1. Finding money in Europe
FFI’s experiences over the past year
Stuart Sherriff – Trust Manager
Innovative conservation since 1903

2. Quick overview
Looking at:
• Why FFI looked to Europe
• What we’ve found over the past 12 months
• What I’d consider before embarking on
something similar
Innovative conservation since 1903

3. Context
• FFI set up as world’s first international conservation
charity in 1903 – global
• Projects in 46 countries across Africa, Americas, Asia,
and Eurasia.
• Tend to operate where we can have biggest impact, i.e.
where conservation is weak.
• 108 staff in Cambridge, 300 around the world
• Turnover £17.3m in 2011
Innovative conservation since 1903

4. Why Europe?
How much do trusts give away?
• Hard to be sure, but looking at
government figures…
• US $47billion
• Europe €83 billion?
• Other hubs?
– Singapore?
– Australia?
– Russia?
– Middle East?
Innovative conservation since 1903

5. Maturity of
Philanthropy
Difference between established philanthropy
markets and emerging markets:
• Founders v Trustees
• Wealth
• Interest
Emerging markets require Major Donor style fundraising
Innovative conservation since 1903

6. Country UK Germany Switzerland Netherlands
Number of Foundations 8,800 18,162 20,000 8,000
Assets ? €100 bn €61 bn €60 bn
Expenditure €2.4 bn €22 bn €1.7 bn €215 m
Employees 150,000 128,194 ?
English widely spoken? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Global - former colonies? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Significant giving? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Philanthropic perspective Yes Yes Yes Yes
Count of Yes 4 4 4 4
Country France Italy Spain Portugal
Number of Foundations 2,264 4,720 12,921 800
Assets €14 bn €85 bn €17 bn ?
Expenditure €5 bn €11.5 bn €5.2 bn ?
Employees 59,126 106,000 95,942 ?
English widely spoken? No No No No
Global - former colonies? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Significant giving? Yes Yes No No
Philanthropic perspective No No No No
Count of Yes 2 2 1 1
Country Turkey Sweden Finland Ireland
Number of Foundations 3,000 15,558 2,800 25
Assets €34 bn €49 bn €12 bn €790 m
Expenditure €3.2 bn ? €290 m €70 m
Employees 13,195 ? ? 110
English widely spoken? No Yes Yes Yes
Global - former colonies? No No No No
Significant giving? Yes No No No
Philanthropic perspective No No No No
Count of Yes 1 1 1 1
Innovative conservation since 1903

7. Where in Europe?
Innovative conservation since 1903

8. Trust Fundraising
at FFI
Since 1980 the database said we’d raised
Region Sum paid % Average
Europe 2,111,985 10.19% 66,000
UK 15,432,641 74.43% 482,270
Rest of World 42,519 0.21% 1,329
USA 3,147,991 15.18% 98,375
Grand Total £20,735,138 100% £647,973
Innovative conservation since 1903

9. Trust Fundraising
at FFI
• In the three years (2008-11) we’d raised
Region Sum paid % Average
Europe 744,679 10.82% 248,226
UK 5,310,445 77.14% 1,770,148
Rest of World 8,666 0.13% 2,889
USA 820,725 11.92% 273,575
Grand Total £6,884,516 100% £2,294,839
Innovative conservation since 1903

10. Activities over the
past year
• So far in 2012 we have brought in
Region Sum paid % Average
Europe £350,760 31% £350,760
UK £621,040 55% £621,040
USA £158,387 14% £158,387
Grand Total £1,130,187 100% £1,130,187
Innovative conservation since 1903

11. How did we get
there?
• August 2011 – decision to do Europe
Prospect Researcher secured
• October 2011 – new prospects identified
Data merged and purged, low hanging fruit identified
• November 2011 – First contact
Data scrutinised and relevant approaches commenced
• November 2012 – Review and refocus
Innovative conservation since 1903

12. Prospect Research
• Results: 2,421 trusts around the world
Row Labels Count
Africa 234
Americas 825
Asia Pacific 550
Eurasia 89
Europe 711
International 12
Grand Total 2,421
Innovative conservation since 1903

13. Prospect Research
Former FFI trust fundraiser
• Knew the organisation well
• Knew the CEO well
• Didn’t need the work
(so was cheap!)
Innovative conservation since 1903

14. Prospect Research
• Not all trusts were relevant
• Not all trusts were new
• After a merge and purge we had:
Region Count of Trust
Europe 519
Ret of the World 1,085
UK 532
USA 80
Grand Total 2,216
Innovative conservation since 1903

15. Country Trusts Country Trusts
Austria 7 Liechtenstein 4
Belgium 18 Luxembourg 5
Bulgaria 1 Norway 7
Czech Republic 2 Poland 3
Denmark 14 Portugal 8
Ireland 1 Romania 9
Finland 5 Slovakia 1
France 46 Spain 34
Georgia 4 Sweden 32
Germany 91 Switzerland 89
Hungary 2 The Netherlands 70
Ireland 6 Turkey 39
Italy 21 Grand Total 519
Innovative conservation since 1903

16. Network Mapping
• We looked at the 519 trusts identified in Europe and
circulated the biggest
• We asked SMT, Regional Directors, Council, several
major donors, trusts and individuals
(anyone who would listen)
Innovative conservation since 1903

