Our mentees are all fundraisers with the talent, drive and ambition to be the next generation of fundraising leaders. They are learning and developing through their participation in our programme and all invest great energy and enthusiasm into their time with us to get the most from the opportunity.
Get to know some of our mentees:
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Jo Marriott
Jo’s fundraising career began at her local hospice when she joined the team as a community fundraiser. Her move to Cancer Research UK three years later increased her experience in managing long-term higher value relationships which included volunteer groups, individuals and corporate partners. Jo is now Head of Fundraising for Shine, a national charity supporting people with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus.
Being part of the programme has given me time to focus on my personal development and to explore what’s important to me as a leader. I have a great mentor who has been professional and supportive but also challenges me. She has helped me to focus on my goals ensuring that we get the most from our time together. Over the past year, I’ve gained skills, knowledge and experience from my mentor and peers that are invaluable to my future career.
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Gareth Pierce
Gareth started his career in Fundraising just a few years ago after a long career in retail and operations management working with two large national retailers. He is now the Director of Income Generation at Forget Me Not Children’s Hospice in Huddersfield. Leading the Fundraising, Marketing and Trading functions at the hospice. He has spent the last few years on a steep learning curve as he learns about all aspects of fundraising through personal development and real life experience. He is now in the process of rolling out a new fundraising strategy at Forget Me Not which focusses on the development of long term, sustainable income streams.
“I found it really hard to find a mentor, especially someone who had been through a similar journey to myself. The Tony Elischer Foundation has helped me to find someone who I feel that I can truly open up to. Working with Emma gives me a sounding board, someone who really understands my challenges and who can help me to work through them in a structured way”
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Amy Carr
Amy was recently promoted to Director of Fundraising at Focus Ireland, a national homeless charity in the Republic of Ireland. Previously she worked as their Partnerships and Philanthropy Manager and developed the major gifts programme for the organisation. Amy loves building long term strategic relationships with donors, connecting them with projects that resonate with them and help make real change in our society.
“Working with the Tony Elischer Foundation has been an invaluable opportunity for personal development. The programme and my mentor really encouraged me to be self-reflective and develop a deeper understanding of the type of leader that I would like to become, and supported me with my plan to work towards my goals. I’ve really enjoyed connecting with other fundraisers and developing peer support in different areas of fundraising.”
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Louisa Johnson
Louisa’s career in fundraising began as a student volunteer for the charity who later became her first employer. After six years as a fundraiser for international development organisations, she made a slight pivot to fundraising for fact checking. As Head of Fundraising at Full Fact, the UK’s independent fact checking charity, she supports donors who are frustrated with the accuracy and honesty of public debate to join the fight against bad information. She now leads a small team of philanthropy fundraisers, focusing on trust, major donor and corporate fundraising.
“I feel so fortunate to have the support of the Tony Elischer Foundation, my mentor, and the community of fundraisers created by the foundation. Having Beth’s support as I stepped up to a leadership role and created a new team was such a great help. It can be hard to prioritise personal development and make space for it, which makes the culture and energy created by the foundation’s work so rewarding and exceptional.”