You don't need to be a professional fundraiser to raise money for good causes, but it is important to approach what you're doing in a professional manner.

The problem for many volunteer fundraisers - who have often decided single-handedly to raise money for a cause they believe in - is that expert guidance doesn’t always seem easy to come by when it’s needed. Many charities are able to provide formal training for volunteer helpers who provide a service or function to their cause like caring or befriending, for example, but when it comes to fundraising, the needs of supporters – be it their queries or their development - are often less well resourced.

The Institute of Fundraising is the professional body for fundraising in the UK. As such, it seeks to help both volunteers and professionals to achieve the highest standards in fundraising practice and management whatever the size or scope of their activity.

How2fundraise is one of the Institute’s many tools in achieving this. If you look at our know-how section or how2guides, you will find a wealth of information written specifically with volunteer fundraisers’ needs in mind. For more in-depth guidance, the Institute’s own Codes of Fundraising Practice are also available to view online. Both of these resources provide unique help with specific fundraising activities or queries and are completely free of charge to users.

Fundraising Learning Online (“FLO”) is another web-based resource recently launched by the Institute that can help your volunteer fundraising by giving an insight into the way professional fundraisers are trained to approach the challenges of raising money.

FLO is the first online training resource of its kind in the UK. Its first course, “All About Fundraising” is designed as an introduction for everyone, from volunteers and new fundraising staff through to chief executives and trustees, and you won’t be expected to have completed any formal training before you begin. What’s more, you can trial FLO for free simply by registering with the virtual learning centre and selecting the “how to fundraise” module. As you’d expect from the Institute of Fundraising, it’s full of solid advice and invaluable pointers.

So whether you’re looking for guidance in approaching your next fundraising challenge in a more professional way, or are thinking about using the skills you’ve gained as a volunteer as the basis for a career in fundraising, try FLO: training from the professionals for professionals in training!