It’s been quite a year for AAW and our benchmarking work — and we’re delighted to launch our first ever Fundraising Leadership Salary Benchmark Report, offering a clear snapshot of pay levels for senior fundraising leaders across the UK’s top charities in 2025.

Mark has been a close friend, colleague and mentor to me for over 20 years. From our time when we first met as part of the DEC to when 7 years ago, he left his beloved Red Cross to join Tobin Aldrich and myself in the newly formed consultancy practice Astarita Aldrich Ward.

Last week I received an email out of the blue that made smile. I have permission to share it with you and I wanted to do so, to as it’s a great reminder to all fundraisers especially, as well as candidates looking for new roles, to be brave – and that if you don’t ask, you don’t get. And if you ask beautifully, you are unlikely to be ignored and will stand out from the crowd.

As a specialist consultancy and executive search agency working with the charity sector, we’ve known for a while that the market for job-hunters has transformed. A rise in flexible working, changing practices around recruitment, and new technologies have altered the way we work, and the process of landing that dream job.

After a few years of uncertainty, the job market is now booming, although recruitment, particularly in fundraising, remains difficult for charities. We talk to AAW Partner Mark Astarita for his perspective on the current interim and permanent recruitment market based on his conversation with candidates, directors and chief execs on a daily basis, as well as advice if you are hiring right now.

Richard Bowyer, Chief Executive of the Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals charity talks about the impact our interview coaching service had on him as he celebrates a year in the role.