The Philanthropy & Fundraising Conference I attended in Sydney for 3 days last week was, overall, of great value to me/Servants. I met some interesting people – as well as some extremely dull ones!! Many of the sessions were of real significance to us, others less so. I have come away convinced that we are in a very strong position to capitalize financially, should we choose to do so, upon many of the decisions we have made in recent years.

As familiar as I am in attending community based conferences it was fascinating to attend a conference full of fundraising types!! At the standard community gathering there are, to be sweepingly general, people with their arses hanging out of their trousers, many people one would be presuming who enjoy alternate lifestyles, people on low incomes, do gooders, loads of fresh faced graduates intent on changing the world who will have burned out with 18 months and food that is barely edible. In stark contrast I could barely pick any individual from an alternate lifestyle, people dressed in suits and dresses of PURE GOLD, food of a quality I have rarely seen before and people intent on making squillions out of their donor bases – although I was far from convinced that they all held truly altruistic intentions.

Just my reflections ………………………….