Charitable trusts - Raising your game

(Item 1 - Peer Reviews)

So you need to raise money from trusts?

1. You have read the books and you follow the best practice guidelines.
2. You do the research, tailor your applications and try to ring the trusts before you apply.
3. You only apply to trusts whose criteria you match, but you are still not getting results.

What to do?

There are a number of possible solutions.

1. One simple, low cost way to improve your technique is to seek a peer review. In other words, ask a fellow fundraiser (and preferably a trust fundraiser) to look at your work and at your results.

What could you do better?

1. Is your information jargon free?
2. Have you really sold your cause?
3. Is it clear why your organisation deserves to be funded and how that funding will make a difference?

Some people find peer reviews intimidating. "I've been doing this for years. I'd be too embarrassed to ask anyone to look at my work." But of course, you never stop learning and a good fundraiser should be keen to seek others' comments on their work. "I don't know anyone to ask" is another response, but now there is no excuse for this one.

A Trusts Special Interest Group has been set up within the ICFM, currently also open to non-members. A key aim is to bring together trust fundraisers from around the UK to enable networking and peer reviews.

The Group can be contacted via its Secretary, Ryan Sampson, on 020 8764 7648.

So don't be shy, get involved. You might just learn some new ideas!

Simon George is a Director of The Trust Service and also chairs the new ICFM Trusts
Special Interest Group.