Who we are
Andrew de Mille BBS, MBA, M Inst F
Andrew was educated at Fettes College, Edinburgh and Trinity College, Dublin, and subsequently trained in marketing with Shell. He started his fundraising career in 1971, working for seven years in a specialist capital project fundraising consultancy. In 1978 he went to Cranfield School of Management, setting up this consultancy immediately after he was awarded his MBA in 1979.
Experience
Since 1979 Andrew has undertaken more than 250 consultancy projects, over half of which were in managing local and regionally based capital fundraising projects ranging from £50,000 to £15million. Andrew has an unparallelled personal track record of success. He now operates as a one man consultancy with a small support team.
Andrew has undertaken hundreds of assignments and helped fund many building projects including
- theatres and arts festivals
- hospices, hospitals and health care
- school projects such as sports halls, all weather pitches, sixth form centres
- church refurbishments
- cathedrals and historic buildings
- care homes and social housing
- community organisations
- museums and galleries
- community foundations
He has a depth and breadth of community-based fundraising which is probably unmatched, and applies this experience to strategic plans, fundraising audits, mentoring, major gift campaigns and general fundraising consultancy assignments.
Professional standards and memberships
Andrew received American-inspired formal training in fundraising techniques at the outset of his career. With his business school background he was always concerned about professional standards and to keep improving his own knowledge. He joined the Institute of Fundraising at its inaugural meeting, as its 14th member - there are now over 4000 members.
In 1989 he was one of six consultants who combined to form the Association of Fundraising Consultants, again to improve standards and to offer a degree of security to clients by creating a scrutinised, client-recommended and peer-vetted membership. He has been Chairman of the Association and is currently a Board member.
Personal
Andrew de Mille is rooted in family life. For over thirty years he shared the office at home with his wife Annie, a sole practitioner solicitor, who sadly died in 2006. Their three children, now in their twenties, live independently as they start out in their own careers, but there is constant contact and family activity. Andrew also enjoys travel, cycling (including touring) hill walking, music making, writing. More recently he has developed his strong interest in drawing and painting.
Voluntary Work
Andrew has always had pro bono fundraising work in progress for local organisations. For example, in the last few years he has helped local groups
- prepare for the successful lottery bid for Cookham's Stanley Spencer Gallery
- raise £100,000 to erect a statue of Steve Redgrave in Marlow;
- raise almost £200,000 to extend the Elizabeth House Day Centre in Cookham (this project is referred to in this article)
Andrew de Mille became a Trustee of the Stanley Spencer Gallery in December 2008, where he has particular responsibility for arranging loans of Spencer works for the Gallery's themed Summer Exhibitions and can also provide fundraising support when needed.