Anna Laurinsilta is currently the head of fundraising at the Finnish Red Cross. She began working there in 2007 in school and corporate fundraising, after which she did incentivised fundraising, and for the past three years she has been the head of fundraising operations.

– It was the international aspect that made me want to work for the Red Cross. I knew I would be able to learn many new things and work on the international stage in collaboration with organisations from other countries.

Before coming to the Red Cross, Laurinsilta had worked for almost nine years at the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare. She ended up working for the organisation after volunteering there.

– Somehow I have always been drawn to non-profit organisations. I am sociable and like working with people. The best thing about these jobs has been the way you get to see how much your work means to people. And it is wonderful to work for an organisation whose principles are something you can proudly stand behind.

So far there has been no actual training available in Finland for fundraising. According to Laurinsilta, the work is just as well suited to arts graduates as it is to economists. Above all the work requires good social skills, the ability to grasp the situation quickly, and an enthusiasm for hard work.

– My educational background has never been questioned. As an arts graduate, I have the kind of expertise that can be applied to this line of work that representatives of other fields might not necessarily have. Arts graduates are also able to talk money and understand numbers.

The 23-person team that Laurinsilta leads is, in her own words, “a motley crew.”

– Many different roads and many different degrees lead to this type of work. For us it is always a matter of finding a person who not only has the necessary expertise and know-how, but also has the desire to learn and try new things. The field of fundraising and its methods are in constant flux, and it is part of our work to continue learning something new.