It was reassuring to hear at yesterday’s conference about raising funds from the rich that there are many millionaire philanthropists with spare money to give away.

I was just one of 1,848 delegates from the third sector keen to discover the key to this. And after hearing from the speakers, it all made very good sense.

Firstly, it is most important to develop a relationship with the intended donor, and not simply present a begging bowl asking him to fund your overheads.

You should start by checking your database for wealth intelligence; study the addresses and the background of your contacts to find out who the people are that you already know, whether they are rich and have disposable income, or have access to wealthy contacts. They obviously need to be sympathetic to your cause, which is why it is essential to do your homework and check up on their background.

The best advice is always the most obvious – use the personal touch and do not bother with emailing or sending out letters asking for money. It doesn’t work. Arrange to meet the prospective donors face to face, and be patient. Do not expect the money to land in your lap straight away, but let them get to know your organisation over time so they can understand the personal benefits for them too and the difference their donation could make.

One example of best practice was a charity which checked out its wealth intelligence on its database. It invited prospective donors to a special fundraising event, making it clear that donations were sought. After securing £300,000 on the night, they maintained contact with their donors and developed a relationship which saw further financial support.

We were told that donors want to be kept informed and involved, perhaps joining the organisation in an advisory capacity. We were recommended to check out family businesses and the Asian community, both which have strong values and want to give something back.

It was even suggested charities should approach banks and building societies to help restore their tarnished image by becoming more giving and less greedy.

Philanthropists are also innovators and want to be involved with charities which have a positive vision and exciting plans about their future; they want to share your excitement and passion.

I know we have lots of good contacts on our books at Headway Cambridgeshire which are worth pursuing this way. I am going to study our contacts with our CEO with a fine toothcomb. We are fortunate in having a kind offer from Cambridge MP David Howarth to host a fundraising event at Westminster, and his could be the perfect opportunity for us to put all this good advice into practice.

*Sir Richard Branson was a fabulous speaker and explained the charity work he was promoting at Virgin – conflict resolution in African countries, a centre for disease control and global warming. He also has a website which promotes other charities.

“Virgin has always believed it makes good business sense to have a positive impact on the communities we work alongside.”

During the question and answer session, he was asked why he didn’t support more local charities instead of global issues, and women’s issues too, and he said these were good points and would be considered.

Too many of the questions were from delegates who wanted to entice Sir Richard’s support for their own projects. He was really put on the spot when he was asked – and agreed – to lend one woman £200 for a new printer, allow his PR and Marketing team to work with an expanding charity, and meet one young man “for a minute” afterwards.

“Are you sure you don’t want to meet my daughter Holly instead who is also here?” said Sir Richard, pointing to his pretty blonde daughter sitting on the front row.

“Maybe I can start Virgin Dating!”

*I actually thought Sir Richard looked much better in the flesh than in his photos, and he does have a very charismatic aura about him. There was a Virgin stand at the conference and I asked the staff whether my son David, who is studying Economics and Marketing, could have a year’s work placement with them as part of his degree course.

“It’s not the kind of thing we normally do. But we have a saying at Virgin: ask and you will be surprised what happens!”