Join our movement to #FixTheFlow of resources - for good.

As fundraisers and funders, we are vital organisers of giving, acting as bridges and advocates between those with money and power, and those who can catalyse money and power into world-changing impact.

But fundraisers are often competing with peers for a too-small pool of funders, struggling with too few people on teams, and facing mistrust and misconceptions about their craft, cause and competency. 

On the other side, funders are often competing with colleagues for too-small grants budgets, struggling to influence change within their institutions, and facing judgements and high expectations from their boards, managers and grantees.

Both of these groups - fundraisers and funders - are what we call resource activists - just in different contexts, each facing a unique set of pain points and opportunities. Learning the art and science of these professions is part of the solution - but there are some bigger challenges that can't (and shouldn’t) be solved alone.

So, we're bringing together a cohort of ambitious fundraisers and funders who want to learn to not only play the game, but also change the game - leading a movement for transformation across the funding system so we can #FixTheFlow of resources - for good.

"I credit this Fellowship for helping us at SAFE not only meet but exceed our 2023 fundraising goals." - Mara Clarke, Co-Founder of Supporting Abortions for Everyone (SAFE), C1 #FixTheFlow Fellow

"I'm thinking differently about my power and ability to influence the funding landscape. Usually, I don't see myself as someone who has much power." - Cohort 2 #FixTheFlow Fellow

Over the past 13 years, I.G. Advisors has worked with 200+ nonprofits and foundations, 3,500+ fundraising and grantmaking professionals, in 60 different countries, who are responsible for organising the flow of more than £100 billion in resources for good.

You might know us from our What Donors Want podcast, our free Relationship-Based Fundraising Field Guide which we built with fundraisers from around the globe, or our Major Gifts Surgeries and Charity Book Clubs. Outside the Fellowship, we provide both fundraising and grant-making advice across a range of clients, thematic areas, geographies and styles. 

From our unique perspective, we can see that resources don’t always flow where they are needed most and there are leaks, blockages and cracks across all parts of the funding system that are hampering true, long-lasting change. We believe we all need to do more to #FixTheFlow of funding to high-impact organisations leading significant social change.

The #FixTheFlow Fellowship is part of our plan to make our expertise more accessible to nonprofits and foundations, and part of our mission to transform the sector for everyone.

“I'm always energised by the experience. How the information is packaged and the tools provided are different to what I’ve seen before” - Cohort 2 #FixTheFlow Fellow

As a movement to #FixTheFlow of resources for good, the Fellowship is what we make of it. We’ve designed an experience that is not just educational, but transformational. 

What makes the #FixTheFlow Fellowship a unique and unforgettable experience?

• It’s the world’s first blended Fellowship, bringing together both fundraisers and funders in a power-neutral environment to create systemic change together. Enough of the silos - we are all resource activists, just working in different contexts. And while you’ll be learning in a cohort of your peers, you’ll also have access to the wider #FixTheFlow community, so we can build bridges and leverage insights from all angles. 

• It’s not your average professional development programme. Sure, we’ll provide expert teaching and coaching on best practice, but we’ll also come together to do systems change projects, and you’ll learn from the experience of your peers, too. This is about both playing the game, and changing the game. We don’t believe these need to be (or should be) mutually exclusive.

• It has customised learning routes for both emerging and senior professionals. We know not everyone is at the same career stage, and that different people require different kinds of support. Rest assured, we’ve got you covered. Your learning journey will be tailored to you, and you’ll have access to professionals at different stages of their career so you can learn from their unique perspective.

• It is truly international, with a diverse community of people and purposes. 14 different countries have been represented so far, and 50% of these are from outside the UK, Europe and the USA. We also have Fellows from a range of cause areas (from climate justice, to SRHR, human rights, international development, gender, mental health, activism, arts and culture and more), and from a range of organisational sizes.

