EUConsult Information Service
2005 September
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Member Profiles
Fabbiene Pouyadou
Name: FABIENNE POUYADOU
Position: Director of Development
Company: EXCEL
e-mail: fabienne.pouyadou(at)excel.fr
Web: www.excel.fr
FACT FILE | |
Main business areas: Fundraising | Date business started: 1988 |
Number of consultancy staff: 37 | Countries of operation: France mainly but also occasionally in Luxembourg, Spain and Belgium |
THE BUSINESS
What range of clients do you serve?
Mainly charities from all fields - children, health, people with disabilities, human rights, but also a few schools and museums. They vary in size, raising from €1.5 million to up to €30 million a year.
How has your business evolved since it was started?
At the beginning EXCEL concentrated exclusively on direct marketing services. Now we provide services in all areas of fundraising, including events, corporate partnerships, legacy fundraising, internet, etc. We offer a very broad range of services from consultancy to full management of fundraising programmes, including production (printing, mailshots etc).
Where will your consultancy be in a few years time?
We are looking at developing internationally, mainly within Europe.
Also, we are looking at developing new services for corporate clients to help them implement their social responsibility programmes. We have just carried out a survey among 30 companies in France that demonstrates the need for consultancy in that field, especially as far as partnerships with charities are concerned.
Which opportunities and threats do you see for your work in the sector and for the development of NPOs?
The main threat is that the French charity market is fairly limited. There are no more than 150 charities actively fundraising from the public and working with consultants. We work or have worked with most of them. Ironically, another threat for us is that we are a leader in France in the fundraising field.
But on the other hand, with France being a “young market”, there is still a great potential for new techniques within the charity sector. In addition, museums, universities and hospitals, which are still mainly public funded, are now starting to open up to fundraising from private sources.
Which sources of information do you find most useful in your business?
Anyone interested in fundraising in France should take a look at www.uniongenerosite.org, the French reference site for fundraising.
EUCONSULT MEMBERSHIP
Why did you join EUConsult?
Excel is a co-founder of EUConsult. Inspired by Tom Harris (former Chair of the World Fundraising Council), we were convinced that it was important to regulate consultancy for the non-profit sector. The creation of a code of ethics was the original reason why we got involved and this is still key to us, but we also find the networking and sharing of experiences most useful.
With which other EUConsult members have you found the opportunity to cooperate on projects?
We are very interested in cooperating with other EUConsult members and are open to suggestions in this regard.
BACKGROUND INFO
Where and what did you study?
I studied at a business school in Paris, specialising in Marketing and Communications. I learnt fundraising through hands on experience and also through professional training when I was a fundraiser in London.
How did you first get involved in NPO consultancy?
I was a fundraiser for 10 years in France and England before I started to do consultancy with EXCEL in 2003.
What interests you most about staying in the field?
I work for (and in) this sector because I am committed to its overall mission, i.e. helping those in need. I like to believe that this sector can be innovative and a leader in France in terms of social changes and this is very stimulating. Also, as a consultant I particularly enjoy meeting new charities all the time, getting to know their histories, missions and values and helping them meet specific challenges.
What do you do to relax and forget your consultancy work? I do some volunteer work for the Red Cross as a paramedic!
