Last week I had the honour to be part of I Wish I Had Thought of That (IWITOT) oragnised by SOFII. During this unique event 18 fundraisers were allocated with just 7 minutes to present an idea, created by someone else, they wish they had thought off to a sold-out audience of c. 300 of their peers.  The objective of the event is to inspire by sharing stories of innovation but there was another part of the event that really inspired me.

 

Heading into the event I didn't realise that 3 of the 18 speakers had come through an audition process. Suzi Attree, Lizzie Hollins and Alfie Waldron all entered ‘I Want to Talk at That’.  The idea here is to create a way for new talent to emerge.  The journey for the audition winners began with the submission of videos explaining why they want to participate followed by an audition in front of a distinguished panel (including the one and only Ken Burnett). The three winners were assigned mentors who helped them shape their idea and craft their presentation.

 

I was hugely inspired by the presentations Suzi, Lizzie and Alfie gave but I was most impressed by the commitment they had shown to their own personal development, a topic that I have been very interested in for some time now.  Just a few weeks ago I wrote a blog on this very site on whose responsibility learning and development is – the organisation or the individual. I firmly believe in the role of the individual in owning and driving their own development.

 

It says a lot for their commitment of the 3 audition winners that they were willing to put themselves through an audition process never mind the pressure the presenting at an event with the statue of IWITOT (I am entering my 13th year as a professional fundraiser and I had butterflies in my stomach).  For those who missed out on this unique and inspiring event you will soon be able to watch the presentations online at https://www.youtube.com/user/sofiivideo.

 

So in conclusion a huge well done Suzi, Lizzie and Alfie – I hope your efforts inspire other fundraisers. The future of fundraising will be richer if we have more people with your drive and determination to be the best at what you do rising through the ranks.