Philanthropy UK : Giving and getting: a view from both sides of the fence

Philanthropy UK : Giving and getting: a view from both sides of the fence: "By Dame Vivien Duffield DBE
Dame Vivien Duffield DBE

Dame Vivien Duffield DBE. Photo © Southbank Centre/Geoff Crawford

My Foundation director tells me that she’s having a lot of meetings with elephants at the moment. Not real ones I hasten to add. But she describes meetings in which capital plans are talked up with great confidence and no mention is made of the difficult fundraising climate in which these buildings are to be constructed: the ‘elephant in the room’ is the global economic downturn which is affecting us all and which will clearly affect many major capital projects in the coming months. She could as easily tell me that she is taking meetings with ostriches who are placing their heads resolutely in the sand. Fundraising is not an easy task right now, but honesty and objectivity are clearly the best approaches when talking to funders."