FIC 2021

• Date: 22nd October 2026

• Time: 10:00am-11.15am UK

• Duration: 1 hr 15min (60min content + 15min Q&A)

• Format: Live Online

• Course Type: On The Pulse

• For: Researchers, Fundraisers, Directors - UK, US, International

Overview

What motivates philanthropists, how do they choose who to support, and what makes a proposal stand out? Join us for an inside look at philanthropy with Greg Watson and Elfreda Tealby-Watson of the Bagheera Trust.

Understanding a philanthropist is about more than identifying wealth or mapping connections. The most useful insights often come from understanding what drives someone's giving, how they make decisions, what they look for in a charity and what makes them want to build a relationship.

In this session, Greg and Elfreda will share their own philanthropic journey, from their careers and building a successful business experience through to establishing and developing the Bagheera Trust. We’ll explore what motivates their giving, how they identify organisations and partners, and what they have learned about the fundraising sector along the way.

What The Session Will Cover

• From business to philanthropy
  Greg and Elfreda will talk about their careers, building their successful business and the experiences that have shaped their approach to philanthropy. We’ll explore how their professional journey has influenced the way they think about organisations, opportunities and impact.

• Starting a philanthropic journey
  What prompted them to begin giving, and what led them to establish the Bagheera Trust? We’ll explore the thinking behind formalising their philanthropy and how their approach has developed over time.

• Purpose and philanthropic interests
  What is the Trust trying to achieve, and what causes and issues matter most to them? We’ll look at how philanthropic interests are formed, how they evolve and what sits behind the decisions about where to give.

• Finding the right partners
  How do Greg and Elfreda discover organisations they want to support, and what makes them decide to engage? We’ll explore the role of research, networks, recommendations and introductions, as well as what makes a proposal stand out. 

• How philanthropy is changing
  Have they noticed changes in the way charities approach major donors and trusts? We’ll explore how the fundraising landscape has evolved during their time as philanthropists, including the increasing use of network mapping and more sophisticated approaches to prospect research.

• What fundraisers should know
  We’ll finish with practical reflections for fundraising teams: what do philanthropists wish fundraisers understood better, and what can researchers and fundraisers do to build stronger, more thoughtful relationships?

Who it's for?

All fundraising professionals from prospect researchers, prospect development teams, fundraisers for individual giving and trusts and foundations teams.

Speakers

Greg Watson

Greg has been chief executive of three education businesses, the last of which provided online assessment tools for schools to use to help every student reach their potential. He chairs two fast-growing educational technology businesses. He is Vice-Chair of the National Youth Choir and chair of the charity arm of the Gesualdo Six, a classical choral ensemble. His two other greatest passions are a noisy one (singing in a local choir) and a quiet one (super-cryptic crosswords).

Elfreda Tealby-Watson

Elfreda studied modern history at university, with a particular interest in UK & USA international relations. She has combined a part-time career in politics and community activism with her business interests in property. She has a long-standing commitment to supporting action for human rights and social justice. She has been trustee of several charities at a local level, and currently volunteers at a leading NHS hospital trust. Elfreda took a foundation diploma in Fine Art and Design and enjoys varied cultural activities.

Em Sequeira, Session Chair, PyroTalks CIC

Em has experience leading and establishing prospect research functions at major charitable organisations, including Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation and the University of York. She has grown pipelines across Individual, Corporate and Trust & Foundation fundraising, helping high-value fundraising teams build strong and sustainable prospect pipelines and increase income. Her experience also includes gift acceptance, due diligence, campaign planning and improving organisational processes, and she has spoken at both the RiF and CASE Development Services conferences. Outside of work, Em is a Trustee of the Brian Murtagh Charitable Trust, a RiF Conference volunteer and chapter contributor, and an avid sailor.

Recordings

Recordings available, though we encourage all participants to attend live as much as possible.

Tickets

• Duo or Flex-Team Tickets - you do not need to provide names at booking, an open link will be sent to share with your team

• Upon booking you will automatically receive two emails, a receipt of purchase & joining Instructions. Please do check spam folders. If you have booked for others, please share with them.

• Includes Handout + Access to Recording for up to 1 month.

• Concession tickets ideally for charities with 1m or less income, though any organisation with restricted training budget is welcome to select this option

• Courses are primarily for charities and not for profits, though please contact us for corporate ticket options.

• All funds raised go back into the CIC aims.

