Ian MacQuillin awarded outstanding contribution award at CIOF awards
Howard Lake | 8 June 2026 | News
Ian MacQuillin, director of Rogare, the fundraising think tank, has been recognised for his exceptional contribution to fundraising at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising’s National Fundraising Awards in London.
MacQuillin has spent more than two decades working to strengthen fundraising as a respected and ethical profession, and his peers have described him as “exceptional” and “an original”.
He began his career as editor of Professional Fundraising magazine in 2001, leading early sector debates on self-regulation and ethics. Moving to the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) as head of communications, he went on to shape public policy and media coverage of face-to-face fundraising. The PFRA was later incorporated into the Fundraising Regulator.
In 2014 he founded Rogare, which remains the profession’s only dedicated think tank. Under his leadership more than 250 contributors have produced over 60 outputs, building a bridge between academic research and day-to-day practice and advancing fundraising knowledge internationally.
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Fundraising ethics
His most significant legacy lies in fundraising ethics. He codified existing theory and developed the concept of “rights-balancing” ethics, which places the rights of beneficiaries alongside those of donors in fundraising decisions.
Through his writing, teaching and more than 100 conference presentations, he has encouraged fundraisers to think more critically and to articulate the value of their work with greater confidence.
Katie Docherty, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, said:
“Ian is one of a kind. He is respected for his sharp intellect and inquiring mind, supported by good humour and genuine humility. He continues to engage people in his work and stimulate thinking through the curation and exploration of ideas. He is a worthy recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Fundraising Award.”
All the National Fundraising Awards winners
The National Fundraising Awards were held at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre at Westminster on Thursday 4 June.
The winners were:
- Fundraising Campaign of the Year (sponsored by The Production Hub) – Calvert Exmoor Emergency Appeal: Calvert Devon
- Fundraising Innovation Award – UK for UNHCR: Clear Sky Card Campaign
- Fundraiser of the Year (sponsored by Conference Care) – Lauren Hunt: Pancreatic Cancer UK
- Newcomer of the Year (sponsored by hynt) – Shanty Neale: ScoutsCymru
- Charity-Business Relationship of the Year – Barnardo’s And Co-op
- Best Supplier to the Fundraising Sector of the Year – Give A Little
- Young Fundraiser of the Year – Charlie Blackwell, MQ Mental Health Research and Ruby Sheffield, Royal British Legion
- Volunteer Fundraiser of the Year – Childline Board: NSPCC
- Fundraising Charity of the year (Small) (sponsored by SOFII) – Bright Futures UK
- Fundraising Charity of the year (Large) – Prostate Cancer Research
- Legacy and In-memory Campaign of the Year – Stay in the Fight: Oxfam GB
- Special Volunteering Award – Gary Richardson
- Outstanding Contribution to Fundraising Award – Ian MacQuillin: Director, Rogare
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.