Sylvia Costantini
Managing Director
My speciality is helping clients commit to and take very specific steps to set things in motion, making sure that the momentum they’ve gained through Great Fundraising will translate into an action plan. This is essential to maintain focus, nurture a culture of fundraising and to stay on track when things get tough.
Sylvia on Great Fundraising:
My favourite part of Great Fundraising is helping organizations transform their culture and embrace fundraising, no matter their size, mission or geographic location. Once they realise that the mission and the money are the same thing, even the most resistant members of staff become the best advocates for fundraising. And when that transformation is initiated, it ripples through the entire organization to create energy and focus.
About Sylvia:
Sylvia is an outstanding NGO leader combining big-picture visions with the ability to shepherd processes to achieve them, while also maintaining attention to important detail. She very effectively leads cross-cultural teams, manages complex systems and projects, and achieves results. Her interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills are exceptional, as is her commitment to excellence. She has a deep passion for the issues, for the teams she leads, and for taking organizations to the next level.
Megan Hallahan, Executive Director, The African Middle Eastern Leadership Initiative
Profile:
Sylvia Costantini is Managing Director at Philanthropy and Fundraising International, and has over 15 years’ experience running international development programs and organizations.
Before this, Sylvia was CEO of Bread and Water for Africa UK and European Director of Development for BWA, where she set up the branches of the charity in France and Germany and built their individual giving programmes from scratch. She also headed the development of innovative non-profits and social enterprises in Israel and Rwanda.
Sylvia holds a Certificate in Fundraising from the Association Française des Fundraisers and the ESSEC Business School in Paris. Fluent in French, Italian and English, Sylvia understands the cultural, fiscal and regulatory contexts of different markets. Her experience of fundraising techniques runs from good old direct mail to digital and social media to large scale, high-profile partnerships. Sylvia is an expert in cutting through misunderstandings and preconceived ideas, and uses facts, case studies and her own extended experience to work with organizations across the globe to achieve their new fundraising ambition.