Q&A session with fundraiser Karen
- debbiebeale
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
Fundraiser of the Month for January
Karen joined Excel Fundraising, as a fundraiser for Dogs Trust, in November last year and fundraises near Halifax with the Yorkshire-based team.
Q. What inspired you to become a fundraiser?
A. I wanted to do something meaningful and rewarding, and anyone who knows me knows I’m absolutely dotty about dogs. So, when I saw the position for fundraising for Dogs Trust, I thought what better fit than that!
Q. What has been the highlight of the job so far?
A. The highlight for me has been the support and the management style of our managers and leaders. They genuinely care and inspire the team, which makes me want to do a great job and in the short time that I’ve worked for them it has instilled loyalty in me, even after three months.
Q. Was the training easier or harder than you thought it would be?
A. I came into the role with an open mind, as the industry I worked in before was completely different, so the training probably did take me out of my comfort zone quite a bit. But I did find that the training was very thorough, although it was quite relaxed as well. I think because everyone at the company has such great people skills it made it a lot easier, because I was made to feel comfortable.
Q. Do you find that most people are happy to stop and talk to you about Dogs Trust?
A. Yes, there are a lot of dog lovers, and sometimes they like to talk to you about their dogs and it’s a conversation starter. However, there are some people who don’t like dogs (unbelievably), and there are some people who have committed to other charities, and sometimes some people aren’t in a position right now to support and that’s okay, everyone is in a different situation.
Q. What has been the biggest challenge of being a fundraiser so far?
A. I haven’t found it necessarily a challenge, but I can see how some people might find rejection the biggest challenge, if someone isn’t interested in talking to you. But I think it’s so important to just start your day off positively. I like to listen to music at the start of the day, while I’m driving to work, as it sets your mood for the day. And then if you have had a tough day, you just have to shrug it off and start over fresh the next day.
Every day is different, you could be in the same venue for two days and might have a great day the first day but not the next. You have to accept that’s okay, and tomorrow is a new day.
Q. What type of venues have you covered?
A. I’ve covered various venue types. I’m really looking forward to doing some shows in the summer, as that would be a great atmosphere – but I would have to make sure I focus and don’t get too distracted by all the dogs around!
Q. Out of all of the supporters you have met, have any had a special story to tell relating to a rescue dog?
A. I was working in Huddersfield about a month ago, and a gentleman wanted to introduce me to his dog – Lucy, a staffy cross – who was a rescue dog that came from Dogs Trust. She has been with him for eight years, and she’s now living her best life! I could see they were best friends, she was absolutely beautiful. I did talk to him about Dogs Trust and then he signed-up as a supporter.
Q. What would be your main piece of advice to anyone starting out as a fundraiser?
A. Don’t take anything personally, you never know what kind of day people are having. Fundraising is all about positivity.
