Meet Antonia Sauvain, Development Manager at the University of Southampton and this year’s recipient of the Iain More Award for Emerging Fundraising Professionals.

Named after Iain More, a sector pioneer and one of the very first fundraisers in UK higher education, this year's recipient has already achieved great things in her role as a fundraiser and made time to support the development of a sector network.

Antonia was nominated by her manager, Joanna Watts, who commended Antonia’s professionalism as the embodiment of the university values and community and her ‘over-achievements’ in exceeding expectations.

Fellow nominator, Tim Davies (a donor to the University) remarked how Antonia’s pride and positivity are infectious, and her ‘sheer joy’ makes her a superb Development Manager.

Following this well-deserved recognition, we interviewed Antonia to learn more about her background and what winning a CASE Europe Award meant to her.

What has your career journey been like?

I hadn’t considered a career in fundraising, even though I had worked on smaller community fundraising projects. I completed my Law degree at the University of Southampton and thoroughly enjoyed living in this sunny city, so I decided to apply for jobs locally. I’d been a student ambassador at open days and enjoyed sharing how fantastic the University is, so when the Development Officer role came up, I grabbed the opportunity! Then last year I was promoted to Development Manager.

So far, I’ve been to CASE conferences including the Spring Institute in Educational Fundraising, where I made invaluable connections, and gained foundational fundraising skills, which I still use three years later! I’ve also been to the CASE Europe Annual Conference and the Asking Workshop which encouraged me to be more ambitious–I highly recommend attending if you want to exceed fundraising targets!

What do you do in your role on a day-to-day basis?

I am responsible for securing gifts from £25,000 up to £250,000 for the University’s priority funds which are used for world-leading research projects and the amazing scholarship programme ‘Ignite’!

Every day is different: one day I’ll be in the office reaching out to alumni from 30 years ago, or I’ll attend an event to engage local people with an interest in the University’s work. Others, I’ll be in a meeting in London with fellow alumni or catching up with a donor over coffee to share updates on their donations!

Working with donors is one of my favourite parts of the job. I enjoy finding out about their connection to Southampton and understanding the impact they want to make. It's inspiring to work with individuals who want to make the world a better place through their philanthropy.

What has been your proudest moment in your career so far?

There are quite a few! One was being a part of the ‘Ignite’ Working Group and collaborating to advance the programme and see its growth double from 30 to 60 students! Fundraising for these spaces would not have been possible without collaborating with different teams.

Joining a longstanding donor's afternoon tea party was also a lovely moment, where I met guests from the host’s graduate cohort! It was a privilege to be invited to such a special occasion and hear stories about their time as students at Southampton in the 50’s.

My first ‘wow’ was following the receipt of a letter from an ‘Ignite’ Scholarship student. There are three levels of support to students, from award level to the full ‘Ignite’ Scholarship, which enables the recipient to leave university debt-free. I’ve been fortunate to work with three donors to offer ‘Ignite’ Scholarships. In the letter they shared how life-changing their scholarship was, referring to it as a ‘beacon of hope’. It was so emotional, and it made me very proud to be working on this programme.

Lastly, winning this award is one of my proudest achievements too! To be formally recognised in this way is just amazing. I’m inspired by CASE’s values because they align with my own. I believe to achieve the best we need to be collaborative, inclusive and embrace diversity–so to be awarded the Emerging Fundraising award from this body truly means a lot.

Who nominated you and how did it feel? 

I was completely surprised that my line manager, Joanna, nominated me! Even when she was not my manager, she was a massive support. She inspires me to keep on doing my absolute best. The wider team and senior management are also incredible, everyone is listened to, and opinions are considered regardless of seniority.

It was incredible to hear that Tim, one of our very loyal and supportive donors, had provided a supporting letter for my nomination. Working with Tim is a joy, and I’m grateful he took the time to write such a thoughtful letter.

Lastly, what are your aspirations or goals for your future career? 

I hope I continue to work with inspiring people and help to make a difference. I love my job, and, if I can continue to play a role in enacting change and working with amazing people whilst doing so, then I will be incredibly happy.