After five exciting years as an employee, I’m delighted to be taking on a new project.

During that time I’ve had the privilege of working on a range of projects including Quarriers’ capital appeal to build the new Scottish Epilepsy Centre – a shining example of how a building really can transform lives by providing world class facilities for epilepsy care, training and research in the heart of Glasgow.

I worked with Scottish Ballet as Director of Fundraising & Development to create a new development plan, re-launch the Friends of Scottish Ballet and secure major support from a range of private donors and companies.

And finally, I spent a happy year with Who Cares? Scotland to implement a new fundraising programme and secure long term support for one of Scotland’s most dynamic small organisations supporting and speaking up for children growing up in and leaving the care system.

I am excited about what comes next. My first love is delivering real grass roots impact and helping organisations embed fundraising as part of their culture. Fundraising not only brings money to deliver important work and change lives, but can be a catalyst for strengthening organisations.

As a people person, I enjoy inspiring donors to connect with organisations. Whether it’s picking up the phone to an event participant and getting to know what drives them and helping them realise their goals, or working with a sponsor or organisational donor to make a deeper commitment or first gift, or drafting a great project outline and ironing out budgets and outcomes, fundraising is a real joy. I hope I can help your organisation take the next steps.

I am also working with associates to develop a new service for small to medium sized charities and community organisations in Scotland. With a focus on affordable support, bringing specialists together to help your organisation and delivering this ethically, the next year will be exciting indeed.

Please get in touch to see what your organisation could achieve and I look forward to working with some great projects over the coming year.

Virginia

 Well, it’s all change here. I’ve been tempted back to regular employment with Quarriers’ Fundraising team. A fantastic project came along that was too tempting to miss, and with one of Scotland’s best charities.

 I’m handing over the reigns here to my associate Tash Goswami. Tash has been working in the not for profit world for nearly twenty years now. She’s an accomplished bid writer, a master of the development plan and an excellent facilitator amongst other things. If you’d like to know more about what we can do for you and your organisation, why not have a look around here and email info@charityconsultant.org for a free consultation?

 Kind regards,

 Virginia

Charity/Not for Profit boards are wonderful when they work well. They can provide an organisation with insight, experience, leadership and support amongst other things. Each board or management committee is very different from another, and tends to develop a personality of its own. Individual members can make a big impact on this.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be tackling some common challenges that arise from working with your board, from both a staff and trustee perspective and how a board’s personality and the personalities within it can be supported to get the best of your organisation’s governance. I’ll be starting with working with those occasional board members who perhaps have their own agenda or clash with others.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your questions or stories about board and committee problems. Please comment here or email virginia@charityconsultant.org.

There’s much our potential leadership have to negotiate over the coming days and weeks, and it has left many wondering how a hung parliament will affect our lives and organisations. Here’s a round up of views from some not for profit leaders, courtesy of Third Sector. Whatever happens next, there is little doubt that charities will be working differently to make their voices heard.

It’s that time again when we’re all giving thought to the UK’s political future. Will we vote? Who will we vote for? How will it impact our families, finances, communities?

It is also interesting to consider how a change in political leadership could impact charities, social enterprises and community organisations and the relationship of the sector with public and politcal bodies. I haven’t made up my mind on the complex issues at hand yet, but I will be reading Nick Sneddon’s Election Blog 2010 , over at Third Sector’s website with great interest. Civil Society’s website also has some useful coverage of what the main parties’ manifestos have to say about their plans for the sector.

I’m delighted to be at AICR’s 30th Anniversary conference in St Andrews this week. 200 cancer scientists from all over the world are coming together to share ideas and the latest research, all of them working towards a future free from cancer.

It’s a great milestone for an organisation that started in a small town with all the work happening at someone’s kitchen table. Since then AICR (Association for International Cancer Research) has invested almost £134 million in 32 countries. Today, AICR is the leading international cancer research charity.

I’m looking forward to meeting researchers and supporters over the coming days, and helping AICR celebrate in style.

I’ve been working with a fantastic new project with the Mental Health Foundation in Scotland, and now we’re looking for ideas. Can you help?