Donor Q&A

Q. How can I meet other donors with the same interests as me?

A. Donors can feel isolated in their giving. While they may meet advisors or staff from charities, they can struggle to find opportunities to network with other donors facing the same questions and challenges as themselves.

Meeting others in a similar position can help donors feel more confident about their giving. Frederick Mulder, founder of The Funding Network (TFN) says ‘I always thought that, if there were other givers around, I might have known the right questions to ask’. 

TFN sees members gather four times a year to hear pitches from projects, and then make pledges to those that interest them. As well as being fun, giving as a group makes members feel they can create more impact with their money.

While events run by charities are also a good opportunity to meet other donors, they are usually not the right environment for free and open discussions about giving. To talk more openly with other donors and share experiences, there are organisations ike The Environment Funders Network, which brings together individuals and grant-makers to discuss environment issues and funding. 

Many advisors and other intermediaries, such as NPC and Coutts & Co, also run donor events. NPC’s Seeing is Believing visits let donors see a charity in action and discuss their thoughts with an NPC analyst and other donors. Coutts runs round-table Philanthropy Forums for donors.

The number of opportunities for donors to network is still underdeveloped, particularly when compared with the US. To hear more on how you can meet others donors, or information on the events above email Plum Lomax.

• Return to the list of other donor Q&As.