So, what do you actually do? The Fundraising Standards Board handles public complaints about how charities raise money. We also offer the public a mark of reassurance to look for when giving to charities in the future. I'm responsible for developing and implementing the self-regulatory scheme for fundraising in Scotland and Northern Ireland. This involves recruiting and supporting member organisations, media work, running conferences, organising local events, plus lots of networking, liaising and marketing activity.
What does your typical day involve? The great thing about communications-orientated jobs is that there really is no such thing as a typical day. For example, a ‘travelling day’ can involve a red-eye flight to London for a board meeting, or a train journey across Scotland to meet with potential new members. An ‘office-based day’ usually involves catching up with correspondence and often planning the next stages of recruitment or public awareness activity.
What skills and experience do you need to do your job? A chameleon-like ability to use language that suits each different audience you need to engage with is probably the most important skill.
What kind of personality is best suited to working in a job like yours? In communications generally, I think you have to be someone who can meet deadlines, who likes the thrill of adrenaline working and who can stay calm in a crisis. So much is last-minute-drop-everything type of activity that you also have to be very good at juggling and not getting flustered.
What's been your biggest achievement in this job? Successfully launching the scheme to the public in Scotland. We got lots of good media coverage that raised public awareness of the existence of the self-regulatory scheme.
What's been your biggest challenge? Recruiting members. People are busy and money is tight so obviously and understandably, people are focusing their energies on raising money. I think applying for membership is something that most fundraisers want to do, but inevitably the packs sit in the in-trays for ages! I just have to find creative ways to minimise that happening!
Any top tips for someone wanting to get into this work? A lot of communication and marketing work is grunt stuff – envelope stuffing for example. There can be glamorous moments but the day-to-day activity that makes these moments happen can be pretty dull and uninteresting. Be prepared for that.
Published before February 2009