When I first became a fundraiser, it wasn’t part of a carefully mapped career plan. My background was in social work, later branching into policy study. At the time, I’d never thought of those experiences as a training ground for fundraising. Yet when I look back, I realise they gave me exactly the skills I needed.
Social work taught me to listen carefully, to understand complexity, and to communicate with honesty and care. Policy taught me to research and analyse, to write clearly, and to identify gaps and potential solutions. When I eventually moved into trusts and foundations fundraising, those abilities turned out to be important.
What also helped me was that I knew the work I was raising funds for. I’d seen it up close and I’d lived in the detail. So when I spoke to donors, I was speaking from experience. That authenticity built trust, and it made me a better fundraiser.
The pathways are rarely straight
Over the years, I’ve noticed how few people in this profession come into it directly. Many colleagues have stories like mine – sideways steps from marketing, communications, sales, programs, or academia.
Until very recently, formal study pathways into fundraising in Australia were not well-known or understood. That lack of a “standard route” means trusts and foundations fundraising is often a profession built on transferable skills. Relationship building, critical thinking, strong writing, and the ability to communicate complex ideas – these are the foundations. The rest can be learnt – on the job, and through mentoring and professional development.
A sector looking for people
Right now, many organisations are finding it challenging to fill trusts and foundations roles – not because the work isn’t important, but because the pool of people with direct experience is small.
When I speak with sector peers about a role they’re trying to fill, I’m reminded of my own path. What if my first employer in fundraising had only wanted someone with years of grant-seeking experience? I would never have been given the chance, and I would never have discovered a profession that I love and feel proud of.
Learning along the way
One of the things I’ve come to value about fundraising is that it’s a profession you can grow into, provided you’re given the right support. I see this now in my work with Strategic Grants, where I’ve been delivering our Grants Training and Employee Onboarding and Upskilling program. They’re designed for exactly this purpose: to help new and existing fundraisers – whatever their background – get the grounding they need in trusts and foundations.
I’ve been working recently with Marzia Kadivar, the newly appointed Development Manager (Trusts & Foundations) at Western Sydney University (WSU), guiding her through the sector, the processes and the strategy. With her background in academia and as the founder and CEO of a business, she brings a wealth of transferable skills to fundraising. It’s a reminder that while fundraising knowledge can be taught, the underlying qualities often come from elsewhere. As Christian Burden, Executive Director, Advancement at WSU, put it: “Marzia has excellent skills to bring to the program here at Western, and we’re excited to see how the training and support you’re providing is amplifying those rapidly.”
Looking around, not just straight ahead
I can’t help but wonder if more organisations could benefit from looking laterally when they recruit. By that, I mean paying attention to the skills people already have, even if their résumé doesn’t say “fundraiser”.
The best trusts and foundations fundraisers I’ve met aren’t defined only by technical expertise. They’re defined by how well they understand people – donors, colleagues, communities – and how they can translate that understanding into meaningful partnerships. Sometimes that insight even comes from having lived and breathed the work they’re now raising funds to support.
I don’t have a neat answer to the recruitment challenges many organisations are navigating. But reflecting on my own path, I sometimes think that the right person for a fundraising role might not yet see themselves as a fundraiser. Consider:
- What skills and qualities are essential for success?
- What can be learnt through training and support?
- Where else might those skills and qualities be found?
Fundraising is a profession that thrives on diversity of experience, grounded in a shared commitment to ethics and best practice. It’s also a friendly sector – one where people love to share knowledge and support one another. By welcoming candidates from different backgrounds – and investing in their development – you can fill critical roles while strengthening your organisation’s ability to build authentic, lasting relationships with donors.
If you’re looking to build your team’s expertise in trusts and foundations fundraising, our Grants Training and Employee Onboarding programs are designed to help new and experienced fundraisers alike develop the skills they need to succeed.
About the author
Chris Mills is a Grants Strategist at Strategic Grants with over a decade of experience in the for-purpose sector. He began his career in direct practice as a social worker before moving into fundraising in 2017. Chris has broad fundraising experience, but specialises in finding the right funders, developing a program’s philanthropic proposition, coordinating the grant and proposal process, and writing grants and proposals.
Chris became accredited as a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) in 2021. He holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Social Work from Monash University, and a Master of Public Policy from RMIT.