Cranfield Trust is delighted to be working with Morgan Stanley to share recordings of four webinars delivered exclusively to Impact Through Innovation Awards applicants. The webinars were delivered by our highly experienced volunteers and industry experts in management and leadership essentials.
How to create value through branding
Creating a brand in the charity sector is about establishing trust and consistency, and building a reputation based on delivering on promises across various touchpoints, including services, projects and communications.
In this webinar, Cranfield Trust volunteer Stephen Bates will help you to shift from viewing a brand as just a logo to treating it as a strategic asset that increases engagement and drives fundraising.
In a crowded funding market, and with a limited budget at your disposal, you'll learn how to differentiate your offering and develop emotional connections that resonate with your stakeholders. Stephen will focus on:
- Visual and verbal consistency: Developing and using brand guidelines for tone of voice, typography, and imagery across all platforms
- Digital brand presence: Ensuring branding is consistent on third-party platforms and social media to maximize visibility.
Stephen is the Co-founder and Head of Strategy at Affinity, the brand and communications consultancy behind the Cranfield Trust rebrand. With over 20 years' experience in helping organisations earn attention, trust and loyalty, he knows what it takes to turn brand into a genuine driver of value. His clients have included SMEs, global businesses and not-for-profits, including AXA, BlueLight Commercial, Nike, Ofsted, Oracle, SSP and South Staffordshire Water. Stephen believes brand is only effective when it's embedded in the day-to-day: in the words an organisation uses, the experiences it creates and the culture its people promote.
Download Stephen Bates' slides
Being fundable: Writing a compelling case for support
A well written case for support is a powerful tool for a charity seeking to grow its funding. In this practical webinar, we define what a case for support is, explore how it fits into the fundraising process, examine the key questions that a compelling case must address, discuss pitfalls to be avoided and review an example to embed the key learnings.
This webinar will be led by Andrew Barton, a Cranfield Trust volunteer with over 20 years senior level fundraising experience at World Vision UK, Oxfam GB, Oxfam International and Christian Aid. For the last ten years, Andrew has been a freelance fundraising consultant, working mainly with organisations raising between £1m and £10 m income.
Download Andrew Barton's slides
Refreshing your strategy: the art of noticing and choosing your next wise action
In this webinar, Colin Pinks, a Cranfield Trust volunteer consultant for over 20 years and TEDx speaker, explores aspects of charity strategy and leadership you need to consider in an ever-changing world. Where creating a strategic three year plan and executing well is no longer a viable way to operate,
Colin outlines simple ways to assess where you are now and what to do next. He shares insights into taking an adaptive approach in a complex world and some of the behaviours required to operate in it.
During this webinar, you will discover answers to the following questions:
- Why do we need to be adaptive?
- What are some of the behaviours that will help?
- Who are you and are you clear on your value?
- Where are you now and what is your current environment?
You will come away from the webinar focussed on your next wise action.
Download Colin Pinks' slides
Beyond the ask: Building donor relationships that last
Many charities feel that fundraising is all about the next ask—but the organisations that build lasting income focus on something deeper: meaningful donor relationships.
Claire Heath, a highly experienced fundraising leader and Cranfield Trust volunteer led this practical webinar, helping you as charity leaders to shift from transactional fundraising to long-term stewardship, giving you simple, realistic ways to strengthen relationships with the people and organisations who support your work. You'll learn how thoughtful engagement and communication can turn one-off gifts into lasting partnerships.
In this webinar you’ll learn:
- Why donor relationships matter more than the ask – and how strong stewardship increases retention and long-term income
- What donors actually want from charities, regardless of whether they’re individuals, corporates, or funders
- Simple stewardship approaches that work for small charities with limited time and fundraising experience
- Practical ways to stay connected with donors
- How to turn first-time supporters into long-term champions
Download Claire Heath's slides
