ABOUT US
We provide the money you need to do what you want
Vantage Fundraising is comprised of a team of professionals covering all aspects of fundraising and income generation. We work with a broad range of organisations from arts and education-based initiatives through to overseas development and medical research. If we have one speciality it is taking charities into the top 4% of income-generation entities.
‘Vantage Fundraising has shown what is possible with the fundraising strategy they wrote for us. As a result, we are now in the middle of developing and integrating four new fundraising disciplines over the next three years with their help.’
David Botha, Executive Director, The Royal College of Radiologists
THE TEAM
Expertise to help realise your plans
NICK RYAN
High-net-worth Individuals, Companies, Individuals, Leadership & Trusts
Nick is a development professional with a broad range of fundraising experience in both the charity and education sectors, having raised tens of millions of pounds of non-statutory funds and hundreds of millions of pounds of statutory income for good causes. Nick learnt the art of fundraising at blue-chip charities Help the Aged and the NSPCC, before heading the fundraising division at the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust for seven years. His income-to-cost ratio during this period was over 20:1. He was the founder and CEO of Schools Funding Network which he ran for six years before setting up Vantage Fundraising. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Member of the Institute of Fundraising. His book Raising Funds for your School is the definitive education fundraising book and is available from the DSC.
BARBARA AHLAND
Trusts
Barbara has a corporate background, with many years’ experience working for one of the Big 4 Accounting firms. She now runs a trust fundraising team at Vantage, where her financial acumen, attention to detail and organisational skills ensure a steady stream of grants accrue to clients. She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Tax Technicians, holds an LLM in International Human Rights and Development and is fluent in both English and German with a working knowledge of Swahili, French and Spanish.
MUHANNA CHOWDHURY
Companies
Muhanna has over 20 years of experience in Marketing, Advertising, and Sales, nationally and internationally. Fearless on the phone, she is enthusiastic, determined, and motivated. Generating leads via cold calling and building relationships quickly, she has always been among the top executives within her field and helps create long-term corporate partnerships for Vantage’s clients.
LAURA DAVIS
Trusts
Laura has over 30 years of experience as a project lead and trusts and statutory fundraiser in the voluntary and higher education sectors. She has worked with a wide range of voluntary sector and academic-led research and intervention projects, from the drawing board through project delivery, evaluation and donor stewardship. In this time she has secured up to seven-figure grants from a wide range of trust and statutory donors. She has a Masters in Environmentalism and Society and a Cert. Ed.
VERONICA MARTIN OBE
High-net-worth Individuals, Companies, Individuals & Trusts
Veronica has more than 25 years’ experience in fundraising and sales. She has advised and worked for numerous charities including Whizz-Kidz, Elizabeth Finn Care, the Brain and Spine Foundation, Motor Neurone Disease Association and was founding Chair and Trustee of Generating Genius. She has a Degree in Marketing and Advertising and a Masters in Charity Marketing and Fundraising
WENDY PIDGEON
Legacies
Wendy Pidgeon will lead on the legacy work. She has been responsible for legacy marketing at Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSHCC), Havens Hospices and most recently, the National Osteoporosis Society, where she grew legacy income by 123% from £1.3m to £2.9m in five years. As a consultant, Wendy has developed Legacy Marketing Programmes for various charities, including Bath Cats and Dogs Home, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Charity, Alnwick Gardens, First Light, Hammersmith United Charities, People to Places, the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Administration, Children with Cancer UK, Rethink Mental Illness, SRUK, Missio and The Landmark Trust amongst others. She holds the Certificate in Charity Legacy Administration (CiCLA) and has worked in legacy fundraising for over 17 years.
JONATHAN CATHERALL
Trusts and Companies
Jonathan has nearly two decades of experience as a funder and as a fundraiser. On the grant-giving side, he has worked for the Wellcome Trust and the Museums Association in partnership with Esmée Fairbairn Foundation. On the fundraising side, he has raised over £20 million for local and national charities in the health, housing, advice, and social enterprise sectors. He is an expert in project design and delivery, and how doing the design well can transform your fundraising.
NIGEL TAILYOUR
Trusts & Companies
Nigel is a leading fundraiser, with a specific interest in trusts, community and volunteering support. After raising funds for a number of charities, including the Samaritans, Nigel set up and ran About Fundraising for many years. The latter merged with Vantage Fundraising in 2016. Nigel has numerous funding contacts and is also an expert in prospect research and database work. He is a published author, including a book covering Volunteering.
OUR VALUED CLIENTS
Past & Present
CHARTERED COLLEGE OF TEACHING
THE UROLOGY FOUNDATION
THE NUCLEO PROJECT
SEASIDE RADIO
ABANDOFBROTHERS
CPOTENTIAL
ST ANDREW’S CLUB
THE STORY MUSEUM
WATER CITY MUSIC
HERMITAGE PRIMARY SCHOOL
HARTSDOWN ACADEMY
THE MICHAEL SIEFF FOUNDATION
THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF RADIOLOGISTS
INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION
SUPPORTING LIVES
HOPEFIELD ANIMAL SANCTUARY
ONE VISION
STEPPING STONE 4
THE HISTORY WALK
RADIOTHERAPY UK
SIR STANLEY MATTHEWS FOUNDATION
FASTN
CENTRAL FOUNDATION BOYS SCHOOL
MY BRIDGE INTERNATIONAL
AMIS
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN STUDIES
NATIONAL PENSIONERS CONVENTION
OUR TIME
RHODES PRIMARY SCHOOL
SOCIETYLINKS TOWER HAMLETS
ST PAUL'S WAY TRUST SCHOOL
ST FRANCIS HOSPICE
THE FUNDING EXCHANGE
YMCA EAST SURREY
PAPA PARK
SUPPORT AFTER MURDER AND MANSLAUGHTER
SHARE COMMUNITY
LIFTING LIMITS
WHY WE EXIST
Purpose
Our purpose is to make the world a better place. We do this by enabling charities to fulfil their dreams through the building of robust income-generation machines.
Values
Constantly adding value to clients
Understanding the real, deep aims of our clients
Continually improving our client proposition and impact
Being productivity leaders
Being the best at what we do
