and how brands can build strong emotional connections with audiences. Based in Bristol, he is a trained qualitative researcher and cultural analyst and current chair of the Institute of Fundraising's Supporter Experience Committee.

• 

  Rosie Dale Partner, More Partnership

  Creating tailored supporter experiences for your most valuable audiences

  Mid-level donors, major gift prospects and future legators are often among an organisation's most valuable audiences, but many teams lack the capacity or resources to create bespoke programmes for them. This interactive workshop explores a practical "one-to-some" approach, helping organisations use and adapt existing communications, events and fundraising activity to create more tailored supporter journeys and stronger relationships with these audiences.

  Rosie Dale is a Partner at More Partnership with over 25 years' experience in fundraising. She helps organisations build loyal donor communities and create insight-led fundraising and engagement strategies that inspire long-term support and giving. She has worked with many universities, schools and charities, most recently including University College London, Highgate School, The National Trust for Scotland and Trinity College Dublin.

• Alicia Jago and Emma Neslen University of Bristol

  Building on our strengths, evolving for the future - a case study from the University of Bristol

  Bristol's development team take us inside their fundraising programme: where it stands today, what they have learned in recent years, and how they are testing new approaches for the future. This session is an honest look at what has worked, what has not, and how their thinking is changing as donors and the wider context shift. The session focuses on the role of stewardship and donor retention, championing regular giving with senior leadership and evolving ways to connect with new donors, and draws out lessons that apply well beyond higher education, whether you are at a school, college or charity.

• Ian MacQuillin Director, Rogare - The Fundraising Think Tank

  In conversation: the ethics of accepting and refusing gifts

  When should you accept a gift, and when should you walk away? Ian introduces a clear, practical way to approach some of fundraising's hardest decisions, then our speakers and attendees take on the questions together. Bring your views, your dilemmas and your experience: this is a conversation for the whole room, not just the stage. Chaired by Jonathan May, CEO of Hubbub.