It’s about more than just ‘doing good’: Why do fundraisers change jobs, and what will motivate them to stay? from Rogare has been written by British fundraising consultant Hannah Kowszun. It is based on her organizational psychology Master’s degree research exploring fundraisers’ job satisfaction and turnover intention.

Reasons for leaving

With many fundraisers leaving roles after as little as 18 months, the report finds that a key cause is boredom, due to roles being routine and not providing an opportunity to perform a full range of tasks.

Another reason they leave is a lack of ownership or control of their roles, with targets and processes often dictated to them from above.

While their attitudes towards the charities and causes they work for are major reasons why they become fundraisers in the first place, relying on this inherent pro-sociality – their drive to do good – is not enough to keep them in their jobs, the research found.

The research shows that job satisfaction among fundraisers is generally high, but that those who are unhappy in their roles are very unhappy. While this might appear an ‘obvious’ conclusion, Kowszun sought to go beyond that in her Master’s research by exploring the effect of three further questions on turnover intention:

1. Does the pro-social motivation of fundraisers affect their job satisfaction and therefore their intention to leave?
2. Does contact with beneficiaries/service users have an effect on job satisfaction and turnover intention?
3. In what way do the characteristics of a fundraiser’s day-to-day job affect their satisfaction and turnover intention?

The first two of these had no effect on a fundraisers’ intention to change jobs.

Explaining the findings, she says:

“The lack of a link between being pro-socially-minded and deciding to stay in a job is on the face of it surprising: Why would people leave jobs and causes they care about? Pro-sociality is a major reason why people become fundraisers in the first place. However, once in the job, it’s other factors that contribute to their feelings of job satisfaction.”

Key factors impacting decision to stay

By considering fundraisers’ roles using a tool called the Job Characteristics Model, Kowszun concludes there are two key factors that contribute to fundraisers’ intention to stay in their jobs (and the absence of which cause them to want to leave):

• Autonomy – the degree of freedom and independence given to them to perform their roles, which for fundraisers ought to include having a say in setting their targets.
• Skill variety – how much the role requires the use of a number of different skills and talents.

Kowszun concludes:

“While the role of fundraiser is unique in the nonprofit and commercial sectors, fundraisers are nonetheless just like members of every other profession in that they want autonomy over, and ownership of, the work they do, and to exercise a full range of skills in carrying out this work.

“When it comes to tackling the retention crisis in fundraising, this is what we need to consider. Yes, fundraisers will always deserve remuneration commensurate with their level of knowledge, expertise and competence. But give fundraisers more control and invest in their skills, and they are more likely to carry on delivering for their chosen charity, rather than go searching for better.”

Tips for retaining fundraisers

Three processes are recommended that could help retain fundraisers:

1. Dual promotion tracks – under which promotion is decoupled from the requirement to be a manager.
2. Continuing professional development – that is designed to give fundraisers mastery over their craft rather than be merely competent at it.
3. Retention interviews – why wait until someone leaves to ask them about their reasons for going? Conduct informal interviews to find out if staff are happy in their jobs and if not, what can be done about it.

The new report can be downloaded from www.rogare.net/turnover.

Picture by Megan Rexazin Conde on Pixabay

1. Tell us a little about yourself and your experience – including your role at the Swedish fundraising association.

I started my career at the international nonprofit organisation Up With People, where I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work in 15 different countries in five years and with people of different cultures and nationalities. After a Social Sciences master’s in international political science, I moved to the training and educational business sector, holding various roles, including eight years as CEO of SAUF, the Swedish Association of Certified Educational and Training Companies.

Today I work at the Swedish fundraising association, Giva Sverige, as Deputy Secretary General and Head of Training and Business Development. During my time there I’ve been responsible for professionalizing and expanding training and events, synchronizing this with a broader offering for suppliers and corporates and generating new income streams. In fact, since 2017, we have increased Giva Sverige’s turnover from training and events from 3 million SEK a year to 5 million SEK. So, I have a broad background in both the nonprofit sector and business, including a lot of experience in professional education and training, all of which is perfect for this role!

Charlotte Rydh and Eva Torsson at Skillshare 2024

2. You’re EFA’s first executive director – what was the rationale behind creating this role?

As the voice for professional fundraising in Europe, EFA has an important role to play in providing support and advocacy to members and the wider sector that helps to strengthen and protect fundraising. There is a lot more that EFA wants to do, and this means it’s time to develop it as an organization and to strengthen its voice. Appointing an executive director is about building capacity so EFA can achieve this.

