A group of fundraising professionals meet for the first as part of a networking event

My fundraising resolutions for the new year

Published: 15/01/25 | Categories: Funding, Author: Owen Thomas

Owen Thomas, Chair of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Cymru, talks about how fundraisers might start the new year with renewed energy and positivity.

As we enter 2025, it has no doubt been a tough gig for fundraisers in recent months. In fact, ever since the COVID pandemic, things have never really felt that stable or positive.

Grants and trust income has never been so competitive and hard to secure. Individual giving remains challenging as people grapple with the cost of living. Events have returned, but there’s still work to regain the ground lost since 2020. Even legacies may not be the silver bullet many charities are hoping for, with income difficult to predict year to year.

CHOOSING TO BE OPTIMISITIC

This shaky ground is perhaps why it feels like a lot of people have been leaving the sector in the last few years. Even I’ve occasionally wondered what life would be like outside the charity bubble.

Things like the Captain Tom saga this year made me sad and very angry. It’s these negative stories which always grab the headlines, and we know that they’ll damage trust in charities for years to come, trust that has been returning in recent years.

But one of the reasons I’m sticking this out is because I love what I do, I BELIEVE in what I do, and I know I make a difference. I’m choosing to be optimistic, and look forward to 2025 as a fundraiser.

WHAT ABOUT MY RESOLUTIONS?

Well, this year, I’m going to make a conscious effort to do some new things. This feels like a great time for fundraisers to test and learn. Yes, I can hear you saying, ‘investment in fundraising may be hard to find’, but there’s always ways around it. Here are some of the things I’ve got on my to-do list for the year:

  • Get comfortable with AI

It’s probably fair to say that I’m a bit old school with tech, and as an entrenched millennial I feel very much on the back foot to all the new developments that seem to happen at lightning speed. Having said that, I did manage to migrate from Facebook over to Instagram with success, so you never know!

This year, I’m going to see how AI can make me more efficient, saving time with admin and other tasks that are resource heavy and (occasionally!) deathly dull. Hopefully freeing up time to…

  • Take some calculated risks and innovate

I’ve felt for a while that the charity fundraising sector is a bit set in its ways. Fundraising innovation feels like it’s being given to the larger charities to play with and show the way, but why should they have all the fun!? I think there are opportunities for innovation here in Wales as well, so why are we not doing more of it?

Of course, it can be challenging if you’re testing your own charity’s tolerances to risk, but I think with careful planning, it is definitely feasible to test some new fundraising ideas here in Wales. After that, I’ll also be…

  • Thinking about how to maximise digital fundraising

Digital fundraising still feels a bit like one of those unexplored galaxies in Star Trek. We’ve maybe mapped it out and done a lot of the groundwork, but alas, to truly master the dark arts, we must fully understand their potential.

This isn’t just Google Adwords. Many businesses have incredibly sophisticated digital strategies. This year, I’m going to look at how digital fundraising can become a fully formed and transformative income stream. I may also need a little help from my friends, so to do that I’ll be…

  • Leaning on and expanding my network of colleagues

Working in fundraising for over 16 years, it’s fair to say I’ve met quite a few people over the years, and surprise surprise, we’re a lovely bunch! I’m also proud to be Chair of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising (CIOF) in Wales.

When I first joined the committee back in 2014, I was pretty intimidated by the array of high-profile and impressive people. People have come and gone from the committee over the years, but it still remains a place where a little bit of magic (and mischief!) happens.

THE POWER OF CONNECTION

One thing that taking an active part in the fundraising sector has afforded me is an array of colleagues from across the sector from all walks of life. We’re a varied bunch. It’s these connections that I have truly started to value recently, and I’ll be making the most of these this year.

For anyone starting out in the sector, or even if you’ve been around a long time, it’s probably the one thing that I would say is a must. We talk about resilience a lot in the fundraising world, and a lot of my resilience comes from the friendships I’ve made in the sector.

MAKE 2025 ABOUT EXPANDING YOU NETWORK

So, if you’re looking for a New Year’s resolution in 2025, why not expand your network? We’ve got some great new events in the pipeline, so please check out our socials, or message us if you are interested in arranging your own fundraising get together here in Wales.

To steal the strap line of the Wales football team, we can be Together Stronger. C’mon Cymru!

Keep in touch with us on LinkedIn, or email Cymru@ciof.org.uk.

Find out about becoming a member of CIOF at ciof.org.uk/membership.