Gavin Maggs is the Director of Development and Alumni Relationships at the University of Birmingham. Previous positions include University of Bath, Warwick Medical School and Lincoln College, Oxford, where he studied Classics, in between cutting his teeth as a fundraiser by being a student telethon caller.

Gavin has made more than 1,000 face-to-face asks in his career (although Raiser’s Edge may not agree…), and has seen the good, the bad and the very ugly – sometimes all in one meeting.  From initial scoping visits, to the much-lauded pre-solicitation conversation, to seven figure asks, he has stumbled to the conclusion that there are a few constants: do your homework (but don’t make it too obvious to the prospect), do your best to be nice, and listen to what the prospect actually says.  Not what you want to hear, not what you predicted they were going to say, but what they’re actually saying in the moment – and then be prepared to tailor your approach accordingly.

Mary’s focus over the last few years has been to develop York's first ever institutional campaign.  York Unlimited: the Campaign for York will raise £120M, unlock 120,000 volunteer hours and capture the insights of York graduates around the world via the innovative York Asks project. The Campaign is seeking to develop major philanthropy,  extend York's community fundraising and includes York's first global Giving Day. 

Her fundraising career began ten years ago at Newcastle University where she became Deputy Director of Development, and which she left in 2011 to take up the position of Director of Development and Alumni Engagement at the University of York. Prior to fundraising for higher education Mary spent ten years working in sales and began her career as a graduate trainee with Selfridges.

Mary has an MSc in Charity Marketing and Fundraising from the Centre for Charity Effectiveness, Cass Business School, and is a fully certified member of the Institute of Fundraising Management.