Rogare - The Fundraising Think Tank

Here's an interview Fundraising Nest's Michelle Berriman did with Ian MacQuillin MCIOF(Dip) ahead of his visit to Australia and New Zealand to speak at two Nest events. If you're not interested in what he has to say, you might like to meet his cat, Stellar (sound only in the video but photo in the comments).

Two members of Rogare’s Critical Fundraising Network – Claire Routley and Ruth Smyth – have set up a fundraising book club to delve into the books that are, as Claire says, “relevant to fundraising although not always explicitly or obviously about fundraising, and discuss them with people who are interested in and open to how they might feed into fundraising practice”. The first book selected for discussion is Using Semiotics in Marketing: How to Achieve Consumer Insight for Brand Growth and Profits, by Dr Rachel Lawes. The meeting twill take place on 17 October and 6pm BST (5pm GMT). Fundraisers from outside the UK are very welcome to join the book club and the timing has been sent to make it convenient for fundraisers in Europe and North America. Anyone interested in attending the book club’s first meeting on 17 October should contact Claire via LinkedIn, or drop her an email. There aren’t currently any club rules about how often it will meet, and both Claire and Ruth say they want to keep it “loose” so that it “doesn’t become too onerous or that people feel they are only reading it to get it done for the book club”. The thinking is that the club may meet every three months, but once it is up and running, Claire and Ruth want to agree some principles with the club’s members. Using Semiotics in Marketing: How to Achieve Consumer Insight for Brand Growth and Profits, by Dr Rachel Lawes costs £29.99 new. It is available from publisher Kogan Page here – https://lnkd.in/eiUxyDWd And can also be obtained from Amazon for a few pounds cheaper. https://lnkd.in/esYXxdat

Fundraising ethics is important. It is often treated with lip service or deep misunderstanding. Rogare, led by Ian MacQuillin MCIOF(Dip) is at the forefront to understanding and applying fundraising ethics globally. It is a great privilege for Giving Architects to be an Associate Member of Rogare and an even bigger privilege to be partnering with Rogare - The Fundraising Think Tank, joined by Educate Plus and Precision Group, to bring the education sector in Australia and New Zealand this innovative research project. It will equip schools and their fundraisers with knowledge and tools to effectively traverse ethical dilemmas.

We set this live midnight UK time, since this was early morning in Australia and New Zealand where this project is being undertaken. So possibly if you are in the Northern Hemisphere you might have missed our announcement.

I’m headed for Australia and New Zealand next month to present at Fundraising Nest events in Melbourne and Perth – thanks so much for the invitations, Michelle Berriman. #NestFest2024 I’ll also be speaking at the Educate Plus conference in Perth, presenting some initial ideas from our new project to explore the ethics of fundraising for schools. This is a project we are doing entirely in New Zealand and Australia – full details of which will be announced wc 2 September. At the Fundraising Nest events, I’ll be tackling my favourite topic of fundraising ethics, during which I’ll delve into some of the grey and ambiguous areas of the Australian code of practice. Intrigued about what those grey areas might be? Register for the Melbourne event on 9 September here – https://lnkd.in/dnp-ZgZP Register for the Auckland even on 20 September here – https://lnkd.in/d9Wqyf_j Other speakers include Lynne Wester, Hailey Cavill-Jaspers, Rodney Ferro 🚀, Simon Oats and, of course, Michelle Berriman .

How do we define fundraising? By which we mean a proper, stipulative definition that includes all the activities that qualify/count as fundraising but excludes all those that don't. It's not quite so easy to nail down as you might think. Take a look at Ian MacQuillin MCIOF(Dip)'s article that takes a stab at doing just that and please join the discussion. We're thinking of bringing these ideas together into a conceptual paper that attempts to nail down first what fundraising is (a descriptive 'is) and then from that build up to what it should be (a normative 'ought'). The two are not the same things.

We planning a new project we aim to get going in 2025. As we prepare for that, our director Ian MacQuillin MCIOF(Dip) has some questions for you if you are a fundraiser whose first language is not English.

Did you know that despite women comprising up to 70% of the fundraising workforce, they are still vastly underrepresented in leadership positions? According to research published by Rogare - The Fundraising Think Tank, the barriers are systemic and deeply rooted in our sector’s culture, impacting women’s progression to the top. The paper, Gender Issues in Fundraising, explores why women are often encouraged to ‘Lean In’ and embrace assertive behaviours typically rewarded in leadership—yet when they do, they face penalties due to ingrained gender biases. As fundraising professionals, we must recognise and dismantle these barriers if we want genuine equity. The belief that women lack self-confidence or assertiveness is often cited as a reason for their underrepresentation in leadership. This narrative is both flawed and harmful, reinforcing stereotypes that hold women back. It’s time to rethink what inclusive leadership truly looks like and actively work towards it. Let’s start the conversation. 👉 https://lnkd.in/e_YstiyG #FundraisingLeadership #GenderEquality #Inclusion #ThoughtLeadership #Rogare #CriticalFundraising #Fundraising #Charity #EDI