We’re not political, and we shouldn’t be, but with space for civil society shrinking right across Europe, it’s more important than ever that EFA provides that common voice for Europe’s fundraising community. And, with advancing professionalism in fundraising a key focus for our members, strengthening our support here, including through the further development of EFA Certification, is another central priority.

3. What attracted you to the role?

On a personal level, I’m very much looking forward to working not just on a European, but an international level. Developing branch and industry organisations and working with educational and training companies are two areas where I have a lot of expertise and experience, and I’m looking forward to applying this here to support EFA’s next stage of development.

4. What will your initial priorities be?

As a membership organization, the most important thing to do is to listen to your members to find out what their issues are, what their own priorities are, and how on a unified level, you can help. This is essential. So that’s my first goal – I will be listening to EFA’s members and taking in their perspectives on how EFA can help them become stronger advocates for the sector in their own countries.

Other priorities, in addition to what I’ve said about the role already, will be to help EFA develop its work with other umbrella organisations, broaden its member base, and build long-term financial security.

5. How will you be working with the EFA board?

In a nutshell, my job is help EFA develop and grow, which means I’ll be working closely with the board, and its various different committees to make this happen. My first priority here is to spend time with them to understand what they’ve been doing so far, and how I can help them to develop this further most effectively.

Eva is keen to hear all thoughts and ideas. To share your feedback, email her at eva.torsson@efa-net.eu.

The news was announced at EFA’s Annual General Assembly in Zurich.

The creation of the executive director role marks a critical expansion of capacity that will support EFA in growing its essential work to strengthen and develop fundraising across Europe, both through its services, and its support and advocacy for members and the wider sector.

Taking EFA forward

Torsson takes up the executive director role on a part time basis from October 1. She will work with the Board, the EFA Certification and Public Affairs Committees, and other volunteer member groups to ensure that EFA is a collective voice for Europe’s fundraising community. She will also work across EFA’s membership, developing and managing partnerships with a range of organisations across Europe and globally.

Commenting on Torsson’s appointment, Charlotte Rydh, outgoing president of EFA, said:

“This is an important step for EFA and its future development. Eva will play a pivotal role in driving it forward as the board looks to further expand both EFA’s reach and influence, and the knowledge and support it provides to strengthen the professionalization of fundraising across Europe.

“The calibre of candidates was impressive with 61 strong applications, and we thank Daryll Upsall Consulting for their crucial support during the recruitment process.”

Torsson is deputy secretary general and head of training and business development at the Swedish Fundraising Association (Giva Sverige). In this role, she has professionalised and expanded training and events, synchronizing this with a broader offering for suppliers and corporates, and generating new income streams.

She has a broad background in both the nonprofit sector and business, beginning her career at international nonprofit Up With People, before moving to the professional education and training sector. Prior to joining Giva Sverige, Torsson spent 8 years as CEO of SAUF, the Swedish Association of Certified Educational and Training Companies. She has also worked for many years as a consultant.

On her appointment, Torsson said:

“The creation of this new role marks an important point in EFA’s development, and I am immensely honoured to be its first executive director. I look forward to getting to work and helping to build EFA’s voice and influence even further across the European and international stage.” 

Edwards replaces Charlotte Rydh, who steps down at the completion of her term. He initially takes the role for one year as EFA enters into the next stage of its development, which includes the appointment of its first executive director to support the voluntary board – also announced today.

Nominated for his long-term experience of EFA, Edwards has been a member of the leadership team since 2012, and was previously vice president of EFA from 2020-2022, and a member of the board for 6 years. Over the last year, he has also worked with the EFA board on the scoping and recruitment of the executive director role.

Edwards will be instrumental in ensuring a smooth introduction of new ways of working within EFA’s structure.

Outgoing president Rydh said:

“As I step down after an incredible six years on the EFA board, three of which as president, I’m delighted to hand over the reins to Ceri. I can’t think of anyone better to oversee this next year of EFA’s transformation into an even stronger and more relevant voice for Europe’s fundraising community.”