17. First approaches
• Concentrated on Germany in the first
instance (Eurasian Director is based there)
• Had two (relevant) documents translated
and we started emailing and posting.
– Background doc to FFI
– Overview of some of our work
– Request to meet
Innovative conservation since 1903

18. The next few months
• We contacted 160 trusts
• We met with 17 trusts
Innovative conservation since 1903

19. Income in 2012
Relationship Country Gift
Stewardship Belgium 250,000
Stewardship France 125,000
Stewardship Germany 32,380
Stewardship Ireland 47,000
Stewardship Italy 20,000
Stewardship Netherlands 25,000
Stewardship Switzerland 10,000
Stewardship Switzerland 10,000
Innovative conservation since 1903

20. Key message for FFI
• An introductory meeting with a trust is the first step in
developing a relationship, which may take several years
to develop.
• Our plan was always to look at soliciting gifts over a
three to five year timescale.
• We have successfully managed to raise our profile with
those whom had previously never heard of FFI.
Innovative conservation since 1903

21. Tracking activities
on the database
Unsuitable Not appropriate for FFI, archive details
Identification Marked out as a potential future funder
Engagement Contacted; the funder knows of FFI
Cultivation Meeting is planned / has taken place
Solicitation FFI is/has submitted a request for support
Stewardship Grant received, future reporting/asks scheduled
Innovative conservation since 1903

22. Results to date
Stewardship
Solicitation
Cultivation
Engagement
Unsuitable Prospects
Identification
Innovative conservation since 1903

23. Projections
Foundation 2012 2013 2014 2015
Trust 1 250,000 250,000 250,000 250,000
Trust 2 40,000 32,000 24,000 0
Trust 3 32,380 50,000 50,000 100,000
Trust 4 16,000 16,000 16,000 16,000
Trust 5 20,000 20,000 30,000 30,000
Trust 6 22,000 22,000 22,000 24,000
Trust 7 10,000 0 0 0
Trust 8 10,000 10,000 20,000 30,000
Trust 9 0 50,000 50,000 100,000
Trust 10 0 50,000 100,000 200,000
Trust 11 0 0 50,000 50,000
Trust 12 0 0 25,000 25,000
Trust 13 0 0 50,000 50,000
Trust 14 0 0 25,000 75,000
Trust 15 0 0 38,000 50,000
TOTAL 400,380 500,000 750,000 1,000,000
Innovative conservation since 1903

24. Networking
European Foundation Centre
Established in 1989, the European Foundation Centre is an
international membership association of foundations and
corporate funders. In 23 years our membership has grown
steadily from an initial group of 7 founding members to 231
Innovative conservation since 1903

25. EFC Membership
Adessium Foundation Oxfam GB
Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds
European Climate Foundation Rabobank Foundation
Fondation Charles Léopold Mayer Robert Bosch Stiftung
Fondation Mava The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation
Mama Cash Foundation The Sigrid Rausing Trust
Oak Foundation VolkswagenStiftung
Innovative conservation since 1903

26. Innovative conservation since 1903

27. Innovative conservation since 1903

28. If I were to do
it all again?
I wouldn’t change a thing…
But I would make sure I had the following:
• Work going on in countries of interest
• Support from the highest levels
• Time to devote to this
Innovative conservation since 1903

29. Work going on in
countries of interest
If you’re looking to engage trusts in France:
1 Democratic Republic of the Congo Africa 67,827,000 16 Burundi Africa 8,519,005
2 France Europe 65,447,000 17 Benin Africa 9,212,000
3 Canada North America 34,207,000 18 Switzerland Europe 7,782,520
4 Madagascar Africa 21,146,551 19 Togo Africa 6,780,000
5 Cameroon Africa 19,958,692 20 Central African Republic Africa 4,410,873
6 Ivory Coast Africa 21,571,060 21 Republic of the Congo Africa 4,043,318
7 Burkina Faso Africa 16,287,000 22 Gabon Africa 1,501,000
8 Niger Africa 15,891,000 23 Comoros Africa 734,750
9 Senegal Africa 12,861,259 24 Equatorial Guinea Africa 700,401
10 Mali Africa 14,517,029 25 Djibouti Africa 888,716
11 Rwanda Africa 10,277,282 26 Luxembourg Europe 506,953
12 Belgium Europe 10,827,951 27 Vanuatu Oceania 239,651
13 Guinea Africa 10,324,437 28 Seychelles Africa 86,525
14 Chad Africa 11,274,337 29 Monaco Europe 35,407
15 Haiti Caribbean 10,188,000
Innovative conservation since 1903

30. Support from the
highest levels
• Director of Fundraising, CEO, Chair
• Project staff
• Putting the word out around the
organisation to capitalise on serendipity, or
‘creating your own luck’.
Innovative conservation since 1903

31. Time to devote to this
• Simply put, this endeavour has cost me about half a trust
fundraiser in time, hard when we have been charged
with growing income from trusts in this financial year.
(we’ve already more than doubled income in 2 years)
• Make sure you don’t commit to this if you can’t keep up
the day job too!
• Returns need to be seen over 3-5 years
• Whilst we were up 60% in the same financial year we
didn’t expect it.
Innovative conservation since 1903

32. Thank you
• Questions?
Innovative conservation since 1903