This time we’re exploring how charities can better develop relationships with supporters in their teens, twenties and early thirties. Younger supporters tend to see the world differently to older generations – as charities, how can we respond? Rob speaks to Victoria Roe, a Senior Philanthropy Manager at UNICEF UK about her charities’ ‘Next Gen’ approach. She shares the rationale for why this is an especially valuable opportunity for charities to look at now; examples of success so far; and various insights to help other fundraisers who want to develop good relationships with younger philanthropists. If you want to share this episode with others you think it would help, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! We’d love to hear what you think. Victoria and Rob are both on Linked In and on twitter Rob is @woods_rob, or you can follow Bright Spot on Instagram at @brightspotfundraising.

This time we are again exploring ways to thrive and make a difference when you’re in a new fundraising leadership role. Rob talks to Tess Nixon Spiller, who is very experienced at taking on interim leadership roles, and as such has become adept at spotting the opportunities and pre-empting many of the pitfalls when you’re new. In particular we explore ways you can create a culture of self-sufficiency in your team, so that everyone grows more confident in solving problems, and without necessarily needing to involve you. We also look at ways to deliberately focus your energy on the parts of your job that are the most strategically important. If you want to share this episode with others you think it would help, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! We would love to hear what you think. Tess and Rob are both on Linked In and on twitter Rob is @woods_rob, or you can follow Bright Spot on Instagram at @brightspotfundraising.

To help us survive, the human brain evolved to be very sensitive to threats in the environment. But if we’re not careful, this negativity bias also causes us to focus too much attention on our weaknesses, and at the expense of our strengths. This tendency to can reduce our energy levels and resourcefulness. Rob’s guest for this episode is an expert in helping fundraisers to identify and take advantage of their strengths. Having worked with dozens of fundraising teams, she has found this approach helps you be more effective and happier in your work. In the interview Jo shares a tool to help you identify your strengths, as well as lots of practical tips to help you make use of them in your work. If you want to share this episode with others you think it would help, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! We would love to hear what you think. Jo and Rob are both on Linked In and on twitter Rob is @woods_rob, or you can follow Bright Spot on Instagram at @brightspotfundraising.

How can you increase high value income for your charity? In this episode, Rob Woods talks to Tony Gaston about the strategies he feels contributed to the way EMMS International transformed its high value results so dramatically in five years. He talks about how he manages to pause and see the bigger picture and how this habit has helped him focus on solving the most valuable challenges; what he believes is the most important thing to get right when you meet supporters; and plenty more tips. If you want to share this episode with others you think it would help, THANK YOU! We would love to hear what you think. Tony and Rob are both on Linked In and on twitter Rob is @woods_rob.

This time we’re looking at how to thrive in the first few weeks and months of a new fundraising leadership role. Rob was thrilled to talk to a wise leader named Tess Nixon Spiller, who loves taking on interim leadership roles. In fact, she has done this repeatedly for a range of charities, across various sectors in recent years. By specialising in this way, where she is almost perpetually new, Tess has gained valuable insights about how to be at your best and make a difference when you’re new. Tess and Rob discuss a range of tactics and beliefs that she has found helpful. If you want to share this episode with others you think it would help, THANK YOU SO MUCH! We would love to hear what you think. Tess and Rob are both on Linked In and on twitter Rob is @woods_rob, or you can follow Bright Spot on Instagram at @brightspotfundraising.

Obviously well-known people who share the values of your charity have the potential to make a big difference to your fundraising and mission. But how do you find the influencers who care, and how do you manage these relationships effectively? And how do you maximise the impact? Paul Katz is an expert in this area, with more than 17 years’ experience of helping charities and social cause organisations to work with celebrities and other influencers. He loves to de-mystify the process. Building on the ideas covered in Episode 119, this is Rob’s second recent interview with Paul. This time they focus on tactics and examples in terms of Research; Activations – as in, what you ask people to do – and Measurement. If you want to share this episode with others you think it would help, THANK YOU! And we would love to hear what you think. Paul and Rob are both on Linked In and on twitter Paul is @PaulKatzNYC and Rob is @woods_rob; or you can follow Bright Spot on Instagram at @brightspotfundraising.

If your charity is relatively small or less well known, how do you increase your chances of winning valuable partnerships and media appeals? This time Rob spoke to Beatrice Sayer, a smart corporate fundraiser at the UK charity Magic Breakfast, about the innovative approach she used when applying to the Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal 2022. She explains why she feels a ‘WOW moment’ was essential to lift their chances of winning, and how she followed through on her good ideas. Rob and Beatrice agree that you can’t do this every time, but for when it is worth the risk, they share various tips to help you execute your own WOW factor idea. If you want to share this episode with others you think it would help, THANK YOU SO MUCH! We would love to hear what you think. Beatrice and Rob are both on Linked In and on twitter Rob is @woods_rob, or you can follow Bright Spot on Instagram at @brightspotfundraising.

Most fundraisers agree that you won’t achieve serious growth without first investing in fundraising. But how do you actually persuade the board to invest? In this episode from the archive, originally released in December 2019, Rob Woods talks to Adam Heuman. In three separate charities, of varying sizes, Adam has asked the board to invest, and all three times his request has been successful. Rob and Adam talk about what holds many fundraising directors back from even exploring the issue, and why Adam feels it’s so important to address it. He explains the particular things he does when he prepares. Using stories from across his career, Adam explains the crucial question he always asks the board; the mistake he once made which wasted time and why it’s usually right to start the process even if you don’t yet know all the answers.

120. How to add Wow Factor to funding applications, with David Burgess by Rob Woods, Bright Spot

Clearly influencers can boost your charity’s effectiveness in various ways, including through more successful fundraising. But assuming you don’t already have amazing personal connections, how can you find and work with influential people who could further your cause? Rob was delighted to interview Paul Katz, who has been helping charities and non-profits do this for the last 18 years. Paul has found that regardless of the size of your charity, if you do certain things in a certain order, you can achieve valuable results. He explains this process and shares practical things that any charity / non-profit can do to work effectively with celebrities and other influencers. If you want to share this episode with others you think it would help, THANK YOU! And we would love to hear what you think. Paul and Rob are both on Linked In and on twitter Paul is @PaulKatzNYC and Rob is @woods_rob; or you can follow Bright Spot on Instagram at @brightspotfundraising.