Derek Yarnell looks ahead to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s Scottish Fundraising Conference and Awards
The Scottish Fundraising Conference and Awards is nearly here – and if you’ve glanced at the programme, you’ll understand why some of us are already deep into colour-coded planning charts and 'what-if' flow diagrams. Personal development or back-to-basics policy? Community-led campaigns or the latest digital strategies? Legacy insights or major donor strategies? The sessions are so good, it’s genuinely hard to choose. But this abundance of choice speaks volumes: the charitable sector is alive with energy, ideas, and a shared desire to do more, do better, and do it together. And here’s the thing: whether or not the word 'volunteer' appears in the session title, volunteers are everywhere in this programme – hiding in plain sight. They are both powering the work behind the scenes, and taking centre stage in many of the conversations.
Take community fundraising, for instance. It doesn’t happen to communities – it happens within them, driven by local volunteers who run events, collect donations, and rally neighbours around a cause. Or consider legacy giving. Some of our most committed volunteers make the most natural, meaningful legacy prospects – their longstanding connection, loyalty, and belief in the cause often translate into a final, transformative gift. In the world of supporter engagement and storytelling, volunteers are essential too. They’re often the people brave enough to share their own experiences. Every compelling story told in a campaign or funding bid likely began with a conversation where someone said, “Yes, I’ll share my story if it helps.” Even digital innovation – a topic that might seem a world away from hands-on volunteering – often serves to amplify and support human connection. Tools that make giving easier, track stewardship, or improve communication ultimately help fundraisers and volunteers work better together.
A few sessions stand out as especially relevant if you work with or support volunteers. Managing Stress and Burnout in the Fundraising Sector isn’t just for staff — it speaks to the emotional labour shouldered by volunteers too, especially those who give their time to causes close to their hearts. Building and Retaining Strong Teams offers insights that could just as easily apply to volunteer coordination as to managing paid staff. And in Improve Your Supporter Stewardship with WhatsApp, the tools and techniques for better donor care can be directly translated to strengthening relationships with volunteers — because stewardship isn’t just for those who give money. Finally, Fundraising for Change: Gender-Sensitive Approaches to Empowerment and Impact reminds us that inclusive, thoughtful engagement must extend to the volunteers who shape our communities and campaigns.
So yes – the conference schedule may pose a pleasant problem for the indecisive among us. But what’s not in question is the unmissable opportunity it offers to reflect, reconnect, and re-energise. Whether you’re attending for the first time or the tenth, you’ll leave reminded that you’re part of something bigger. A movement shaped not just by professional fundraisers, but by the volunteers who make our work possible. So grab your programme, highlight a few favourites, and come ready to learn, to share, and say thank you – not just to the speakers and organisers, but to the volunteers who underpin it all.
Derek Yarnell is a volunteer on the Scottish Fundraising Conference and Awards committee and served as a trustee for Volunteer Manitoba (in Canada) for over four years.
The Chartered Institute of Fundraising Scottish Fundraising Conference and Awards are the must attend events for all fundraisers working in Scotland taking place on 23 and 24 September 2025 at the Doubletree by Hilton Glasgow Central