• The community we’re building is unstoppable. We’ve been blown away by the brilliance of our Fellows. This is one of the kindest, most inspiring communities out there (if we do say so ourselves), and the solidarity and support Fellows give to each other on our community platform and offline is irreplaceable. We even recorded a podcast with our first cohort, so you can hear it directly from them!    

• We are passionate about providing imagination infrastructure. We know how busy everyone is and that the last thing people need is one more awkward Zoom. Part of the value of this Fellowship is being able to imagine the funding system of the future, and we’re here to provide you with the infrastructure to do that. The programme will give you accountability and momentum, and our facilitation style will ensure you feel energised and vibrant - and able to access your most expansive mindset. We bring humour, creativity, emotional intelligence and useful tools and frameworks into everything we do. Oh, and great music.  

"I always come away feeling energised and motivated! It’s also such a supportive group of Fellows. Thank you!!" - Cohort 1 #FixTheFlow Fellow

The 12-month Fellowship is bespoke to each cohort’s needs (we’ll do an in-depth onboarding survey to deeply understand your unique needs and ambitions). Our support and community focuses on four levels of impact: 

1. Individual - Where we work with you on your personal development. Enhancing your craft, your confidence, and your commitment.

2. Organisational - Where we help you to identify your pain points and goals, and set you up for success when driving impact within your workplace, no matter your job title.

3. Sectoral - Where we bring together cohorts of fundraisers or funders who face similar challenges, to do action learning together and create community.

4. Systemic - Where we collectively define the areas of the funding system that need to change, and develop collaborative action plans and special projects together. 

"A lightbulb moment every five minutes. So many practical, actionable, amazing tips that I can see myself benefiting from SO much. I loved how many takeaways I can immediately implement." - Cohort 1 #FixTheFlow Fellow

#FixTheFlow Fellows get exclusive, affordable access to almost £20,000 worth of coaching, training, and special projects. Your experience includes: 

• Personal Support & Coaching: A personalised audit of your individual and organisational learning needs, alongside 1:1 coaching with an I.G. expert.

• Learning & Education: Monthly learning sessions on priority topics, complemented by quarterly masterclasses with sector experts.

• Peer Support & Inspiration: Facilitated action learning sets with peers, and bi-monthly showcases of innovation and successes from fundraisers and funders from across the globe.

• Community Solidarity: Access to our Fellow community on Mighty Networks (managed daily by our I.G. team), which includes a dedicated area for your specific cohort, as well as a central space for all Fellows, across all cohorts, to connect. 

• Systems-Change Collaboration: Each cohort is facilitated through a human-centred design process focused on changing the funding system. The more Fellows we have, the more we’re going to merge these streams so fundraisers and funders can collaborate across borders and causes on prototype ideas to bring around the funding system of the future.

• Access to I.G.’s Expertise (& Discounts): By joining our community, you’ll have access to the expertise and insights of our nonprofit, philanthropist and grant givers network. We’re also thrilled to provide discounts on other I.G. services, including coaching, partnership audits and full strategies.

"It was a really nice energy from the beginning. Emily was great at ensuring a calm and engaging environment, and a flowing and generative discussion." - Cohort 1 #FixTheFlow Fellow

This is a global Fellowship programme with two separate strands designed for: 

• Fundraisers focused on high-value audiences (e.g, trusts, foundations, corporates and individual major donors). 
• Funders doing grant making or programme management within Foundations (e.g. family foundations, corporate foundations, public foundations)

We will seek diversity of experience, thought, cause area and geography. Each cohort will include:

• Senior Fellows: Seasoned funding or fundraising professionals with over five years experience, currently in management or leadership roles, who want to raise their game, as well as change the game.
• Emerging Fellows: Ambitious funding or fundraising professionals in the first five years of this part of their career who want to enhance their skills as well as be part of a movement of peers.

Feedback from our current Fellows shows huge improvements in: confidence in their ability to do their job effectively, energy and motivation for their role, connection to other fundraisers and funders, and feeling more empowered to change the funding system overall. 

