# What Donors Want – Episode #3: Adam Askew, Comic Relief

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/12/06/donors-want-episode-3-adam-askew-comic-relief/
- Published: 2017-12-06T13:14:36+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Fundraisers – get your red noses out! _What Donors Want_ is back with a third 
episode featuring Adam Askew from Comic Relief.**

 

For those who haven’t listened yet, [What Donors Want](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/what-donors-want/id1252602370?mt=2)
is a podcast by [I.G. Advisors](http://www.impactandgrowth.com/), which offers a
fresh, dynamic (and slightly irreverent) view into major gifts fundraising from 
the donor’s perspective. Each episode we interview a different kind of major donor
and get right down to it: what do they actually want from the fundraisers who cultivate
them. All of this and more – straight from the donor’s mouth.

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Our previous episodes featured the [Hewlett Foundation](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/07/09/what-donors-want-alfonsina-penaloza-the-hewlett-foundation/)
and [Kiawah Trust](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/09/07/donors-want-episode-2-lynne-peter-smitham-kiawah-trust/),
and now our third episode features Adam Askew, Head of Funding Partnerships at the
red-nosed charity that really needs no introduction. [Comic Relief](https://www.comicrelief.com/)
is a household name in the UK and a growing presence in the US. And chances are 
if you’re a UK fundraiser, you’ve asked them for money, or even spoken directly 
to Adam, at one point or another.

 

## Standing out from the written process

 

As a grantmaking organisation that raises its funds from the general public, Comic
Relief has a rigorous, criteria-based, multi-step assessment process for all applicants.
And it can be tricky to tackle, as interaction with a Programme Officer only comes
after the first round of written proposals. So how can a fundraiser stand out from
the written process and make it onto the shortlist in this context?

 

![Adam Askew quote from What Donors Want podcast](https://wfay6x.infiniteuploads.
cloud/2017/12/adam-askew-quote-2.jpg)

 

 

 

## Behind the scenes at Comic Relief

 

We discuss this with Adam – along with what makes his job easiest, hardest, and 
the most common reasons Comic Relief doesn’t renew long-term commitments (after 
six years there, he has truly seen it all). You’ll also get a sense for their internal
decision-making processes, including what you can do as a fundraiser to facilitate
these, among much more.

 

As a funder, Comic Relief has struck a brilliant balance of rigorous criteria assessment,
combined with intuition and cause-area expertise. And while their grant application
process is nothing short of robust, Adam shares several invaluable insights on how
to get your proposal to the top of their pile.

 

You can hear the entire conversation between me, I.G.’s Emily Collins-Ellis, and
Adam Askew by subscribing to [What Donors Want](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/what-donors-want/id1252602370?mt=2)
on iTunes.

 

 

 

_What Donors Want_ – a [podcast](https://itunes.apple.com/ca/podcast/what-donors-want/id1252602370?mt=2)
by I.G. Advisors – offers a behind-the-scenes view into major gifts fundraising 
from the donor’s perspective.

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