• Date: 10th November 2026

• Time: 2.00pm-3.30pm UK / 9.00am-10.30pm EST

• Duration: 1hr 30min (60min content + 30min Q&A)

• Format: Live Online

• Course Type: Focus

• For: Researchers, Fundraisers, Directors - UK, US, International

Overview

Prospect research is all about following the evidence, but wealth doesn’t always leave a neat paper trail. From UK companies and trusts to offshore structures and tax havens, ownership can be complex, opaque and sometimes deliberately difficult to untangle.

This session gives you the practical knowledge to follow the money, spot the gaps and make confident sense of what the evidence is and isn’t telling you.

What The Session Will Cover

• Company Structure

  The real differences between a holding company, a group and a conglomerate, and between a subsidiary, a branch office and a representative office and why each one changes what's filed, where, and how much of it you'll ever see. We look at how a UK subsidiary can appear undervalued, where dividends to a parent disappear from view, and how to work around limited disclosure when the parent is incorporated overseas.

• The Tax Landscape

  Income, dividends, savings, corporation tax and capital gains across the UK, US and Australia, with the comparisons that matter: what £1m of income actually leaves you with in London, New York, Sydney, and elsewhere. Plus key tax dates and payment timings useful intelligence when you're advising on when to ask.

• Tax Havens

  Where offshore structures cluster, why, what the EU and OECD have been doing about it, and what the beneficial ownership transparency movement has opened up for researchers. Key jurisdictions will include Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Delaware and much more!

• Analysing International Companies

  Reading accounts prepared under different standards, the GAAP/IFRS divide, constant-currency revenue, and the checks that reveal quality or the absence of it. Including the red flags worth pausing on.

• Ask Strategy

  What are the signs that wealth may be held through offshore or tax-efficient structures? How can tax considerations influence the timing and size of a gift? And are there particular moments when an ask may be especially timely or advantageous?

Who’s It For?

Prospect researchers, prospect development teams, and fundraisers who work on international portfolios or increasingly find international elements in domestic ones. No accountancy background required; everything is explained from first principles and grounded in examples you'll recognise.

• Prospect Researchers - all experience levels

• Major Gift Fundraisers

• Heads or Directors of Philanthropy

• Any organisation engaged or aspiring to major gift fundraising

• Key principles are relevant internationally

Speakers

Jonathan Jeffery, Co Founder PyroTalks CIC

Jonathan is Co-Founder & Director of Pyro.Solutions & PyroTalks CIC and leads on data analytics and education.

Jonathan graduated in 2002 with a First Class Honours Degree in Business studies, specialising in finance, and holds a MSC in Banking and Finance with Distinction.

After graduating, Jonathan worked for a leading firm as a senior investment analyst, specialising in portfolio management and investment analysis, gaining a number of professional qualifications.

Jonathan then moved into higher education and lectured in company analysis, portfolio management and financial derivatives at Undergraduate, Postgraduate and MBA level. He was also appointed as Associate Dean for Education for The University of Sheffield Management School. He left this role in 2022 to focus on Pyro.Solutions and PyroTalks CIC.

Jonathan has also taught at some of the leading European Business schools, and was a visiting professor at EDHEC University between 2013-2019. He also continues to undertake risk management and treasury consultancy for a number of leading professional bodies and organisations.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion can be provided

Tickets

• Duo or Flex-Team Tickets - you do not need to provide names at booking, an open link will be sent to share with your team

• Upon booking you will automatically receive two emails, a receipt of purchase & joining Instructions. Please do check spam folders. If you have booked for others, please share with them.

• Includes Handout + Access to Recording for up to 1 month.

• Concession tickets available for any organisation with restricted training budget or with income less than 1m

• Courses are primarily for charities and not for profits, though please contact us for corporate ticket options.

• All funds raised go back into the CIC aims.

• Date: 27th January 2027

• Time: 2.00pm-3.15pm UK / 9.00am-10.15pm ET

• Duration: 1 hr 15min (60min content + 15min Q&A)

• Format: Live Online

• Course Type: On The Pulse

• For: Researchers, Fundraisers, Directors - UK, US, International

On The Pulse

Welcome to the second session in our exciting new series On The Pulse by PyroTalks CIC. These are short sharp sessions intended to provide ‘hot off the press’ information and realtime intelligence on the markets as they move. The insights shared will help not for profit teams know when to act and which prospects should be prioritised, right now!‍

Overview

The Year Ahead Tax, bonuses, regulation and sector outlook and what they mean for your pipeline

Every year, prospect researchers are asked variations of the same question: who should we be talking to, and when? The answer usually depends less on the individual than on the calendar around them when the Budget lands, when bonuses are paid, when deferred shares vest, when a sector turns, when a business finally sells.

