Chris
Goldie

Director

Playing as a team

Growing up in a theatrical family, taught me about teamwork. Watching cast and crew use their skills to achieve the exceptional, shaped my early understanding of what makes a successful partnership.

The best productions were those that celebrated individual talent, but drew on the strength of the Company as a whole. The effort was always collaborative and the achievement, collective. When the opportunity came for me to pursue my other great love, cricket, I witnessed the same energy at play in the professional game. The most effective partnerships and team efforts, were based on persistence, courage and trust – and in many ways, these qualities are also at the heart of achieving step-change fundraising. When clients come to us, they expect wisdom, innovation and a pragmatic approach to bringing in the money. They also see us as part of the home team, wholly immersed in the process of securing gifts and deeply interested in their work long after the campaign reaches target or our contract is completed.

The Gifted approach

At Gifted, our clients engage us to provide clear and unequivocal advice. They have limited time and money to invest and rightly expect the highest returns. This means being able to apply the basic principles of fundraising, but being flexible enough to mould them to a specific development challenge.

After three decades of experience in the Third Sector, I’ve also found that successful fundraising advice is based on a rigorous understanding of an organisation’s make-up and the marketplace in which it operates. Taking time to properly appreciate a charity’s DNA, the way they function and particularly the strengths of their volunteer community, means that ‘off-the-peg’ solutions are never part of the game plan. Often, this leads us to draw on our work in other sectors, bringing fresh ideas from one fundraising environment and adapting them to flourish in another; something we talk about in our IDPE showcase presentation.

Having the confidence to ask

Without doubt, the aspect of fundraising that our clients fear the most is making personal requests for money. Those that do this well, whose leadership teams have been expertly trained and feel confident in exciting others about their vision, are usually the ones who excel.

Whether as a trustee or in guiding our clients through major gift approaches, I am constantly reminded that peer to peer asking is rarely an optional extra in an effective fundraising strategy. Top level gifts only happen when the givers see themselves as stakeholders; when they feel moved to contribute or believe that a project adds value. A face to face encounter is often the only way to capture genuine interest and lead someone to invest serious sums of money in a venture that really excites them.

Further information

Linked in Profile

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Client assignments

Animals & Environment

  • World Horse Welfare

Arts, Culture & Heritage

  • Bretforton Grange & Theatrebarn
  • Dr Johnson’s House
  • English Heritage
  • Garthewin Estate
  • Historic Coventry Trust
  • Jacksons Lane Arts Centre
  • Pimlico Music Foundation
  • Royal College of Organists
  • Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
  • Shakespeare's Globe
  • St Anne's Music Society
  • The Bristol Old Vic
  • The British Library
  • The Courtyard Arts Centre, Hereford
  • The Lord Leycester Hospital
  • The Marlowe Theatre
  • The National Archives
  • The Royal Academy of Dance
  • The Theatre Royal Plymouth
  • The Young Vic Theatre

Civic & Community

  • British Heart Foundation
  • Cambridge Royal Albert Homes
  • Camphill Milton Keynes Communities
  • Centre for Social Justice
  • Ferryhill Railways
  • Livability
  • Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)
  • Spring Housing Association
  • The Highbury Roundhouse
  • The Private Equity Foundation
  • Wheatley Parish Council

Education

  • Alleyns School
  • Aylesbury High School
  • Bede's School
  • CARA/Universities UK
  • Chesham Grammar School
  • Chigwell School
  • Churston Ferrers Grammar School
  • Culford School
  • Dr Challoner's Grammar School
  • Dr Frost Learning
  • Godolphin & Latymer
  • Horris Hill School
  • Institute for Research in Schools
  • Lancaster Royal Grammar School
  • Lord Williams's School Thames
  • Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
  • Mill Hill School
  • National Mathematics & Science College
  • Pangbourne College
  • Putney High School
  • Riverside School, Barking
  • RMS Rickmansworth
  • Roedean
  • Rugby School
  • Sir Thomas Rich's School
  • Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
  • St Alban's High School for Girls
  • St Margaret’s Bushey School
  • St Swithun's School
  • Stamford School
  • The Engineering Development Trust
  • The Judd School
  • The King's School Macclesfield
  • Trinity School Croydon
  • University of Essex
  • University of St Andrews
  • Weald of Kent School
  • Wellington School
  • Wimbledon High School

Faith & Religion

  • Beds & Herts Historic Churches Trust
  • Canterbury Cathedral
  • Christ Church Clapham
  • Croydon Minster
  • Great St Bartholomew, London
  • London Diocesan Fund
  • Peterborough Cathedral
  • Rochester Cathedral
  • St George’s Hanover Square
  • St John’s Notting Hill
  • St Michael’s Betchworth
  • Union Chapel

Health & Welfare

  • Addenbrookes Hospital
  • Future Care Capital
  • Kent, Surrey, Sussex Air Ambulance
  • National Rehabilitation Centre
  • Newcastle Health Charities
  • Norfolk Hospice
  • Peninsula Medical Foundation
  • Rockinghorse Children’s Charity
  • The Air Ambulance Service
  • The Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine
  • The Motor Neurone Disease Association
  • The Royal College of Physicians
  • Wrightington Hospital

Sports & Recreation

  • British Judo
  • Nene Park Trust
  • Stratford Rugby club
  • The Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation
  • The Warwick Boat Club
Services list

Feasibility Studies
Campaign Management

Strategy Reviews and Development Audits
Periodic Consulting

Legacies
Communications

“Working with Chris Goldie from Gifted Philanthropy has been a truly exceptional experience, not only for our school's fundraising campaign but for my own professional development. His expert guidance was instrumental in helping us navigate the complexities of building our fundraising campaign and to strive for a level of success we hadn't thought possible. He took the time to deeply understand our school's vision and values, providing us with sensible, tailored advice to meet our needs.”

Natalie Pretsell
Former Head of engagement and Fundraising, Stamford School, now Assistant Director of Development and Alumni, rugby school