Fundraising Fundamentals

10 December 2024

This year’s Annual Gathering was themed Friendship & Fundraising Fundamentals, and it brought together inspiring voices and valuable insights to support SMP members’ fundraising efforts.

In a challenging economic climate, we heard from panellists with successful track records in fundraising for different sizes of for not-for-profits who offered practical insights.

Panellists:

  • Steve Sloan – The power of storytelling
  • Tracy Morse – F.R.O.M Scotland
  • Stuart Armstrong – ‘Only Connect’
  • Alison Spurway – Volunteer-led success
The discussion offered practical tips, fresh perspectives, and plenty of inspiration to strengthen fundraising approaches and foster impactful relationships. A huge thank you to our panellists for their invaluable contributions!
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Steve Sloan

Steve has experience of fund-raising  at every level from just needing to keep a small organisation afloat and pay the mortgage  to Director of Development , fund-raising CEO and Chairperson. He’s been CEO of a Fund-raising and Marketing Consultancy company serving the needs of over 200 clients from the tiny to International NGOs in the UK, Europe and the USA. His personal targets achieved range from 150 pounds to 42 million dollars  and everything in-between.

Successful Fund-raising Checklist

Watch Steve's session on 'The power of storytelling'

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Tracy Morse

Tracy is a Professor of environmental health and head of centre for Sustainable Development at University Strathclyde she is also a Trustee in the small charity Famine Relief for Orphans in Malawi (FROM) Scotland. A small charity based in Aberdeenshire which has gone well beyond that initial intention to help feed orphaned and vulnerable children when it was first established in 2005.

Watch Tracy's session on 'F.R.O.M Scotland'

F.R.O.M presentation (holding slides)

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Stuart Armstrong

Stuart has had a highly successful career as a fundraiser, raising very significant sums for not-for-profit organisations in Scotland and has been a Grants Administrator for a charitable foundation for the past 20 years. He cut his teeth on Birds Eye Frozen Foods firstly as a salesman then as a brand Manager. In the 70s Stuart was Group Marketing Manager for Simba Chips in Johannesburg and then Account Director and New Business Director for Saatchi and Saatchi in Edinburgh. In 1985 he founded and managed a successful Communications Company and in 1991 became a Charity Fundraiser for major capital campaigns from initial concept to fundraising completion.

A quote from Stuart Armstong's book titled : Fundraising: The essentials for success revealed in under 1 hour

"Dale Carnegie, the great American salesman who wrote one of the first self improvement books - How to make friends and influence people: " you will make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you."


Fundraising: The essentials for success revealed in under 1 hour is available on Amazon

Watch Stuart's session on 'Only Connect’

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Alison Spurway

Alison has had much successful experience generating funds for organisations of differing scales. Life time Girl Guide. Member of Funding Working Group for GirlGuiding Scotland.  Member of Olave Baden- Powell Society (international donors to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) Fund raising for University of Glasgow Settlement and The Children's Wood

Watch Alison's session on 'Volunteer-led success'