A former BBC political producer, Edwards started his campaigning career with human rights group Liberty. He has also worked for the Citizenship Foundation, Action for Children and the BBC Children in Need appeal. He has held senior communication and policy roles at London Councils, the Local Government Association and the People’s Health Trust. In addition, he has been a volunteer and trustee at Switchboard LGBT, Survivors UK, Empty Homes Agency and AvMA, the charity for patient safety and justice, and is currently a trustee of the National AIDS Trust and AIDS Memory UK.

New president Ceri Edwards commented:

“This is an exciting time for EFA, and I’m delighted to be taking up the role of President as we move into this new era. Advancing professionalism in fundraising is an ever more important focus for our members, who are responding to their own members’ needs for training that tracks the changes and trends in fundraising and giving. A key focus for EFA moving forward will be on developing our support to help them provide that, and be strong advocates for the sector across their countries, just as we’ll be enhancing EFA’s own advocacy across Europe.

“Working alongside Eva, our new executive director, I’m looking forward to helping reshape EFA over the coming year. We will start by listening to our members to explore how we can all work together to make the most of what has always been a creative and ambitious network of national fundraising associations.”

EFA Board. L-R: Paul Laird, Laurence Lepetit, Pia Tornikoski, Scott Kelley, Ceri Edwards, Paul Dalby, Ruth Williams, Larissa Probst

In addition to the change in presidency, Siri Nodland from Fundraising Norge steps down, while Pia Tornikoski, Secretary General for the Finnish Fundraising Association (VaLa) and Ruth Williams, CEO at Fundraising Verband Austria, are appointed to the board. Scott Kelley and Larissa Probst have been re-elected.

Daniëls has been head of marketing at wildlife and nature conservation nonprofit Natuurpunt since 2011. Before that he worked for other environmental organisations including the youth-focused Jeugdbond voor Natuur en Milieu.

Van Roosbroeck is head of fundraising and communications at Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen (Flemish Refugee Action). He began his career as a face-to-face fundraiser for Greenpeace, where he spent 10 years in a variety of positions.

Since 2022, Willems has been fundraising manager at cancer charity Stichting Tegen Kanker. She has also worked for Oxfam, and for more than five years sat on the board of social impact investor Oikocredit Belgium.

The new trio join the board as Amnesty International fundraising coordinator Jeroen Janssens steps down after seven years of service.

The nine-person board is chaired by Isabel Penne, who co-founded Fundraisers Belgium in 2011.

Penne told Fundraising Europe that a milestone for the organisation in the second half of 2024 will be the launch of a country’s first Postgraduate Certificate in Fundraising. Starting in September, this course will initially be offered in Dutch (Flemish).

Charity Interns launched last May. It is founded and led by Maya Bhose, and incubated by the UK’s National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).

Maya Bhose

The project aims to help address the sector’s recruitment challenges and skills shortages by tapping into a wider and potentially overlooked talent pool, and providing a stepping stone into the voluntary sector. By doing so, it is also highlighting both the positive impact of transferable skills, and that there is no end date for the relevance of experience.

Commenting on why she set up Charity Interns, Bhose says:

“In my 50s, after 25 years working in marketing and brand development, I knew that I wanted to work for a charity. But I really struggled to get on anyone’s radar because I didn’t have any charity experience – most job descriptions asked for that – and I didn’t have contacts in the voluntary sector. I soon realised that my story of how hard it can be to switch into the voluntary sector was far from unique.

“The main motivation behind Charity Interns is to stop the waste of talent that is happening across all sectors and to do something practical to make older people visible to employers, help them extend their careers, and allow charities to benefit from their skills, knowledge and unique perspectives.”

Six-month pilot

A six-month pilot programme placing six interns in charities launched in late 2023. This is now at its halfway point, and a plan has been announced to turn the programme into a standalone organisation and roll it out with a bigger group of interns this autumn.

The charities involved in the current pilot are Age UK, Age International, Alzheimer’s Society, British Heart Foundation, and Disability Equality Scotland. A recruitment specialist, Charity People, is also involved – backing the project and helping to recruit the first interns. The internships are paid pro rata, at the UK’s real living wage of £21,749 per annum in London and £19,838 per annum in the rest of the country.

About the interns

The participating interns come from a range of industries including advertising, creative, financial services, banking and technology. They include people who are looking to switch from roles in another sector and people returning to work after career breaks or time away due to caring responsibilities. All were looking for an entry way into the voluntary sector and had struggled to break into it.

