Amelia Bayliss is General Manager with Global Grooves and a 2023 Fundraising Fellow.
Following insightful blogs on everything from resilience to scent and fundraising, I wondered what I could say that my brilliant peer Fellows haven’t already said? Using my inclination for reflection, reaffirmed using Honey and Mumford’s The Manual of Learning Styles (1986/1992), I have chosen to reflect on the last 10 months, before moving forward.
In my role as General Manager at Global Grooves, my day-to-day is varied and far from 100% fundraising activity. Being on this course and learning from those for whom it’s their bread and butter has been empowering. It’s also reminded me, as I peeled off a layer of imposter syndrome, that we are all fundraisers. Fundraising is communications, strategy, marketing, relationship building, cross-departmental, and critically, we are all doing it, whether we realise it or not, from the Box Office Assistants to the CEO.
Having the time to focus and nurture my fundraising understanding has been transformational. The holistic support, such as a brilliant mentor, access to academic tutors, the opportunity to get to know my peers in the field and speak to industry professionals combined for a 360-degree learning experience. The next challenge is how to hold that learning and transition out of the Fellowship and into what’s next. After much deliberation, I’ve whittled it down to these four principles.
Build a self-organising network of Support
Beyond the fellowship we’ve each gained nine peers, who form a mutually supportive network where we can consult and share successes (as well as setbacks), knowing our ambitions and struggles will be understood. It’s something I knew I needed in my role being part of a small team and now I’m hoping to expand that web further to bolster my resilience through a wider network.
Human Systems Dynamics suggests that the more self-organising a network, the more impact it achieves in transforming systems. Meaning we can thrive and grow increasingly as we sustain our newly founded network.
During our Bristol residential we saw an excellent example of this when we joined the DIY Arts networking drinks and met members of a collaborative and lively local arts sector. Events described as ‘networking’ are a source of trepidation for many people, but following a self-organising model means we can ensure that it becomes a meaningful opportunity to make new connections.
Reflection: Who do you want in your network?
Ask Questions
“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom” – Sir Francis Bacon
One piece of advice we should all heed, whether it’s for fundraising, leadership, in teaching, or in learning; is to never stop asking questions. It would be unwise to do all the talking when meeting a prospective donor, and the same is true when discussing fundraising with your organisation. This course has encouraged us to ask questions and indeed we have had many opportunities to ask questions to arts and charity leaders with a wealth of experience.
There are social and psychological barriers to asking the questions we want to. My mentor coached me on the theory of ‘Psychological Safety’. As you climb the pyramid of psychological safety, you can ask more and more questions, until eventually with ‘Challenger Safety’ you can question the status quo, and then we can drive transformative change.
Reflection: What questions have you not been asking?
Be Inspired
I last felt inspired hearing Euella Jackson speak about her role as Co-Director of Rising Arts Agency in Bristol. It reminded me that radical changes are possible through the arts sector and through the arts, in wider society. Rising’s statement ‘Young People Are Leaders Now’ is impactful and feels like a wake-up call to many funders, particularly in a landscape of youth-focused work which often offers just one youth board seat or youth coordinator role.
Ambitious and challenging ideas were whirling around over just one lunch hour with Euella, and it was exactly the inspiration I needed to reflect on what’s next for me and Global Grooves. We are all inspired by and learn from each other. Nothing will do more for your fundraising than seeing with fresh eyes after meeting an inspiring individual, hearing a well-told fundraising story or an imaginative philanthropic ask. Whether it’s an article, a visit to another cultural organisation or a brew with another fundraiser, inspiration is all around us when we take the time.
Reflection: When did you last feel inspired?
Apply the Learning
As a rule of thumb, I try to set aside two hours for each day’s training to review notes and prepare a plan for when and how to apply what I’ve learned. I ask what changes that the course or a Q&A can bring to my everyday quickly and easily and then how it could influence the organisation more widely, whether by implementing a new process or sharing references and case studies with colleagues.
Sharing knowledge will enable ideas to take root and give your team agency to enact change. Some Fellows shared their academic assignments with their board and senior management team. I utilised a team meeting to share my reflections on the final residential with the team. It was a chance to look outwardly at fundraising in another region and in turn, I hope, for the team to share in those inspirational ideas.
Reflection: How can you make the learning count? How can you move out of theory and into application?
The conclusions I have drawn from these reflections have given me confidence in my future in fundraising and leadership.
I have no doubt they could do the same for you.
About the author...
Amelia Bayliss
You may also like...
Fundraisers as Ethical Leaders: Reflections on How Leadership and Fundraising Overlap, and What We Can Learn From the Charity Sector.
Digital Legacies: What UK Fundraisers Actually Need to Know About AI, Online Wills and e-Wills
