This week, we asked ourselves a question. If Raiser is being built by a couple of young(ish) know-it-alls… how do we make sure we’re not just running on enthusiasm and vibes?

🧠 Howard we do that?

We’ve been thinking a lot about what kind of wisdom we need around us.

Not just advisors who’ll nod along, but people who’ve actually built things — and stuck around long enough to see how they break, evolve, and endure.

  • People who’ve held their nerve when things got tough.
  • People who’ve shaped the sector with imagination and a long view.
  • People who care deeply about fundraising — and about fundraisers.

That’s the kind of guidance we wanted.

So…

We’re over the moon to welcome Howard Lake as the newest member of Raiser’s board. You might know Howard as the founder of UK Fundraising, an iconic digital resource for the sector.

What you might not know is that it was one of the first 5,000 websites ever built.

Back in 1994, there were fewer websites in the world than there were people in a small town. But Howard saw the potential of digital — and built something for fundraisers that’s lasted 30 years. 

It was digital from day one. Free to access. And never stopped running. 

Howard successfully sold UK Fundraising three years ago and has been looking for a small number of purposeful advisory roles in fundraising and philanthropy. 

I put myself out on a limb, shared my vision, and I’m honoured that Howard has chosen to support Raiser as we seek to transform funding for small charities. 

(Also, yes – for the fans — his site still has functioning 90s HTML. Righteous 🤙.)