I wish I could bottle up the energy and inspiration that filled the Fundraising Institute Australia (FIA) Western Australia Forum last week. Nearly 300 fundraisers came together to share, learn, and connect. You could feel the passion in every conversation, panel, and breakout session. While the sessions spanned a wide range of topics and fundraising disciplines, a few strong themes came through loud and clear:
1. Engagement is key
The importance of early engagement and authentic, open communication was repeated consistently.
A story shared during the forum said it all — a $200k funding request sent cold via email, with no prior discussion and no detailed program plan. Unsurprisingly, it didn’t go down well with the prospective corporate partner.
This theme was referenced in sessions covering individual giving, corporate partnerships and philanthropy. Each time the message was the same:
- Ask “What are the donor’s needs? And how can they be met through a relationship with us?”
- Communicate this early on – honestly, authentically and clearly.
The opening plenary by Andrew Martin reminded us that engagement doesn’t stop once a gift is received, quoting Simone Weil “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.” Engage your funding partners!
2. Make it something they can’t say no to
Funders will often think logically in terms of governance, risk and budgets, but we humans are hardwired for storytelling. A corporate partner shared the power of “one good story” backed up by numbers and how this can influence decision-making. They went on to stress the value of going beyond outputs and short-term outcomes, encouraging attendees to highlight what domino effect (or long-term impact) the program activities are producing. Outcomes capture and measurement and reporting are critical to building sustainable funding partnerships.
3. Collaboration is the way forward
This is not a new concept, but many sessions reinforced that collaboration is both sought after and amplifies impact. This message was driven home by a moving closing plenary from Healing Smiles, Dr Jacinta Vu who showed just how powerful collaboration can be. Dr Vu highlighted how partnering with Australian Dental Health Association, University of Western Australia and Ruah Community Services helped them secure government funding and lead to the creation of a trauma-informed safe space for survivors of domestic violence. Can you show prospective and current funding partners how you are collaborating to share resources and infrastructure to amplify impact?
4. Fundraising is a career choice, not chance
One of the real standout moments this year was when a room full of fundraisers pledged (hand on heart!) to stop saying, “I fell into fundraising.” Yes, it got a laugh, but it also served as a clear reminder that fundraising is a career of intention, resilience, strategy, and impact. Ryan Ginard, CFRE, Head of Sector Development and Innovation at Minderoo Foundation, was very moved by this pledge of allegiance as the Founder of Fundraise for Australia and a keen advocate of philanthropy and fundraising working together to create meaningful, change where it is needed most.
5. Values alignment is non-negotiable
Speakers (myself included) stressed the importance of ensuring that your proposal aligns with a prospective funder’s values and strategic priorities. After all, shared values can mean the difference between a transaction and an authentic partnership. Central to this is doing your homework- be sure to read the funder’s website, annual report, strategy documents and socials. Then stay true to your mission and avoid shoehorning your project to fit the funder.
Speaking of values alignment. At Strategic Grants, we’re passionate about building the capacity of for purpose organisations, and that’s why we’re proud to sponsor such an amazing event focussed on doing just that. Congratulations and a huge thanks to the FIA WA organising committee for putting together such an educational and inspiring event!