A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE ON THE WORLD OF FUNDRAISING TECH

Posted by Tim Stansbury on 2 August 2016

Former Givergy intern Elouise Jacques took on the role of an Events Coordinator for 12 months before returning back to Bournemouth University to complete her final year in events management.

Ella encourages all university students to take on placements. Here’s why!

1. Experience, exposure and excitement

As a placement student I was able to understand the insights on how to run a charity event and how they differ depending on different clients. As an events management student, this enabled me to feel more confident as a graduate bringing forward a wide range of skills from my hands on experience at Givergy. I attended and helped to coordinate 15 successful events with a variety of clients who all work in different ways.

Working in the charity sector is extremely rewarding. Its amazing to see how much we have raised to support so many great causes.

2. Perspective

As a student, you’re not always able to always put theory into practice. I was exposed to different aspects of events which I never thought of before, especially the role of technology within the charity sector. Technology is vital, without it Givergy would not raise as much for the causes we do.

3. Dissertation

Choosing a dissertation topic is a struggle for many students! Givergy helped me to choose my dissertation on how technology has revolutionised fundraising with the ability to relate back to my experience working at the 15 fundraising events during my year. I learnt more at Givergy than at university!

4. Future

As a student, it is quite daunting to step into the real world without knowing the real dos and don’ts. A year at Givergy has allowed me to think about how I would conduct an event in the future taking into consideration what worked/didn’t work at the various charity events I helped to coordinate daily. My passion for charities grew during my year at Givergy. Being behind the scenes opened my eyes to how giving more creates a huge impact. This confirmed my decision to work with charities after I graduate.

Here are Ella’s Dos & Don’t for those considering a student placement:

DO: Build relationships with clients. This is the best way to understand the business better and have a positive impact.

DO: Attend as many client meetings as possible. Good relationships are key to gaining feedback.

DO: Work as a team. Communicate with different departments within the company to learn about as many aspects as possible.

DON’T: Lose focus in your aim no matter what!

#RaisingMore with the Giving Generation.

VIEW JOB VACANCIES

Tim Stansbury

Director and Fundraising Consultant

Tim joined Givergy in 2010, overseeing the early stage growth of the business to 50 employees across five international regions, supporting over 4,000 events worldwide. With a passion for leadership, business growth and exceptional standards, Tim is at the heart of all clients needs both in the UK and worldwide.