Pauline Broomhead recalls how a volunteer-led fundraising event opened the FSI up to a raft of potential supporters

As a second tier support organisation, the FSI doesn’t always provide a useful basis of comparison for frontline charities looking to improve their fundraising effectiveness. When it comes to volunteer fundraising, however, we can provide a valuable model for best practice.

Volunteer-led fundraising, like any other fundraising methodology, is most effective when there is a clear system from engagement through to stewardship. To maximise the value of the relationship it is essential we understand the motivation of the volunteer just as we would a major donor, trust or foundation. Remember, the volunteer has chosen you, so the journey has already begun.

The FSI is an interesting case. Our charitable purpose is the provision of free support services to small charities in the UK. It isn’t the kind of work that generates headlines and we find that it takes a certain type of person to appreciate the importance of what we do. With this in mind, we start close to home when we look at volunteer fundraising, with our board of trustees as the first point of call.

Leveraging support

As charities we ask our supporters to think of areas in which their networks might be able to support our work in a fundraising, campaigning or referring capacity. Earlier this year, one of the FSI’s trustees approached us with the idea of utilising her network to run a fundraising event.

She knew an accomplished concert pianist who, over a dinner, agreed to donate his time to play a recital in support of our charity. The trustee was confident that by calling on her friends and family, who shared her passion for philanthropy, she could secure a venue and an audience.

The first step was a planning meeting to agree the objectives and scope of the project. That meeting agreed that the FSI team would support the activity by providing marketing materials and on-site support on the night of the event. We set a fundraising and engagement target of 100 attendees and £5,000 raised. After which, the volunteer work got underway.

Our trustee was able to call in a number of favours: the pianist waived his fee, another friend offered the music room of their lovely home as the venue and other friends offered to act as ushers on the night. We printed 100 tickets, which were quickly sold to friends, family and colleagues. The outlay for printing was minimal but it helped ensure the success of the event enabling people to see what they were buying.

Communication was essential throughout the planning process. It was our duty as a charity to keep the volunteer motivated and assured of the benefit of this event to our charity. We knew that this was not just the chance to raise funds through ticket sales, it was an opportunity to introduce a new audience to our work.

As the night drew closer the communication became more frequent. Before the recital itself we briefed all of the volunteers on the history, work and impact of our charity, so that they were equipped to represent us on the night. The event itself was an incredible success with fine music in a glorious setting. Most importantly, prospective donors, supporters and volunteers were introduced to us.

Volunteer fundraising is entirely about getting an individual to understand that their networks, skills and passion can make a real difference to a cause they believe in.

Pauline Broomhead is chief executive of the FSI

This article first appeared in The Fundraier magazine, Issue 10, October 2011