Three of the six interns are in fundraising roles, with the others working in campaigning, volunteer management, and member engagement. Most positions are hybrid, with one fully remote role.

One of the interns, Mills, who is interning in the volunteering team at Age UK commented:

“Working at Age UK has done two things for me. Firstly, without a doubt, I have got my confidence back and know that I am an able, good, and diligent employee with a lot to offer. I am getting a lot of positive feedback from my team. Secondly, I have had the opportunity to work within a charity and can use my experience to positively explain what my role was and what I achieved in my six-month placement.

“I am extremely pleased that I applied for Charity Interns and that I was offered an interview and opportunity to work at Age UK for 6 months. I feel confident again and can clearly see that my skills are transferable, and it will give me the ability in an interview for a charity role to speak with ‘insider’ knowledge.”

Before the pilot started the interns undertook training with their placement charity and learnt about the charity landscape. They also heard from people who had successfully transitioned from the corporate world into the voluntary sector.

During the pilot, Charity Interns is meeting regularly with the interns and the staff supporting them, to record their progress and observations. When the pilot ends this spring, these findings will be shared with the sector.

Multiple benefits

Bhose adds:

“The interns are enjoying their placements and are contributing, learning, and gaining confidence for their professional futures in the voluntary sector. We believe that this pilot not only benefits the interns, but also provides invaluable experience to line managers in our partner organisations who are leading co-generational teams— a skill in increasing demand as the UK workforce ages.”

Commenting on the pilot, Paul Farmer, the CEO of Age UK, said:

“As a charity that works with older people, and employs many older people, we want to play our full part in helping to support the charity sector to be the best possible employer of older people. The Charity Interns programme pilot is an excellent way for us to support some older workers to transfer their skills to the voluntary sector, and for us all to learn more about what we need to do as employers. Both Age UK and Age International are delighted to be taking part in the pilot and we are looking forward to the results.”

Charity Interns is now inviting charities and individuals interested in taking part in the next stage of the programme to get in touch.

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For many nonprofits, recruiting fundraisers is not easy, but depending on where you are in Europe, the reasons can differ. Salaries that can’t compete with the commercial sector is one common reason, but what else is going on? Here are some insights into the challenges in five countries and how nonprofits are addressing them.

What’s in a name? Quite a lot as it turns out in Ireland, where a charity professional explains that candidates with the right skills are often put off by the term ‘fundraiser’, which they see as someone collecting donations in the street. As a result, some charities advertise for a ‘communications’ post instead, but they must be very clear on what’s required or risk failing to bring in the income ­­– rather a conundrum in such a crucial charity role.

There’s no such baggage attached to the term in Lithuania, but perhaps because it’s rarely used, with Gražvydas Bareišis, regional development director for the Central European Jesuit Province, noting that only 21% of NGOs in the country have a dedicated fundraiser.

Charities usually recruit ‘project managers’ or a ‘director of communication’ who will also manage campaigns, write grants, and coordinate projects at the same time. Individual giving and corporate fundraising are a low priority meaning that charities simply do not hire staff such as gift officers or database managers, and the profession of ‘fundraiser’, she says, is not a well-established niche in the Lithuanian job market.

To address this, some networks of NGOs and Christian charities are coming together to discuss fundraising skills, competencies and capacities, while it’s also a good sign that some colleges and universities have organised informal fundraising courses in recent years, for charity leaders and managers.

Stéphanie Gonand, director of development for the Jesuits in France, knows how effective this can be, having seen a landscape devoid of fundraising training in the early 2000s transformed by the French Association of Fundraisers (AFF) into something far more supportive, where experience is shared.

In recent years as public funding has decreased, more and more private and public organisations are recruiting fundraisers. Currently, the easiest way to recruit a fundraiser in France is through informal networks.

Thanks to the AFF training courses, there are increasing numbers of entry level candidates who have the basics of fundraising even if they don’t have fundraising experience. The fact that fundraising is currently ‘fashionable’ in France is also helping to boost the number of applicants, although as salaries are not very high, retention is an issue.

Meanwhile the problem with recruiting experienced fundraisers in Germany, according to Birgit Bidell, head of fundraising at the Friends of the Society of Jesus, is simply that there aren’t enough of them in the market.

