Your voice, your presence and professional responsibility
As fundraisers, our voices are central to our impact — whether we’re inspiring donors, influencing trustees, leading teams, pitching ideas or advocating for change. Yet many professionals feel their voice lets them down at crucial moments, particularly under pressure.
In this engaging and practical session, professional singer, performance coach and West End actress Rachel McFarlane explores how to use your voice with confidence, clarity and authenticity in professional fundraising settings. Drawing on her experience as a performer and coach, Rachel will demystify how the voice works and show how small physical and mental adjustments can dramatically change how we sound — and how we’re perceived.
Delegates will learn practical techniques to manage nerves, steady pitch, improve projection and speak with greater presence, without straining or “performing” inauthentically. The session will also explore how mindset and inner narrative influence vocal delivery — and how shifting these can help your voice sound more grounded, credible and confident.
Through simple exercises, group participation and optional practice, fundraisers will be encouraged to experiment safely and playfully with their voice. Rachel will also share insights from her own journey as an artist, including how confidence is built over time and how vulnerability can become a strength.
Delegates will leave with a small toolkit of techniques they can use immediately — before meetings, presentations or difficult conversations — to sound more like themselves, only clearer, calmer and more impactful.
Vocal Confidence Workshops at Fundraising Convention
Rachel will be running 4 vocal confidence workshops at Fundraising Convention 2026. These are listed as part of the main programme The sessions will run at the following times:
- 4 June: 10.45 - 11.30 and 13.45 - 14.30
- 5 June: 10.00 - 10.45 and 13.00 - 13.45