This session maps that calendar out for the year ahead, so you can plan against it rather than react to it.

What The Session Will Cover

• The Fiscal Calendar

  The dates that shape wealth and giving across the year: the Autumn Budget on 28 October, the run-up to 5 April, and the equivalent pinch points in the US and Australian tax years. We look at what typically moves in a Budget, what tends to be trailed in advance, and how announced-but-not-yet-implemented changes drive behaviour long before they take effect.

• Tax Changes & What They Do 

  Not a policy briefing, but a translation exercise: how a change to rates, thresholds, reliefs or allowances feeds through to disposable wealth, gift timing and the attractiveness of giving as a route. Where relief-driven giving becomes more or less appealing, and which prospect profiles are most exposed to whichever way the year goes. We will also explore the millionaire exodus in this context. 

• Bonus & Remuneration Season(s) 

  When the major banks, funds, professional services firms and corporates actually pay and the gap between a headline number and cash in hand. Deferred stock, multi-year vesting schedules, clawback provisions, carried interest and share option cycles all mean the year a prospect is reported to have had a good year is frequently not the year they can act on it. We work through how to read that properly.

• Regulatory & Reporting Change

  What's shifting in company reporting, disclosure and transparency, and what each change opens up or closes off for researchers. New filing requirements create new sources; relaxed ones create blind spots. Either way it changes what you can find.

• Sector Outlook

  Where the growth is expected, where the pressure is building, and where the picture is genuinely uncertain across the sectors most likely to appear in your portfolio. Crucially, we look at the lag: sector performance shows up in wealth indicators months or years after it shows up in the news, and knowing the delay is the difference between a well-timed approach and a badly judged one.

• Liquidity Events 

  The conditions that turn paper wealth into transferable wealth: flotations, acquisitions, private equity exits, property disposals. And what the current market suggests about how many of those we'll see this year.

• Turning It Into A Plan 

  We close on the practical part: how to translate all of the above into a prioritised pipeline, a rough timing map for the year, and a short list of prospects worth revisiting now because something around them has changed.

Who it's for?

Prospect researchers, prospect development teams, and fundraisers responsible for pipeline planning and prioritisation. Useful whether you're building a case for the year's strategy, sense-checking an existing pipeline, or simply want a clear view of what's coming and when. No specialist financial background required

• Prospect Researchers - all experience levels

• Major Gift Fundraisers

• Heads or Directors of Philanthropy

• Any organisation engaged or aspiring to major gift fundraising

• Key principles are relevant internationally

Speakers

Jonathan Jeffery, Co Founder PyroTalks CIC

Jonathan is Co-Founder & Director of Pyro.Solutions & PyroTalks CIC and leads on data analytics and education.

Jonathan graduated in 2002 with a First Class Honours Degree in Business studies, specialising in finance, and holds a MSC in Banking and Finance with Distinction.

After graduating, Jonathan worked for a leading firm as a senior investment analyst, specialising in portfolio management and investment analysis, gaining a number of professional qualifications.

Jonathan then moved into higher education and lectured in company analysis, portfolio management and financial derivatives at Undergraduate, Postgraduate and MBA level. He was also appointed as Associate Dean for Education for The University of Sheffield Management School. He left this role in 2022 to focus on Pyro.Solutions and PyroTalks CIC.

Jonathan has also taught at some of the leading European Business schools, and was a visiting professor at EDHEC University between 2013-2019. He also continues to undertake risk management and treasury consultancy for a number of leading professional bodies and organisations.

Recordings

Recordings available, though we encourage all participants to attend live as much as possible.

Tickets

• Duo or Flex-Team Tickets - you do not need to provide names at booking, an open link will be sent to share with your team

• Upon booking you will automatically receive two emails, a receipt of purchase & joining Instructions. Please do check spam folders. If you have booked for others, please share with them.

• Includes Handout + Access to Recording for up to 1 month.

• Concession tickets ideally for charities with 1m or less income, though any organisation with restricted training budget is welcome to select this option

• Courses are primarily for charities and not for profits, though please contact us for corporate ticket options.

• All funds raised go back into the CIC aims.