About Me
I am a respected charity professional and an expert in fundraising and philanthropy, having worked with philanthropists; artists and celebrities; and trustees of major foundations. I am an experienced Board member.
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I can help you to grow your income sustainably and ensure that you're fundraising effectively and efficiently. I review charities' fundraising, deliver clear recommendations for change, mentor charity leaders and implement strategies. Recent clients include GIFT, Spread a Smile, The Anglican Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, Resources for Autism and the New Israel Fund.
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Earlier in-house roles covered major donors, corporates and trusts in organisations including the National Theatre and the Royal Opera House. I was Director of Development at North London Collegiate School, where I significantly grew the School’s income, launched a major capital campaign and a legacy drive, garnered the School’s largest gifts from both a trust and an individual, and its first ever corporate sponsorship.
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I am a Trustee of the Sobell Foundation, a highly respected grant-making trust, and was a Trustee for five years of the New Israel Fund.
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I live in London with my husband and three children.
My Experience
Deborah Sobel Fundraising Consultancy
2019 - Present
Hands-on fundraising, mentoring, interim cover, writing and strategy reviews
2017 - Present
Trustee for a major grant-making trust
2015-2018
Significant income growth, Capital Campaign launch, new Development Board and enhanced stewardship programme
2010-2014
Stewardship of HNWIs, liaison with international artists and senior volunteers, donor tour with The Royal Ballet to the Far East
The New Israel Fund
Trustee
2010-2015
Trustee for a civil rights charity
2007-2010
Management of the high-level giving scheme, donor events and press night parties, stewardship of corporate sponsors
2006-2007
Securing major new corporate sponsorships, writing proposals, and donor stewardship
2002-2005
Graduation from the highly-regarded Mars Management Development Programme in this major FMCG company, with placements in Global Marketing, Sales and Manufacturing
What Clients Say About Me
Lucy Jackson, CEO, Spread a Smile
Deborah worked with Spread a Smile for several months in 2022. She was a big support to our team in a period where we were between Fundraising Directors. She helped us to recruit; to write copy for our case for support, Annual Report, website and legacy brochure; to steward our donors; to draft strong trust applications; and to plan an important donor event. She quickly gained an understanding of what we’re about, our tone of voice, and how we like to communicate with our different audiences. She has a clear and direct approach and is an excellent communicator, and just gets the job done.