Trusts and Major Donors Conference 2025

Sessions

Room 1

Major donor prospecting – smash your GDPR fears to unlock new prospects
Speaker: Sacha Tremain, RNIB

Your dilemma: You’ve been asked to find some new major donor prospects but you:

a) don’t really know where to start and
b) GDPR keeps you up at night.

I’ve been there too. But, before you open your browser and type into Google “rich people who give”, let me share with you some of the simple and effective ways I’ve learned over the last 20 years on how you can find good prospects that are worth spending time on, rabbit holes to avoid going down, and why common sense (good processes and a Privacy Notice) prevails when it comes to data protection. GDPR is actually a good thing.

Whether you’re in a large or small charity, big budget or no budget, existing major donor programme or just starting, there will be something to takeaway for everyone.

Key learnings from this session:

1. You will learn some simple and effective ways charities can identify and qualify new supporters, for all types of budgets, so you don’t waste precious time
2. Simple ways you can ensure you are compliant with data protection
3. Pitfalls to avoid when it comes to prospecting and how you can figure out you’re on the right track by measuring success

Canaries in the coal mine – current trends and how to take action
Speakers: Maddy Gazzard, Joanna Jeffery & Caroline Danks,

Join three sector canaries, each of whom have undertaken research / gathered data to help inform our day to day work as fundraisers. From the changing behaviour of foundations and philanthropists to observing how return on investment in fundraising has changed over recent years, Jo, Maddy and Caroline will present the facts, identify commonalities and will paint a picture of where fundraising is at right now. More importantly, we’ll give you fresh and practical ideas for navigating a changing landscape with confidence.

Key learnings from this session:

1. An understanding of sector wide trends and themes
2. Knowledge about how things are changing
3. Practical ideas on how to adapt your fundraising

The anatomy of a successful funding proposal
Speaker: Rachel Cross, Lime Green Consulting

While online application forms come with their own frustrations, sometimes writing a funding proposal from scratch is even harder. What should we include? How long should it be? How to structure it? We’ll talk you through our tried-and-tested approach for writing a funding proposal that does your work justice and stands out from the crowd.

1. How to structure a funding proposal when the funder doesn’t give you many guidelines.
2. The most important content to include in a funding proposal when space is limited.
3. How to tailor your funding proposals to make them stand out and show you’re a good match for the funder.

Room 2

Creative Writing for Fundraisers
Speaker: Jessica Shipp, OSCAR’s Charity

An interactive session on creative writing.

I will lead attendees through easy, manageable, five minute exercises.

An opportunity to lighten the mood and reinvigorate the joy of writing.

No writing experience necessary. I will guide you every step of the way.

A chance to steer clear of the bland data, facts and figures and just focus on the flow and magic of the mind.

Please bring a blank piece of paper and your favourite writing tool (pen or pencil).

Key learnings from this session:

• Develop confidence in creative writing regardless of experience level
• Discover how to tap into imagination
• Experience how free writing can generate fresh fundraising ideas and approaches
• Develop a personal writing style that can make your proposals stand out
• Take away practical exercises that can be used for team building and idea generation.

No Network? No Problem: Building a Major Donor Programme from Scratch
Speaker: Holly Christie, SOS Children’s Villages UK

Starting a major donor programme can feel intimidating, especially if you’re in a small team, have limited capacity, or don’t have an existing network of wealthy supporters. This session is for fundraisers who are at the very beginning of their major donor journey and want a clear, achievable starting point.

We’ll walk through the foundational steps to get your programme up and running, from identifying prospects and setting gift levels, to creating simple cultivation plans and securing your first meeting. No jargon. No assumptions. Just practical tools, relationship-led thinking, and examples you can adapt to fit your own organisation.

This session won’t promise innovation or shortcuts, but it will give you a realistic, replicable approach that builds confidence and momentum.

Key learnings from this session:

1. A clear, step-by-step approach to starting a major donor programme, even if you’re working with limited time, budget or contacts.
2. How to identify and prioritise prospects, and begin building relationships in a way that feels authentic and achievable.
3. The confidence to take your first steps into major giving and permission to start small and build as you go.

Programme

Click here for a screen-reader friendly version of the programme