Chris Goldie CFRE
Director
Winning partnerships
Growing up in a theatrical family, taught me a lot about the value of teamwork. Watching cast and crew use their skills to achieve something exceptional on stage, 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, too.
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.
A rigorous, fresh and flexible approach to fundraising
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 more than two 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.
In the end, it's all about 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.
Contact details
To arrange a no-obligation discussion of your fundraising needs, contact [email protected] or call London 020 3627 3437
More information can be found on my linked in profile.
Chris Goldie
CFRE
Clients
Arts, Culture & Heritage
- The Marlowe Theatre
- Historic Coventry Trust
- English Heritage
- Dr Johnson’s House
- The National Archives
- The Theatre Royal Plymouth
- The Bristol Old Vic
- The British Library
- The Young Vic Theatre
- Shakespeare's Globe
- Jacksons Lane Arts Centre
- Royal College of Organists
- St Anne's Music Society
- The Royal Academy of Dance
- The Courtyard Arts Centre, Hereford
- Pimlico Music Foundation
- Shakespeare Birthplace Trust
- The Lord Leycester Hospital
Cathedrals & Churches
- Great St Bartholomew, London
- Canterbury Cathedral
- Croydon Minster
- Rochester Cathedral
- Peterborough Cathedral
- Christ Church Clapham
- St John’s Notting Hill
- St Michael’s Betchworth
- Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Historic Churches Trust
- St Mary’s Twickenham
- St George’s Hanover Square
- Blackburn Cathedral
- Union Chapel
Community & Civic
- Spring Housing Association
- Camphill Milton Keynes Communities
- Society of Chemical Industry (SCI)
- Fair Action
- Kissing It Better
- Livability
- British Heart Foundation
- The Motor Neurone Disease Association
- Guidestar UK
- The Private Equity Foundation
- World Horse Welfare
- The Engineering Development Trust
- Centre for Social Justice
- Centre for Policy Studies
- The Highbury Roundhouse
- Philanthropy Impact
- Lapal Canal Trust
Education & Youth
- Godolphin & Latymer
- Lancaster Royal Grammar School
- RMS Rickmansworth
- Riverside School, Barking
- Sir William Borlase's Grammar School
- Lord Williams's School Thames
- Dr Challoner's Grammar School
- Lancaster Royal Grammar School
- Putney High School
- Horris Hill School
- University of St Andrews
- University of Essex
- Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge
- Wimbledon High School
- Trinity School Croydon
- Gad’s Hill School
- Weald of Kent School
- Milbourne Lodge Junior School
Health & Welfare
- Future Care Capital
- Peninsula Medical Foundation
- The Air Ambulance Service
- Kent, Surrey, Sussex Air Ambulance
- The Royal College of Physicians
- Addenbrookes Hospital
- Wrightington Hospital
- The Institute of Sport and Exercise Medicine
Sports & Recreation
- British Judo
- The Marylebone Cricket Club Foundation
- Middlesex Cricket
- Stratford Rugby club