Gem spotlight - Rachael Lance, Head of Supporter mobilisation, WWF-Australia
Gembridge is proud to sponsor the Leadership & Emerging Issues track at the FIA Conference and feature Rachael as Co-Chair, bringing her expertise and passion for innovative fundraising leadership. Known for championing collaboration and creativity, Rachael is helping shape conversations that matter. A huge thank you to Rachael and all the volunteer committee who make this track and conference possible! Join us at FIA Conference to connect with Rachael and be part of these inspiring sessions.
Now let’s get to know Rachael…
Image: Rachael Lance
What session are you most excited to attend at the FIA Conference in Melbourne—and why?
We're kicking off the Leadership and Emerging Issues track sessions with an exciting one: "Harnessing the power of love in fundraising leadership", with Nathan Reynolds from Starlight Children's Foundation. Built on the idea that philanthropy is an expression of love—as fundraisers, we're in the business of love! Nathan will be sharing his journey to owning his leadership super power of love, it's refreshing to see this style of leadership be heroed.
I'm also looking forward to presenting at the FIA Conference, alongside Jo Watson from the Smith Family and Peter Coleman from the Benchmarking Project. Using insights from 55+ interviews with fundraisers and coupled with real-world case studies from our organisations, we'll be tackling the big challenges that keep fundraisers up at night.
What’s the best thing about your current role?
For me, the best part of my work is knowing that what we do really makes a difference. I love helping supporters feel empowered to drive change and making sure their experience with us is meaningful and rewarding. Seeing the impact of collective action is always inspiring. I'm also so lucky to work with a great team across such a broad portfolio—there’s always something new, whether it’s a campaign, innovative initiative, or finding creative ways to engage people.
What is your proudest accomplishment or career highlight?
It's hard to pinpoint one single thing. I'm so proud of so many of the campaigns we've run, the innovations we've tried and the impact our fundraising and advocacy work has had on the world around us. But what makes me proud is seeing my team shine—when they have a win or get offered an exciting opportunity, I'm like a proud mother hen.
A personal highlight this year was receiving the great honour of becoming a Fellow of FIA, alongside my amazing FIA Conference track co-chair Heather Little. The nomination really blew me away and it was truly so humbling to be recognised by my fundraising family in this way. Proud, but honoured and grateful beyond belief.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
"Done, not perfect" is something a mentor once shared with me that really help me moved past perfectionism tendencies. Honestly, who has time for that!? It's now embedded in how I work and innovate, being much bolder and ambitious in trying new things and getting stuff done.
Another mentor really helped shaped how I think about leadership and the sanctity of a team: he would always say, "You can’t have jerks on a team." I’ve seen how even one person with the wrong attitude can undermine trust and collaboration, no matter how talented they are. It really taught me that protecting team culture is non-negotiable—skills matter, but respect and shared values matter more.
What first inspired you to get into fundraising or the nonprofit sector?
Back when I worked in advertising, I was having a performance review with my CEO and when he asked what kind of dream clients I'd like to aspire to having, I answered "I'd love to have a charity client.” He laughed and jokingly said, "That's not really a goal. Perhaps you should work for a charity!" The thought had never crossed my mind, but after that, I couldn't let it go. So when I moved overseas the following year, that's what I set out to do. My first fundraising role was at Marie Curie UK and from the moment I started, I knew I'd found my place and my people. 15 years later, I'm still so thankful to have this as a career.
Fundraising can be challenging. What keeps you focused, motivated, and committed to giving back, even when it’s tough?
It sounds cheesy but a genuine desire to want drive positive change in the world, and my team. I'm grateful to be surrounded by such a great team, knowing how hard they work and how passionate they are, I can't help but be motivated and try to keep up their motivation and energy.
What do you think the future of fundraising looks like?
It’s impossible to ignore the rapid evolution of AI and digital technology in shaping the future of fundraising. We're operating in an experience economy, so supporters will expect experiences that feel tailored and immersive, with hyper-personalisation becoming the norm. AI offers great opportunities to understand donor motivations and deliver meaningful engagement at scale, but it comes with a responsibility to maintain trust and authenticity, which will be more important than ever. The challenge will be using automation and data in ways that feel human, not transactional. The organisations that will shine are those that combine innovation with genuine connection.
What’s a skill or quality that you think every great fundraiser should have?
I think empathy is a pretty important one, as both a fundraiser and a leader. The first rule of fundraising is knowing "I am not the target audience" but if you can put yourself in the shoes of a donor and think about how they might react to something, it's a good start to being supporter-centric.
What’s your favourite holiday destination, and why?
Image: Rachael, from a recent trip to Iceland
I'm a landscape girl so mountainous and picturesque places like Canada and Bolivia are impossibly beautiful and places I would love to visit again. I just got back from a trip to Iceland, which was amazing and is now also a firm favourite. Driving through the rugged and rapidly-changing landscape was outer-worldly and being lucky enough to see the Northern Lights was a dream come true.
How do you unwind or recharge after a long day?
I love to do pottery to unwind—it's my version of meditation or mindfulness. I usually practice on the weekend rather than after work but it really helps me switch off and not think about anything other than the piece I'm making. After work, spending some time cooking a nice meal is a helpful recharge and disconnect from my day.