Application Letter
Diana Messerchmann
Charity Right
London, United Kingdom
Re: Fundraising and Events Manager
Dear Ms. Messerchmann,
I am writing to apply for the Fundraising and Events Manager position. I have a master’s degree in events management and previous experience as a regional fundraising manager. That work involved building relationships with supporters, coordinating volunteers, reviewing campaign results, and working toward fundraising targets.
What interests me most about Charity Right is the direct link between fundraising activity and the organization’s work with school meals. (Charity Right, 2026a, 2026b) Events can sometimes become focused on attendance figures or the amount raised on the day. In my view, the stronger approach is to keep the purpose of the campaign visible throughout planning and delivery so that supporters understand what their contribution is helping to achieve.
My fundraising experience has also taught me that a successful event depends on details that the public may never see. Budgets need to be realistic, volunteers need clear instructions, suppliers need deadlines, and safeguarding or safety concerns have to be dealt with before the event begins. Afterward, the financial result should be reconciled properly and supporters should be thanked and kept informed.
I am comfortable using campaign data to improve future activity. Registrations, attendance, average donation, cost, conversion, and repeat participation can all be useful, but only when they lead to practical decisions. If an event attracts many first-time supporters, for example, the next question is how to build a longer-term relationship rather than simply reporting a successful attendance figure.
I have worked with volunteers and understand the importance of making expectations clear without making the experience unnecessarily formal. People give their time because they want to contribute, and good organization helps them do that confidently. Clear briefings, a named contact, realistic responsibilities, and recognition after the event make a significant difference.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how my fundraising and events experience could support Charity Right’s campaigns. Thank you for considering my application.
Yours sincerely,
Sample Applicant
Project Plan: Communication and Culture at Access Wimbledon
The second part of the assignment concerns communication problems at Access Wimbledon. The case includes tension between managers, employees, and volunteers, along with concerns about hierarchy, discrimination, and unclear expectations. Although cultural theories such as Hofstede’s can be useful, they should not be used as an easy explanation for every disagreement. A problem that appears “cultural” may actually be caused by workload, poor supervision, unclear roles, or inconsistent treatment.
Understanding the Problem
The first stage should be to gather evidence rather than begin with assumptions. That could include confidential conversations with staff and volunteers, a short anonymous survey, review of complaints and turnover, and observation of how decisions are communicated. Anyone reporting racism, harassment, or safeguarding concerns should also have a route that does not depend entirely on the manager involved in the complaint.
It would be useful to establish a simple baseline: how often complaints arise, how long they take to resolve, whether volunteers remain with the organization, and whether staff understand who is responsible for particular tasks. These measures give the project something concrete to compare later.
Hierarchy and Power Distance
Andi appears to feel that his views carry less weight because he is not a manager. Hofstede’s idea of power distance can help explain different expectations about hierarchy, but it does not justify intimidation or dismissive treatment. Managers need authority, yet employees also need a safe way to question decisions and raise concerns.
A practical improvement would be regular one-to-one meetings and a clearer escalation route. Staff should know which decisions are open to discussion and which decisions ultimately rest with management. That is more useful than simply telling employees to “communicate better.”
Volunteers and Role Clarity
Gertrude’s concerns about volunteers point to another problem: people may be relied on heavily without being given the same clarity that paid employees receive. Access Wimbledon should provide volunteers with a short induction, clear responsibilities, information about safeguarding, a named supervisor, and a simple way to give feedback.
Paid staff also need to understand the limits of volunteer roles. Volunteers can support an organization, but they should not quietly become substitutes for work that requires professional responsibility or specialist training.
Discrimination Concerns
Andi’s belief that his skin color affects the way he is treated should not be dismissed as a misunderstanding. It needs a fair process. The organization should record the concern, protect the employee from retaliation, speak to relevant people, and look for patterns in workload, discipline, promotion, or informal treatment.
Training on bias can help, but it will have little effect if managers behave differently from the standards taught in the training. The organization’s response to actual complaints will shape trust more than a one-day workshop.
Individualism, Teamwork, and Boundaries
Dennis’s reluctance to do work outside his assigned role could be interpreted as individualism, but it might also reflect overload or poor job design. In the same way, Gertrude’s preference for shared work can support teamwork, but responsibilities still need owners. If everyone is responsible for everything, important tasks can easily be missed.
A better approach is to define the core duties of each role and then explain how temporary support should work when pressure increases. Requests for help should be specific about what is needed and how other priorities will be adjusted.
Communication Improvements
Access Wimbledon would benefit from a few simple standards rather than a complicated communication policy. Important decisions should be recorded. Urgent channels should be reserved for urgent matters. Staff should know where confidential information belongs and who needs access to it. Meetings should end with clear actions and named owners.
Managers should also avoid vague criticism. Feedback is much easier to use when it identifies the behavior, explains its effect, and says what should happen differently next time.
Implementation
During the first month, the organization should gather evidence and deal with any urgent discrimination or safeguarding concerns. Over the next two months, it can revise role descriptions, volunteer guidance, complaint routes, and communication practices. After that, management should review whether complaints are being resolved more quickly, whether volunteers are staying, and whether staff report greater clarity and trust.
The aim is not to remove every disagreement. Healthy organizations still have disagreements. The aim is to make sure that problems can be raised, discussed, and resolved without people feeling ignored or threatened.
Link to Fundraising and Events Management
The application letter and the Access Wimbledon case appear to be separate tasks, but they test similar management skills. A fundraising event depends on volunteers, staff, clear roles, accurate communication, and confidence in the person leading the activity. If volunteers are confused or employees are afraid to raise concerns, even a well-funded event can fail.
For that reason, good fundraising management is not only about promotion or income. It also involves how people are organized and treated behind the scenes.
Conclusion
The strongest response to the Access Wimbledon case is to combine cultural awareness with practical management. Hofstede’s framework can help generate questions, but it should not become a stereotype. The organization needs evidence, clearer roles, safer reporting routes, consistent treatment, and managers who explain decisions rather than simply relying on authority.
Those same principles are relevant to a Fundraising and Events Manager. Supporters may see the public event, but the quality of the internal communication often determines whether the event succeeds.
References
Charity Right. (2026a). Events. https://www.charityright.org.uk/events/
Charity Right. (2026b). Fundraising. https://www.charityright.org.uk/fundraising/
Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. McGraw-Hill.
Nakata, C. (Ed.). (2009). Beyond Hofstede: Culture frameworks for global marketing and management. Palgrave Macmillan.
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