New and long-standing fundraisers and fundraising groups were honoured at the Scottish Fundraising Awards in Glasgow
Inspiring Scottish fundraisers were recognised alongside Erskine, The Glasgow School of Art and Piltlochry Station Bookshop as winners of the 2017 Scottish Fundraising Awards.
The national awards ceremony celebrates fundraising excellence and takes place each year at the Institute of Fundraising’s Scottish Fundraising Conference.
Charities and individuals were honoured in eight categories, including Fundraiser of the Year, Best Individual Giving Campaign and Fundraising Excellence Award, and Volunteer Fundraiser.
Garry Donegan of Impact Arts won the coveted fundraiser of the year award after successfully winning a £400,000 Cashback for Communities bid just 21 days into his time with the arts social enterprise. In just 12 months at the organisation he submitted 85 applications and secured £1.5 m in turnover from 50 funders.
Impact Arts director Fiona Doring said: “As a fundraiser, Garry doesn’t work in a silo but continually goes the extra mile for all colleagues, staying back to help clear workshops, lending his digital expertise where needed and giving presentations when other key staff are unavailable – nothing is too much trouble.”
The fundraising excellence award for someone who has shown dedication to Scottish fundraising over a number of years was awarded to Julie Christie from Parkhead Citizens Advice Bureau.
Over her 15 year career as the sole fundraiser at Parkhead CAB, Julie has raised well over £13 million and for it and other local organisations. She is also a role model and mentor for new fundraisers and has been a trustee, grants assessor and fundraising trainer.
Accepting her award on the night, Julie said she was lucky to work in a job she loved and is was happy to get out of bed for every day. She said the award was the “icing on a great cake”.
Volunteer fundraising group of the year went to Pitlochry Station Bookshop, which raised £23,242 for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance in 2016 in the last of a more than 20 year history of fundraising for charities that has seen it raise a total of £208,000.
Volunteer fundraiser of the year went to May Gilchrist who has run the Coast to Coast event for Macmillan Cancer Support for 22 years, raising £320,000.
Erskine picked up both best marketing and communications campaign for Remembrance 2016 and the best individual giving campaign for Erskine Somme Centenary Appeal.
The University of Edinburgh won best use of event or community fundraising initiative for The Big Leap.
Finally, Glasgow School of Art with J Walter Thompson won best partner relationship after raising £706,000 with its Ash to Art auction, which saw 25 of the world’s leading contemporary artists produce new artworks from the Mackintosh building debris.
Chair of the Institute of Fundraising's conference organising committee, Gary Kernahan said: "The 2017 winners represent the best in Scottish fundraising and I'm delighted to recognise their achievements. They are evidence of the incredible work undertaken by fundraisers every day that makes a real difference to people's lives in Scotland and further afield.
"This year there was an exceptionally strong field of contenders, making for a very tough selection process. I'd like to congratulate all of the great talent nominated this year."