“Some phenomenal techniques & activities - ones to bring to my organisation and to think about in my role” - Cohort 1 #FixTheFlow Fellow

The plans for each type of Fellowship, along with annual discounts, can be viewed in more detail below. 

Discounts Available

Discounts are offered for I.G. clients, lone fundraisers and packages of 5+ places. Just email [email protected] and we'll send you your own personalised application link. 

For example, packages can be for a team within an nonprofit or a funder, a group of grantees within a specific thematic area or region, or a package that combines places grant making staff alongside their grantees. 

“This year The Movements Trust recommended individuals to attend the #FixTheFlow fellowship. We feel the philanthropy sector often overlooks the chance to fund professional development and core team costs. #FixTheFlow was perfect for a youth organisation wanting to learn about fundraising and philanthropy, and the skills and experience will last them a lifetime. How’s that for a return on investment!” - Sarah Greenfield Clark, The Movements Trust

Applications for the next Cohort of Fellows (starting Jul 2024) are now open! 

Click 'Choose Plan' to select your chosen Fellowship, choose whether to pay in one lump sum or monthly, and complete the short application form. 

The application deadline is 7 June 2024.

Have questions? Ask away at [email protected]. 

Not ready to become a Fellow yet? Express your interest for future cohorts by emailing [email protected].

“I now know that I’m not the only one struggling, and this is a new door to new opportunities.” - Cohort 2 #FixTheFlow Fellow

Will the Fellowship be entirely online? 

The core programme will be, but where Fellows are local to each other, we can support regional meet ups if there is interest in that. It will depend on the make-up of each cohort, but it's intended as a global programme and so virtual will be the default (for now!).

How can we really create change in a system where a lot of power is held unequally? 

Great question! At I.G., we do a lot of work on both the funder and nonprofit sides of the equation, and we often find ourselves being the voice for 'the other side' in the conversation about shifting power. We want to use our positioning and experience to create a movement around resource activism, bringing together actors from all sides of the funding system, and creating the infrastructure needed for everyone to collaborate effectively, and dream big. Exactly what this could look like is wide-open; as a Fellowship we create it together. We could create a campaign, start a new initiative, partner with other initiatives in the sector, advocate for specific changes or policies, produce content or media together, and so much more.

Will fundraising and funder Fellows work together, and if so, how will you manage the power dynamics of this space?

Our vision for this Fellowship has always been to bring fundraisers and funders together for systems change - as we know that’s the only route to true, sustainable progress. We also acknowledge the inevitable power dynamics across these stakeholders. In the systems change part of the Fellowship, we bring together both groups of Fellows, and we’ll have ground rules in place to ensure everyone is comfortable (think: no solicitation, emotionally intelligent facilitation, exercises that focus on our shared visions for change, and discussions that help us identify our common challenges). So far we've heard such positive feedback from both sides about the value of being together to discuss the bigger picture. This is a space for learning, collaboration, inspiration and support - not promotion or assessment.  

How long is the Fellowship held for?

The learning programme we have designed is 12 months long, but access to the Fellowship will be an ongoing thing beyond the first 12 months. Fellows can stay part of the Fellowship throughout their careers as Alumni, and as their needs and interests evolve. More than 50% of our Fellows love the community so much they decide to stay on the programme as Alumni! 

What is the time commitment for the Fellowship? 

We recommend allowing about 4-8 hours per month to make the most of the content and activities, but this will vary from month to month, and depend on how much you want to do. This time will be flexible, all sessions will be recorded, and some activities are self-led.

Can I have a payment plan? 

Yes, you can select a monthly payment option - although paying annually will be the cheapest overall option. 

How have current Fellows found the programme? 

Feedback from our current Fellows shows huge improvements in: confidence in their abilities, energy and motivation for their role, connection to other fundraisers, and feeling more empowered to change the funding system overall. You can also hear directly from Fellows about their experience in this podcast we recorded!