Birgit advertises on LinkedIn and many well-known online recruitment platforms, as well as reaching out to her personal fundraising network, an approach that has brought her three new colleagues recently, albeit for administration rather than fundraising positions.

However, she’s also facing a new challenge from a different quarter: a rise in applications from migrants to the country who are often well-educated and well-qualified, but lack the necessary competence in the German language which is so vital for fundraising roles.

A shortage of numbers in the sector is the big challenge for the UK too, although more for a lack of entry-level openings than interest. Organisations invariably want candidates who are already trained in fundraising, but very few are prepared to invest in that training themselves, making it very difficult for anyone to get a foothold in the sector.

What’s more, training requirements have only increased since the Covid-19 pandemic, with many younger people having known little but working from home, meaning they not only need to learn about fundraising, but also many of the basics of working in an office, as a team, and within an organisation.

And while flexible or remote working is now expected as a matter of course, this can make it challenging for younger fundraisers in particular to get to know the organisation and integrate with their team, so it’s become more necessary than ever to make the office as attractive as possible with perks, motivation and a bit of fun.

To help the recruitment process, here are some steps we recommend:

• Join fundraising networks and start making contacts well before you need to recruit.
• Discuss salaries with your board before you need to recruit, so there’s no delay when you do.
• Take candidates through the interview process quickly and make an offer before they’re snapped up elsewhere.
• Regularly compare your job descriptions against competitors to keep them up to date and as attractive as possible.
• Detail your induction plan in your recruitment pack and stick to it, making space and time to support new fundraisers.
• Support new starters with training: they’ll appreciate it for their CV but it will also upskill your team and attract new talent.

About John Green & Faye Marshall

John Green

John Green has worked in the voluntary sector for over 20 years. After 17 years at seafarers’ charity Stella Maris as their director of development, he is now fundraising manager at the Jesuits and has a Masters in Voluntary Administration. He founded the networking forum ‘Catholics in Fundraising’ and has been a trustee at Field Lane and Aberdeen Seafarers’ Centre and has served on the grant making body of the Plater Trust.

Faye Marshall

Faye Marshall is the deputy CEO of charity recruitment specialists Harris Hill and a certified member of the Recruitment and Employment Federation (REC). Having joined Harris Hill in 2005 she has exceptional experience in recruitment for charities and not-for-profit organisations of all kinds throughout the sector, including successful campaigns for charities such as The Prince’s Trust, English-Speaking Union, London Youth, Cruse Bereavement Support, Place2Be, FareShare and Prostate Cancer UK.

Main picture by Resume Genius on Pexels

Data from jobs board CharityJob, analysed for the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, shows that hybrid roles advertised in the fundraising sector grew by over 900% last year, while onsite roles for the fundraising sector decreased by 64%.

In 2022, 52% of all advertised job roles in fundraising were hybrid, 33% were onsite and 15% were remote. This compares to 5% hybrid, 91% onsite and 4% remote in 2019.

The greatest increases in different ways of working can be seen in experienced non-manager roles. There has been an increase of over 900% in hybrid experienced non-manager roles and an increase of 480% in remote experienced non-manager roles.

In addition:

• Fundraising has consistently more full-time roles than the charity sector in general in the UK. 8% more roles were full time in 2019, with this figure rising to 9% in 2022.
• The number of overall junior roles available in fundraising is comparable to that of the charity sector as a whole, but the base location is more flexible, including hybrid and remote roles.
• There are more managerial roles in fundraising compared to the rest of the charity sector, with these roles also more flexible in terms of their base location.

Commenting on the findings, Ceri Edwards, executive director of people & engagement at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising said:

“The opportunities for flexibility and improved work-life balance ushered in by the pandemic have undoubtedly changed workplaces for the better and will have ensured many of us remain with charities that have given us better prospects for our careers and a renewed outlook on our working weeks.

“These strides forward are to be welcomed and will undoubtedly make roles more appealing to many. And while we know that a career in fundraising brings huge rewards and a lifetime of impact, it won’t always be enough to attract the talent we need to excite our supporters as we connect them with the causes they care about.

“Our focus now must be on ensuring that the advantages new ways of working bring are open to all, are accompanied by a strong focus on wellbeing and professional development; and that together we foster cultures of inclusion and growth for fundraisers wherever they work.”

