Lucy Gower talks to Jenny Ramage about the importance of being innovative, taking your chances and leaving the comfort zone

You've just joined Clayton Burnett as innovation director. How did that come about?

Around the same time that the Great Fundraising report was released, we got talking about what I was doing in the innovation space, and what they were doing around driving transformational change. We realised there are lots of synergies between us – we both help people to be braver, to think differently and to drive change, and so we felt we could do some exciting work together.

What are your priorities for your first six months at Clayton Burnett?

I'll be focusing on getting to know the team and their areas of expertise, and exploring how we can work together. I'm looking forward to get my teeth into some exciting projects around transforming organisations, and to working with inspirational people so we can create magic for our clients.

What great fundraising opportunity do you think gets neglected by most charities?

I don't think there is any one fundraising opportunity as such, but I would say that many people are scared of failing and so they don't want to take risks. Or they tend to think very short term, meaning they close down opportunities as they think they're not going to be able to make enough money in the first year. I also see opportunities being missed because teams are working so separately. There needs to be more joined-up thinking.

What makes a great fundraising innovation?

Innovation always starts with either solving a problem or spotting an opportunity. It's not just a crazy curve ball; it's always something strategic, a response to a need or opportunity. If someone has an idea about something really random, but that idea does nothing to help you achieve your organisation’s strategy, then it's not an innovation.

What would you say to charities who don't feel they have the resources to enable them to be innovative?

Find them! It's essential, not optional. The world is changing really quickly, and if you're not finding the resources to be innovative, you're going to get left behind and you won't be doing the best job you can for your beneficiaries. Saying that, you don't have to have tons of resource; it's about how you all work together, and having a culture that allows the team to flourish and the individuals within that team to be creative.

You've built up a lot of experience in public speaking. What are your top tips for overcoming nerves?

Bin your notes. The minute you have notes in front of you, you start to look down to read them, and you lose your flow. If you practice enough, and you know your topic really well, you won't need them. I’d also advise people always to speak from the heart, because if you're not passionate about your topic you're not going to engage your audience and get people excited.

What great fundraising innovation do you wish you’d thought of?

There are a lot of things I wish I'd thought of. Face-to-face, for example. That innovation has changed the face of fundraising. It gets a bad press, but the number of people it recruits is incredible. I also really like the Macmillan coffee morning. To be the world's biggest coffee morning they and had to get in the Guinness Book of Records, but in order to do so, you have to ask for people's data. That's smart.

What's been the biggest challenge of your fundraising career to date?

It was a year-and-a-half-ago, when I made the leap of faith and left my full-time job within a big charity to become a freelancer. Lots of people thought that was a little bit crazy, and very risky in a time of recession where there were lots of restructures and people being made redundant. I knew I definitely wanted to do it, so in that sense it was an easy decision, but actually making the jump and handing my notice in was incredibly hard.
   

What would you say are the key ingredients for a great fundraising team?

You've got to have great leadership that gives you permission to test and fail. You've got to be passionate about the cause and be clear about what you're there for and why it's important. Also, don't get stuck behind your desks; get out there and learn about your donors and your beneficiaries, so you can tell their story. And take time to work together and to socialise as a team.

  

What are your passions outside of fundraising?

Travelling. I like putting a backpack on and getting completely out of my normal, day-to-day routine. I also love scuba diving - I just love being under the water! I guess I like being out of my comfort zone.

Do you have any other exciting plans in the pipeline?

I'm working on the Open Innovation in Giving Programme with Nesta. Twenty-eight charities submitted their ideas to Nesta, nine got through the application process, and their ideas are now being taken forwards. I'm coaching some of these organisations and helping them to develop those ideas. It's a very interesting project and I've really enjoyed it.

To download the Great Fundraising report, visit www.claytonburnett.com

Lucy Gower is innovation director at Clayton Burnett

This article first appeared in The Fundraiser magazine, Issue 31, July 2013