Post #3 – Working with others, positioning your offering and the value of pro bono work
This is one of 4 weekly blog posts. The others are in the comments below:
Working with others
I’ve been a bit of a lone wolf really. Not really by choice – that’s just how it’s worked out. Other than my long-term work with JGA Group as tutor for their Level 3 Fundraiser apprenticeship, I’ve not been part of a team formally for a number of years. However, three of my assignments have been for more than 12 months (though two of these longer-term gigs were the result of contract extensions agreed during the initial assignment). In these roles, I’ve certainly felt part of those teams.
I’m on the books of a number of voluntary sector interim organisations. Some are traditional recruitment agencies, while others are a new breed of consultancy offering, and I’m pleased to able to work with them when I can.
Positioning yourself
You will have a view of your own specialisms; for me it’s individual giving and legacies for interim roles, and broader fundraising strategy work for consultancy.
My three core propositions are:
- Interim work – team support / line management; fundraising project management; staff recruitment; business as usual fundraising, and whatever comes across the desk
- Consultancy – portfolio review; market analysis; project initiation; stakeholder engagement
- Training – I’ve enjoyed the apprenticeship Tutoring and have taken speaker slots at the DSC fundraising conference for the last couple of years which has been good. I’d like to do more of it.
Pro bono
If you can help people, you should.
I’ve been asked twice to provide some coaching to fundraisers, and I’ve enjoyed it both times. I don’t think it’s something I should charge for yet (though I might in the future perhaps – particularly if I do some further training). In my Master’s degree at Bayes Business School, I’ve done some work with the T-GROW model which I try to use as a basis in coaching conversations and have found that helpful.
The first coaching I did resulted in a recommendation which led directly to one year’s work at a charity I have really enjoyed working with, so what goes around really does come around sometimes!
I’m currently coaching one of the graduates of the apprenticeship programme at the moment and she’s a delight to work with.
I was considering applying for a Trusteeship earlier in the year as I think I have the time to do a good job of it, but I do find charity governance frustrating, and I don’t think it would bring me much joy. Instead, I have thrown myself into helping the PTA at my son’s school and I’ve also joined the CIoF Learning and Development Committee, which I’m enjoying.
joelvoyseyfundraising.uk 