Rachel Hall

Nearly 20 years on I can still picture Lord Sainsbury listening patiently as some of UCL’s top academics described their work to him, and hear the pause before he quietly said, in the last minutes of the meeting, “That all sounds very impressive. Would if help if I told you what I’m interested in?”

Some months later a world-class neuroscience unit came into being with one of the biggest charitable gifts the University had then experienced. The Gatbsy Computational Neuroscience Unit thrives to this day.

I learned some big lessons that day about not making assumptions, giving people time and space to talk, listening, and the value of creative, responsive leadership – lessons that I won’t forget and which still sit at the heart of all good fundraising.

Areas of expertise

Major gifts; building and managing relationships with donors and potential donors; planning and strategy; assessing the health and shape of fundraising programmes; schools; theatres; universities.

More clients

Birkbeck, University of London; University of Cambridge; Cheltenham College; University of Edinburgh; Everyman Theatre, Liverpool; Fettes College; Lancing College; Macmillan Cancer Support; Rosehill Theatre; Royal College of Music; Salisbury Playhouse; Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company; The King’s School Worcester; University of Sussex; University of York.

Before More

BSc Hons Psychology, York University; Research Assistant (psychology/visual psychophysics), Reading University; Events Manager, CIPFA; Corporate Fundraiser, Help the Aged; Deputy Development Director, London Business School; Development Director, University College London.

Outside More

My children, growing fruit and veg, pilates, crosswords and Sudoku.