A Fundraiser’s Path to Progress
Read about the personal reflections of an aspiring Fundraiser, a must read for anyone considering a purposeful career that raises vital funds for a meaningful cause.
I recently caught up with Katie Holmes who started at DKMS UK as a Fundraising Assistant in September 2022, within a role that would see her support the wider Fundraising team across a plethora of revenue streams.
Katie has since progressed internally and is now the charity’s Corporate Partnerships & Events Officer, and she is absolutely thriving.
I spoke with Katie to explore her trajectory and to better understand what she believes to be the elements that have helped continue her progression.
Read to the end to hear Katie’s tips that for anyone aspiring to become a professional Fundraiser.
Louis: Katie, can you shar with our readers what attracted you to a career in Fundraising, and is it what you expected?
Katie: I have always been a creative person with a passion for helping others. While at college and University, I volunteered in the Arts and with charities, which was my first venture into the non-profit sector.
Whist living over in Australia I found myself temping a lot due to visa restrictions, and coincidently mostly with charities. I found myself fascinated with fundraising and the many different elements that are beneath the umbrella of fundraising, including individual giving, corporate partnerships and community & events.
When working at Scope Australia, who strive to support thousands of people with complex intellectual, physical and multiple disabilities, I got to see how much more there is to fundraising than donations.
“Fundraising isn't just about raising money, it’s about relationships, and connecting people with the mission and making them proud of themselves for taking on various challenges, and ensuring they feel part of a community that supports a cause close to their hearts.”
Another amazing aspect I encountered at Scope was just how much employment support they provided people who had a disability. I got to work alongside people that had a disability and witness the incredible independence and development the employment programme provided them. It was very inspiring to witness the tangible impact of the charity's efforts while experiencing an overwhelming sense of compassion, and pride and fulfilment having contributed towards a meaningful cause.
When I first took an interest in fundraising as a career, I expected it to be something that would use my creative mind, mixed with a desire to make an impact, and it’s been exactly that. Fundraising requires you to come up with some fun and whacky ideas sometimes, it also requires strategy and an understanding of your supporter base.
Louis: At DKMS UK, you’ve now delivered across a range of revenue streams - What do you attribute to both your continued development and internal progression?
Katie: I’ve been lucky in the fact I work with an amazing team and have wonderful managers who have been fundamental in my development and internal progression.
From the very beginning of my journey at DKMS, I was very interested in all avenues of fundraising and how it all weaves into one another.
I was very fortunate to be included in various projects and across various fundraising appeals, corporate partnership initiatives, as well as actively stewarding our challenge event participants.
“Being immersed across a wider fundraising remit has given me a greater understanding of how different income streams work, and over time I have gravitated towards the corporate partnerships side of fundraising and organising charity events – hence my new title!”
DKMS has also initiated many forms of training in the form of courses and programmes over the past few years, including Fireside Fundraising and Remarkable 10 (delivered by Remarkable Partnerships).
Both of these courses provided a tailored approach with the skills, tools and processes needed to create our own strategies to secure corporate partnerships with companies you believe fit with your mission.
This means that the course content is custom-made to the charity you support. It’s so exciting to continue developing professionally outside of my day to day!
Louis: If there is a ‘recipe for success’ to becoming an effective and results-driven Fundraisers, what are the ingredients?
Katie: Fundraising isn’t always about raising money, and success can come in many shapes or forms depending on what we want to achieve. At the end of the day, we are here to make people feel good about themselves and championing that motivation so that they keep supporting the cause, and their impact compounds over time.
“In summary, I would say the recipe to success in fundraising would be a mix of passion for the cause, strategy, creativity and resilience!”
Louis: What advice would you give anyone considering starting a career in Fundraising?
Katie: A career in fundraising is an exciting and deeply rewarding path and one that can make a real difference in the world!
Some advice I would give to someone starting out would be to first find a cause that you are passionate about, as this will help motivate and fuel fresh ideas.
You can also explore ad-hoc or regular volunteering positions, if you’re not quite ready to switch careers.
“The work you put into fundraising can also often take time to see the fruits of your labour, especially within corporate partnerships!“
A lot of work goes into fundraising and a lot of patience is needed.
A career in fundraising isn’t for someone who lacks self awareness and who cannot approach things in a positive way. You need to be able to say to yourself, ‘How we could have done things differently’?
It’s also hugely important to celebrate the small wins and recognise and celebrate progress, no matter how small, as this will definitely help keep you motivated!
If you’d like to continue following Katie’s journey, why not follow and connect via LinkedIn!