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Are you responsible for trust fundraising at your charity?

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Do you feel like you lack some of the essential skills, tools and knowledge to do it really well?

 
Have you been sending out applications
but not hearing anything back?


Is this all new to you and you're simply
not sure where to start?



Read on...you're in the right place. 












There are currently 8,000 Trusts and Foundations giving away £8bn each year in the UK.


Yet despite this:


  • there is a gap in public sector finance in the UK of £5.8billion 2019 - 2021
  • individual giving across the UK has stagnated
  • there are fewer trusts with open programmes, supporting wide ranging and multiple causes
  • competition for funds is increasing as new causes enter the market: schools, Community Interest Companies (and other types of charitable organisations), leisure centres, libraries, individual GoFundMe pages, Crowdfunders...the list goes on...
  • there is a trend towards ‘public voting’ style grant giving which can exclude charities with smaller supporter bases 

And on top of all of this, we're living through a global pandemic, where suddenly everything is changing month to month. 



This does not mean that charitable trust fundraising is no longer the viable and sustainable income stream that it used to be.  For many charities, it still delivers (and will deliver again after this current crisis is over) essential and sustainable income.

There is also an increase in philanthropists (mostly self made) pledging to 'give away their wealth in their lifetimes' (as a fundraiser, this is music to my ears, though I feel slightly bad for their kids!).

I'm guessing you would like a slice of the pie? 

(mine's a vegan key lime pie please...)



I have raised millions for charities over my 20-year career.  Now I’m ready to share my strategies for success so that you can replicate them. 


‘Trust the Process’ is my step by step online training that walks you through my personal approach to fundraising from trusts and foundations.

My consistent approach to this area of fundraising has generated millions for good causes.  I want you to enjoy the same success.






 

“I was excited to try out Trust the Process as I've never been properly trained in trust fundraising, despite 15 years in the sector.

Caroline has a very calm, patient and empowering presentation style.  By the time you finish the course, you're ready and raring to go.

The section on target setting was especially helpful to me.  I'm now much more confident in explaining our targets to my CEO and can back up the numbers with evidence.

I would recommend this course to anyone starting out in trust fundraising and also to existing fundraisers who would like a bit of reassurance that they are on the right track.”

Marie Preece, Two Green Magpies
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This self-led course is for you if:


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  • You're completely new to trust fundrasing and are excited to make the most of your new role
  • You've been handed the responsibility for trusts and foundations, but feel nervous about your lack of experience and need to learn the basics fast
  • You're managing a team member who has responsibility for trusts and foundations, but lack practical experience yourself, and would like to support them better
  • You're a trustee, looking for some professional trust fundraising support, but you're not quite ready yet to work one on one with a consultant
  • You're willing to put into practice the learnings from this course and are committed to trying new things


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This self-led course is NOT for you if:


  • You are an experienced and knowledgable trusts and foundations fundraiser with many years' experience 
  • You are already raising more than your charity needs from trusts and foundations each year 
  • You are a corporate / individual giving / community fundraiser with zero interest in how trusts and foundations work!
  • You feel you are too busy for learning / self development at the moment (we recommend a minimum commitment of 12 hours over 4 weeks to get results from Trust the Process)
  • You're expecting a financial return within 6 months from this product (trust fundraising done well is usually fruitful around 6-9 months after starting)




“I found the course thorough, easy to follow and easy to understand.

​​​​​​​For the first time, I have a realistic target for income generation which I can show to my boss."
Rob Pryce, The Spark
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By the the end of Trust the Process, you will be:

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  • able to identify genuine, potential trust prospects for your charity or non-profit
  • the creator of a trust fundraising strategy, with a target and objectives for the coming year 
  • able to confidently articulate how you set your target and why it's realistic for your charity
  • the author of two template proposals, which are beautifully presented and informative and which answer the top questions asked by most funders  
  • newly confident to make contact with funders for the first time
  • equipped with a toolkit of documents, templates, letters and scripts to support your trust fundraising programme in the future (once they're done, they're done!)

Providing you are committed to dedicating time and energy to trust fundraising once your learning is complete, you will see a significant return on your investment. 


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​​​​​​​Caroline Danks MInstF

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Caroline Danks has worked in the social good and non profit sector since she was at school and used to volunteer for her mum (who was also a trust fundraiser).

Aged 21, armed with a music degree and a realisation that she was unlikely to be the next Britney Spears, Caroline interviewed for Bill Bruty's fundraising training programme, secured a job in the trusts team at Centrepoint and never looked back...

She specialises in capital appeals, charitable trusts and major donors and has experience of working with large and small charities across different sectors.
 
In the past two years, Caroline has raised over £2m from trusts and foundations towards the building of a new hospice, £200,000 towards the restoration of a scheduled ancient monument in Cornwall and £250,000 towards a new inpatient unit for young people suffering severe mental illness.

Between 2012 and 2015,  Caroline managed the campaign for the restoration of the National Trust's Castle Drogo in Devon which raised over £7 million. 
 
Caroline lives in Devon and runs LarkOwl with her partner Tony.  In May 2019 they launched ‘What Good Looks Like’, the first freely available benchmarking study on Return on Investment in UK fundraising in six years. 

​​​​​​​In her spare time she likes swimming in the sea, experimenting with vegan cookery, reading books on personal development (not 'self help'), dance classes at the gym and playing Exploding Kittens and MarioKart with her family.




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​​​​​​​Trust the Process - Lessons 


Lesson One: Preparation and Research


We will introduce you to a range of tools for finding charitable trusts who might support your cause.


Our clear instructions on how to qualify prospective donors will give you confidence that you're going to be asking the right people.


Our downloadable research template will help you to organise your research, showing you how to narrow your long list down to a shortlist.



Lesson Two: A Simple Strategy 


We will share our template for a simple, manageable workplan across 12 months.


Our downloadable prioritisation tool will help you identify your hottest prospects, predict income and set an achievable target.


We will help you tailor a strategy to suit you, whether you're a full time trust fundraiser or a volunteer giving two days a month, recognising the amount of time you ACTUALLY have available.


Lesson Three: Your Template Proposal


We will help you to become organisationally ready to accept external investment, preparing you to meet funder expectations.


We will show you how to create long and short form template applications and will talk you through strategies for free-form proposals, and application forms.


Our tips on writing style and presentation will ensure your proposals stand out from the competition.



Lesson Four: Communicating 


We will give you confidence to pick up the phone and build relationships with trustees, administrators and grant managers.


We will show you how to involve your trustees and help you and them to make the most of your connections.


Our guide to tailoring your applications will ensure your proposals feel bespoke and thoughtful.


“I've just completed lesson one!  It's SO good. 

​​​​​​​I wish I'd had this when I started."
Emma Kennedy-Cox, Trust Fundraiser, Thames Hospice 
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