Bonnie Clayton

Bonnie is a senior fundraising professional, with a drive for creating and implementing full-service fundraising strategies, campaigns and events to achieve social change for good causes.

Also a specialist in corporate fundraising, Bonnie has a results-driven approach based on advising on and building multi-faceted and mutually beneficial corporate partnerships. These are engineered to raise funds, awareness and support for charities, public sector and community organisations, whilst also meeting the needs of donors, sponsors and partners.

Bonnie takes a multi-dimensional approach to fundraising, looking at all potential sources of income from a donor – via their corporate and trust links, ability to give as an individual, make introductions to others or to attend a high value fundraising event.

With a background in commercial marketing (and a Business and Marketing Degree and Post Graduate International Marketing Diploma), Bonnie has over 24 years’ experience in the corporate, voluntary and public sectors. She has worked directly with a wide range of causes spanning overseas development, volunteering, the environment, fair trade, children, youth, women, health, disability, sport, cancer, medical research, the environment, the arts, crafts, early years, play, education, training, leadership, animal welfare, media and skills development.

In her first ten years in the voluntary sector, Bonnie lead Scope’s team of 14 corporate fundraisers, as well as headed up Corporate Relations for a £13m public sector capital appeal. Bonnie was also Head of Fundraising at Barts and the London NHS Trust.

During her subsequent 14+ years of consultancy, her clients have included local, regional, national and international causes (including charities, social enterprises and public sector organisations) from small local groups to complex multinational organisations. Bonnie is also a fellow of the RSA. Fellows are brought together by their belief in the power of ideas to drive social progress

Outside of work, Bonnie is mum to two children and enjoys watching them embrace life through their many out of school pursuits, in particular dance and theatre, a real passion of Bonnie’s. Bonnie also adores travelling and exploring new spots in the world, though less so with a back pack and more with a suitcase in recent years!

Bonnie’s key achievements include:

  • Raising £1.2 million in sponsorship for Special Olympics’ last National Games event.
  • Securing charity of the year and global partnerships with corporates such as Paddy Power and CMS Cameron McKenna, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds.
  • Managing corporate support in excess of £1m for Barts Hospital with wide-ranging partners to include The Evening Standard, ICAP, Clifford Change and Merrill Lynch.
  • Preparing a major fundraising strategy for the Cabinet Office.
  • Chairing a Cabinet Office grant making panel
  • Devising and implementing Scope’s first ever fundraising week with a public call to action (light years ahead of the ice bucket challenge!) and securing sponsors Proctor & Gamble, Birds Eye and B&Q to activate the campaign.