Mark your calendars for Monday 9th June 2025! Salocin Group is thrilled to be attending and speaking at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s Fundraising Convention 2025.
We’re gearing up for an inspiring day packed with new ideas, networking and celebration. From our must-see session on AI to the friendly faces from our brand teams that you’ll meet and a fantastic charity campaign up for an award, here’s a preview of what’s in store…
Demystifying AI and machine learning in fundraising
One of the highlights will be Alex Holt and Marc Dallimore presenting ‘AI and machine learning in the charity sector – what you need to know’. Alex (Strategic Consulting Director – CRM & Marketing Technology) and Marc (Practice Director – Data Science) are passionate about making AI accessible and in their beginner-friendly talk they’ll demystify AI adoption in the charity and not-for-profit space – breaking down complex tech jargon into plain English and explaining working examples.
What can you expect? They’ll explore practical ways AI and ML can boost your charity’s work, including:
- Donor clustering – using AI to group supporters with similar traits or behaviours for more personalised engagement
- Legacy propensity modelling – analysing data to identify supporters who might consider leaving a legacy gift in their will
- Reducing supporter churn – spotting early signs that donors might stop giving and intervening to improve retention
Beyond these use cases, Alex and Marc will share handy tips for getting started with AI in your organisation, emphasising quick-wins and low-risk experimentation. They’ll also highlight the benefits (and limitations) of Generative AI tools and address key considerations, such as avoiding bias and respecting data privacy in AI projects. By the end of the session, delegates will gain a clearer picture of how AI and ML can drive smarter fundraising – and plenty of ideas to take back to the office!
Meet the Salocin Group team at the Convention
The CIOF Fundraising Convention is the perfect place to connect with industry professionals and you’ll see several friendly faces from the Salocin Group collective out and about. Wood for Trees – our data-driven fundraising consultancy – will be represented by Lotte Buckley (Strategic Consultant – Charity & NFP), Kayleigh Philps (Consultant Analyst), Rich Snook (Account Director) and Gerry Darley (Growth Consultant) as delegates. They’ll be soaking up the sessions – happy to chat about anything from donor data to analytics and everything in between (so do say hi!).
Cheering on our campaign of the year contender
Join the Dots, our media and communications practice, will also be well represented – keep an eye out for Ben Briggs (Managing Partner) and Jodie Hanrahan (Senior Media Account Director) who’ll be heading to the CIOF National Fundraising Awards, taking place after day one of the conference.
We’re especially excited for the awards ceremony, because one of our clients is up for a top honour! Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) has been shortlisted for Fundraising Campaign of the Year thanks to their brilliant ‘Buy It For Life’ appeal. This campaign, delivered in partnership with our Join the Dots team and creative agency Open, was a rapid-response appeal launched after the sudden collapse of KKS’ aviation partner in late 2023. With just three months to raise funds to purchase their own helicopter, a powerful mix of radio, press and direct mail was delivered across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
The results were nothing short of extraordinary – more than £1.9m raised in just four weeks, almost doubling the original £1m target. Over 14,000 donations came in, with thousands giving £100 or more to have their names displayed on the helicopter itself. ‘Buy It For Life’ went on to win Air Ambulances UK’s Campaign of the Year and receive multiple industry award shortlists – this one included!
It’s a shining example of creative, community-driven fundraising at its very best. We’ll be cheering loudly for KSS at the National Fundraising Awards, while applauding all the fantastic finalists driving innovation in the charity sector.
Come say hello and get inspired!
If you’re attending Convention, be sure to see our session – we promise you’ll leave with practical tips and fresh ideas about using AI. Don’t hesitate to approach our team during the day. Whether it’s between workshops or over a coffee, if you want to talk data, tech or the latest fundraising trends, please come and say hello!
And if you haven’t booked your place yet, it’s not too late – check out the Fundraising Convention homepage for the full programme and ticket info. It’s shaping up to be an energising couple of days of learning and collaboration.
We can’t wait to see you on 9th June – let’s connect, learn and celebrate the amazing innovation happening across the charity sector. Here’s to successful Convention and good luck to all the award finalists!
