In Their Name: In-Memory Journeys

Tune in to Sinem Bilen-Onabanjo's session from our 2026 Individual Giving Conference "Embedding Legacy Conversations Across the IG Supporter Journey" Legacy giving shouldn’t be treated as a separate fundraising product or conversation. Instead, it should emerge naturally from the relationships we build with supporters throughout their journey. This session explores how Individual Giving programmes can create the conditions for meaningful legacy engagement by focusing on supporters’ motivations, values and identities rather than channels or fundraising asks. Drawing on practical examples from Oxfam’s supporter journeys, persona development, stewardship programme and the *Stay in the Fight* campaign, it will demonstrate how legacy can be introduced as a natural continuation of a supporter’s lifelong commitment to a cause. The session will also challenge the idea that legacy fundraising belongs solely to specialist teams, exploring how stewardship, volunteering, campaigning and supporter care all play a role in creating opportunities for legacy conversations. Ultimately, successful legacy fundraising is less about identifying the perfect moment to ask and more about embedding legacy thinking across the supporter experience, enabling people to see how the values they champion today can continue to shape the future long after they’re gone. Key learnings from this session:

Tune in to Ugo Ikokwu's session from our 2025 Trusts and Major Donors Conference "Grant makers: spotting an AI doozy – and what to do instead" “Grant makers: spotting an AI doozy and what to do instead” is a practical, myth-busting session designed for fundraisers navigating the new reality of AI-powered bid writing. As more charities turn to tools like ChatGPT to save time, funders are increasingly encountering applications that sound polished but hollow, generic or ethically risky. This session will help you understand what funders are actually looking out for and how you can use AI well without undermining your voice, credibility or case for support. We’ll cover the essentials: what AI is (in plain English), how it can genuinely support your fundraising, the ethical considerations you must keep in view, and the common “AI doozies” that immediately raise red flags for funders. Drawing on my experience assessing hundreds of applications and using AI in my own grant-making and social investment work at Trust for London, I’ll show you how to use AI to enhance clarity and storytelling while keeping lived experience, accuracy and authenticity front and centre. You will leave with practical tips, examples, and questions to ask yourself before submitting any AI-supported application, helping you write smarter bids that still sound powerfully you. Key learnings from this session: Attendees will learn where AI genuinely adds value, editing, structuring, simplifying, sense-checking without replacing their expertise or diluting their organisation’s voice. Funders increasingly spot tell-tale signs of poorly used AI: generic language, inaccurate claims, mismatched data, and applications that sound professional but say very little. You’ll learn how to avoid these traps. You’ll understand what red flags funders look for, why some AI-written bids get rejected immediately, and how to make sure your application still reflects authenticity, lived experience and clear need. Don't forget to join us at our Trusts and Major Donors Conference, happening on Thursday 10th December. Learn more here If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

Tune in to Eoghan Beecher's session from our 2025 Individual Giving Conference "Why Won't You Let Me Donate?" There are many reasons why someone would choose to donate to a charity of their choice, but there are also many reasons why they might not donate. In this session, we will explore areas that may prevent a supporter from completing an online donation. We will focus on a variety of areas, including creative journeys, user experience and technical implementation. Our goal is to increase revenue from those who already want to give, but have his an entirely avoidable barrier. Key learnings from this session:

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast, host Simon Scriver sits down with Jeff Schreifels (Principal & Owner) and Andy Milligan (Managing Director, UK & Europe) from Veritus Group for an "ask the expert" session tackling the most frequently asked questions from fundraisers about major and mid-level donor programs. The conversation covers practical, numbers-backed guidance on:Touch points & channels - Whether newsletters, mass emails, and appeals count as real touch points, and how to blend direct response with personal cultivationCaseload size - Why 150 donors is the benchmark for a full-time major gift officer (and 500–700 for mid-level), plus how to scale that down for one-person shopsQualifying donors - How to identify donors ready for a major gift approach, and why current giving behaviour beats wealth screeningJustifying the investment - Why organisations hesitate to fund major gift programs, the ROI comparison with direct response, and why you should budget for at least two yearsRe-engaging lapsed donors - A multi-channel approach, and why you shouldn't let re-engagement come at the detriment of active donorsContact frequency - At least one touchpoint per month for major donors, and why most organisations are under-contacting rather than over-contactingValue attrition - The overlooked metric that's costing nonprofits 40–60% of revenue from existing donors year over year, and why year-over-year growth can mask the problemProgram costs & core costs - How to work with finance teams to present full-cost donor offers, and why major donors understand overhead better than we think A huge thank you to Veritus for being our headline for our Trusts and Major Donors Conference, happening on the 10th December. Learn more hereCheck out Veritus' upcoming webinarsTake the free donor assessmentContact Veritus If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.

In this episode of the Fundraising Everywhere podcast, host Simon Scriver has a conversation with proud FE member Sarah Shooter, Head of Development at Theatre Royal Wakefield.This episode delves into Sarah's journey as a fundraiser, the unique challenges and successes she’s experienced in the arts sector, and the importance of community and personal touch in fundraising. Discover insights on membership, corporate fundraising, and the art of balancing various fundraising activities within a small team.Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser or new to the field, this episode offers valuable lessons on maintaining passion and optimism in the face of challenges.Click here to find out more about Fundraising Everywhere membership If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to hit follow and enable notifications so you'll get notified to be first to hear of future podcast episodes. We'd love to see you back again! And thank you to our friends at JustGiving who make the Fundraising Everywhere Podcast possible.