This episode is the first in a series with a guest host. And that host is me, Fidelis Navas.
I am a charity consultant and recruiter, and as Beth concentrates on other projects, I was thrilled to look after Cracking Charity Chat. I consider networking a key skill of mine – so having the excuse to interview some brilliant leaders in the sector has been enjoyable, and certainly insightful.
This episode was recorded on 11 December 2020 with Barrie Hodge, Head of Fundraising and Communications at St Basils, a youth homelessness charity based in the West Midlands.
We talk about:
- How Barrie transitioned from a career as a commercial radio producer to a fundraising and communications leader. He describes the slow speed of decision making difficult when he first joined the sector. This was something he really had to manage, and I think many of us can sympathise with
- But the very obvious compassion amongst the sector has been a real highlight. Barrie repeatedly outlines the importance of empathy, especially considering the impact of the coronavirus these past 12 months
- The pros and cons of PowerPoint in your fundraising and comms activities, resulting in an avoid where possible perspective from Barrie
There were 3 key points that resonated with me:
- Empathy is key to successful fundraising. But don’t just focus on connecting with beneficiaries, ensure you also reflect how your donors might be feeling
- Barrie is real advocate for telling a story. He mentions a few anecdotes throughout the podcast to highlight his points and as an ex-radio producer, I was expecting him to be able to recite a decent story. But what Barrie highlighted was the need to be proactive in this.
- Don’t let a PowerPoint get in the way of your natural flow
I hope you enjoy this different outlook of Cracking Charity Chat. Feel free to share – you can find Beth on Twitter here, and this is me
Listen to this episode here. You can subscribe over at iTunes, Soundcloud, or follow Beth’s blog for more.
Fidelis
Beth Crackles 