Colin McCallum has worked for more than 20 years with European educational and cultural organisations to establish fundraising and external relations programmes that bring long-lasting benefits. In his consulting work he has provided extensive assistance in fundraising, alumni relations, public relations and community engagement to clients across the higher education, cultural and charity sectors.

He previously served as chief executive of GG+A’s work in the United Kingdom and Europe, and continues to serve clients on behalf of the firm. Colin also is the director of development at Glasgow Caledonian University and vice president of the GCU Foundation. Prior to joining the firm in 2003, he worked for the National Museums of Scotland as director, marketing and development. There, he led a new development strategy that, in less than three years, exceeded its five-year fundraising target. He was also responsible for corporate marketing, public relations, events management, publications, membership and fundraising.

From 1988 to 1998, Colin was with the University of Strathclyde. As the institutiton’s first director of external affairs and development, Colin oversaw the highly successful Campaign 2000 capital campaign, which won gold in the 1993 UK Professional Fundraising Awards. Prior to that, he held positions at St Hilda’s College, Oxford, where he led the college’s first major campaign, and University of Edinburgh, where he managed communications and services as the University’s first alumni relations officer.

Colin holds his bachelor’s degree in English literature and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Edinburgh.

Selected GG+A client work includes:

– British Red Cross, counsel on the creation of a major gift strategy and the organisation of a new major gifts team, which led to dramatic growth in the programme

– University of Durham, support to interim management, helping to carry out a mid-campaign review, and advising during the latter stages of a campaign, which successfully ended in 2007

– Royal Scottish National Orchestra, strategic advice to the chief executive and Board, as well as ongoing support to new and growing teams in development and communications

– MGIMO – Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University), a major scoping study on the potential for fundraising at this leading Russian institution, and support and advice to leadership on implementation strategies

– University of Leeds, assessment of internal readiness for growth and strategic advice on development, staffing and alumni relations activity, resulting in a number of major gifts to date