Childreach International’s resident mountain climber and director of fundraising, David Milton,explains why a little creativity can go a long way

Can you tell me some more about your transition from volunteer to director of fundraising at Childreach International?

I got involved with the charity as a volunteer as the chance to travel to Tanzania was one that I couldn’t miss. I was there when that first group got together to climb Kilimanjaro, watching it all happen. So, when I was offered the challenge team leader role, I took it.

Knowing that what we were promoting was enough to persuade me to give up two years of my own time without any regret has made it easier to convince others that this is a worthwhile cause to support. It’s clear that the fundraising model we use has legs and the numbers have kept on coming. The real challenge has been in making the strategy work on a larger scale.

So, I guess it’s been a baptism of fire, but with great training. It’s nice to have started on the ‘ground floor’ back in the early days and then watched the organisation grow.

Some industry commentators bemoan the lack of entry level fundraisers. As someone who has worked up the ranks, how best can charities attract top talent?

Fundraising is basically sales, so if you can find someone who can sell then I think the job’s done. My advice would be to use creative recruitment methods and avoid conventional channels like the plague. It’s always going to be difficult to find really talented people as, by definition, they’re going to be few and far between. Many staff at Childreach International are volunteers, who have since joined the payroll. This works well as it’s almost like a ‘try before you buy’ scheme.

What have been the highlights of your work with the charity so far?

As cheesy as it sounds, coming into the office and seeing how quickly we’ve progressed since the beginning. I can remember the days when there were three or four of us huddled around one desk sharing a phone and a cable to send and receive emails. I always take a couple of minutes to sit back and reflect on this.

Who has inspired you along the way?

I suppose nobody but everybody at the same time. I’ve always thought that you can absorb inspiration like a sponge, so you should never be focusing on one person in particular. You can find ideas in groups, films, music, family, friends, colleagues – anything that engages you. You have to find new places to explore all of the time.

You have a strong volunteering background. What do you find attractive about this type of work?

There are no real long-term motivations that have influenced my career, but I think that’s what makes me good at my job. Charity work and fundraising is a business, so ideas and passion are really good drivers. But if you’ve got no concept of realism or logic you won’t achieve much. What works best at Childreach is that the passion is here in abundance, but it’s focused.

Challenge events are a core part of your fundraising strategy. How is this driven by your previous experiences and personality?

Although they do play a significant role they’re almost like stepping stones, from which we’ll continue to grow. However, I’m a great outdoors type and I really enjoy climbing mountains and doing silly things in the country, which had made it lots easier.

What are your key objectives over the coming months?

Our corporate and community fundraising strategy is the main focus for 2010-2011 and there are a few bombshells in the pipeline that I’m confident about.

We’re looking to take the lessons we’ve learned from our existing partnership with Eaga, looking at the mutual benefits of working together and applying these to the corporate fundraising model. We’ve also got a new regular giving scheme, which will hopefully be more attractive to the average donor on the street.

Do you ever envisage your musical production background making a return or influencing your fundraising initiatives?

Live Aid, in Africa, by Childreach International… who knows? I do still play a little bit of guitar in my own time.

Outside of work, what do you do to relax?

I’m really into rock climbing and I’m currently studying for my mountain leader award.

There’s a very good pub near our office. In fact, the pay day drinks session has often been the setting for some great ideas in the past. Obviously, there have also been some terrible ones! I think spending time with your team in a social context is really important. If you expect to get the most out of your staff (and you want them to get that from you too) you have to know them well. The best place to break the ice is often down the pub.

What are your biggest vices?

Maybe that’s a better question for an ex girlfriend or the guys in my department. I’m sure I have lots of foibles.

David Milton is director of fundraising at Childreach International