Last month, I had the pleasure of speaking at an event hosted by Diversity Resource International (DRI), which brought together people who were, or were thinking about, running grassroots community organisations across Sussex and beyond.

For many groups, the prospect of having to fundraise is a barrier to entry. Organisations feel that they won’t be able to sustain their project without regular income. And without fundraising experience, the path to making a difference locally is that bit more difficult.

During my talk, I provided tools and tips for fundraising in general, as well as advice on submitting a first application to Sussex Community Foundation. I aimed to make fundraising feel a little more achievable for the one or two-person teams and the newest of community groups.

What I learnt from the people in attendance is that there is no crisis of creativity within the voluntary sector. There were so many exciting projects people were hoping to start, and so much passion for change within that room, it was difficult not to come away excited about the future of our sector.

On the other hand, there was an anxiety around how difficult fundraising is currently, and a sense that a project should be ‘fundable’ before it even launches. For many charities or community projects, hiring a dedicated fundraiser is not possible, and that’s why, at the Foundation, we know it's vital that our grant process remains accessible to everyone who may want to apply.

I look forward to more opportunities in the future to speak at fundraising workshops like this. As someone who has worked across varied strands of fundraising, supporting the effort to demystify the process is something I care deeply about and will continue to do enthusiastically as part of the Foundation.