Meet the Minds Behind Funds Online – Rhiannon Doherty

Did you know that all of the information on Funds Online is carefully sourced, gathered, quality-checked and written by our small team of expert researchers?

In this interview series, DSC’s Researchers share more about their daily work, the challenges and rewards of funding research, and their expert tips to get the most from Funds Online. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at the people and processes that support our subscribers.

In this interview, we speak to Rhiannon Doherty, Head of Research at DSC.

1. How can subscribers get the most out of Funds Online?

I’d definitely recommend taking the time to browse our monthly newsletter Subscriber Insider. It’s packed full of exclusive content including funding updates, hand-picked grant opportunities, fundraising tips and behind-the-scenes insights from the research team. I’m constantly impressed by the expertise and care the team puts into every edition, if you want to stay ahead of new opportunities, it’s well worth a read.

Not receiving it yet? Just drop us an email at [email protected] and we’ll make sure you’re on the mailing list.

2. What is your favourite feature on Funds Online and why?

It has to be the search functionality. The powerful filters are brilliant for cutting through thousands of funders and getting to the ones that are most relevant to your organisation. Whether you’re searching by cause, location, funding type or who the funding benefits, you can quickly narrow things down without feeling overwhelmed.

Don’t overlook the keyword search! One of my favourite tips is to search for organisations supporting similar causes to you. If they’re listed as a sample beneficiary, you’ll see a list of funders that have supported them. While the sample beneficiaries are just a small selection, it can be a quick and easy way to discover funders that could be a great fit for your organisation too.

3. What qualities make a good funder?

The best funders are those that demonstrate empathy, understanding and flexibility. It’s a tough environment out there, so it’s always refreshing to see funders who are willing to listen and think about how they can make the process a little easier for applicants and grantees.

Whether that’s simplifying application processes, providing helpful feedback to unsuccessful applicants, or taking a more proportionate approach to reporting, these small changes can make a huge difference. They reduce the administrative burden on charities, freeing them up to focus on what they do best, delivering services, supporting their beneficiaries or cause, and making an impact.

5. What do you think are some of the biggest future challenges for fundraisers?

There’s more information available at our fingertips than ever before, and the popularity off AI tools has only added to that. While that’s exciting, it also makes it much harder to know what’s accurate, and up to date.

That’s one of the things I value most about Funds Online. Every funder record is robustly researched and verified by our expert team, so users can spend less time worrying about whether the information is reliable and more time focusing on writing successful funding applications.

6. Where can we find you when you’re not at your desk managing the research team?

Hopefully, with my nose in a good book. If I’m not reading, you’ll probably find me unwinding at a yoga class or serving as the guest of honour at one of my daughters’ tea parties!