Fundraising Bright Spots
Fundraising Bright Spots
Rob Woods, Bright Spot
192. Tenacious Fundraising: How to Keep Going When Funders Keep Saying No, with Sarah Tavener
28 minutes Posted Feb 27, 2026 at 6:00 am.
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Every fundraiser knows the sting of a donor saying “no.” 


An invaluable skill is knowing when to step back and when to learn, adapt and try again. In this encouraging conversation, Sarah Tavener, Head of Global Philanthropy at Mines Advisory Group (MAG), shares the remarkable story of how she secured a multi-million-dollar donation after 19 years of thoughtful persistence with the same funder! 


We hope Sarah’s insights will help you be tenacious and creative when your idea or proposal still makes sense, so that you too get the transformational results that your hard work deserves. 


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