Raya Wexler, co-founder of CharityJob added:

“In a competitive job market, this is a very welcome shift. The move towards more flexible ways of working both opens up fundraising roles to much broader pools of candidates and offers existing fundraisers the optimal conditions to flourish. This means charities have the best chance of securing top talent. The flexibility and career progression opportunities currently available mean there’s never been a better time to start or progress a career in fundraising.”

Picture by Ken Tomita on Pexels

O’Connor will start on 10 May and have a two-week handover with current chief executive Peter Lewis before he formally steps down.

Experienced in fundraising and as a leader in both the charity and commercial sectors, she most recently served as CEO of Children with Cancer UK, and is a trustee and chair of the Development Board at Book Aid International. She has also volunteered with NGOs in India, South Africa and Cambodia, and is the founder and executive producer of The Charity CEO Podcast.

Before joining the third sector, she held various strategy, business development and leadership roles in organisations including Lloyds Bank, GE Capital and OctopusTravel (now part of Expedia Group).

Commenting on her appointment, Claire Rowney, Chair of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, said:

“On behalf of the Board, I am thrilled that Dhivya will be joining us and offer her a warm welcome to the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. We are very much looking forward to having her inspiring leadership and insight as a charity chief executive and I am particularly pleased she is a passionate former fundraiser. Dhivya joins us at an important time for the Institute, and the Board and staff team are very much looking forward to working with her.”

O’Connor was selected by a panel of Chartered Institute trustees and her term will run for around six months until a new permanent chief executive is recruited. That recruitment process will begin next month.

As interim CEO, her responsibilities will include providing leadership on the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s priorities of equality, diversity and inclusion, delivering its Action Plan relating to safeguarding and culture, its flagship events and business plan, and working with members to rebuild fundraising following the pandemic.

Speaking on her new role, O’Connor said:

“I am delighted to be entrusted by the Board to take on the leadership of the Chartered Institute at this pivotal moment. I am tremendously impressed by the dedication and commitment to excellence in fundraising, demonstrated by everyone I’ve met. I look forward to engaging with the team, the membership and the wider community to help deliver some key priorities for the organisation in the coming months.”

Peter Lewis, outgoing chief executive, announced that he was stepping down from the position in March this year, after almost a decade at the helm.

He also commented, saying:

“Heart-felt congratulations to Dhivya on her appointment, and look forward to working with her as part of a formal handover later this month. I wish her all the best for her leadership of the Chartered Institute as it continues to serve its members and the wider fundraising community.”

Moralis takes up the post in September and is the EFC’s first female chief executive. She succeeds Gerry Salole, who will retire at the end of this month after leading the EFC for the past 15 years.

Moralis brings several years of international experience in building and leading pan-European associations and organisations, including in the human rights and development sectors. From Belgium, she has extensive experience in representation, fundraising, network management and coaching with her previous organisations which include Missing Children Europe, Child Focus and Cable Europe. She also has multiple engagements in Board and advisory roles including Concord, the European NGO confederation for relief and development.

“Delphine is the perfect person to build upon the EFC’s legacy and to lead the EFC into the next phase of its journey towards strengthening the voice and role of philanthropy in Europe”, said Angel Font, recently elected Chair of the EFC and Corporate Director of Scientific Research, “la Caixa” Foundation. “I very much look forward to working with her and to witnessing her own unique contribution in this critical role of representing the EFC’s members and tackling today’s substantive issues, not least in light of COVID-19 but also the other great challenges we all face from rising inequality to climate change.”

“I am delighted to be given this opportunity at such a critical juncture”, said Delphine Moralis. “We are living in challenging times, and philanthropy – with all its diversity and strengths – has a vital role to play. I look forward to working with EFC members, who are already so invested in finding the solutions to such challenges, as well as the other philanthropy support organisations in Europe and around the world. I firmly believe that this is our time to show philanthropy at its best.”

Angel also acknowledged and thanked Gerry Salole for his contribution to the EFC over the past 15 years. “Gerry has transformed the EFC into a lighthouse on whom foundations can focus and depend upon as they navigate through both calm and rough seas. He has been the lighthouse keeper, and on his watch, the EFC has diversified its networks, developed its peer learning and knowledge capacity and amplified its policy voice, both for key thematic issues and for the wider sector.”