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Hi, I am Simona!
I help fundraisers and organisations build stronger, more strategic relationships with major donors.
For more than 20 years, I’ve worked with charities, universities and international organisations to develop major donor programmes, build strategic partnerships and navigate some of their most important philanthropic relationships.
I created Major Donor Lab to make that experience practical and accessible — combining proven fundraising principles with the judgement, confidence and relationship-building skills that major donor fundraising really requires.
A career shaped by extraordinary people
Over the past two decades, I've had the privilege of working alongside some of the world's leading academics, Nobel Prize laureates, Brain Prize recipients, political leaders, globally recognised experts and inspiring philanthropists.
I've worked with organisations securing gifts of every size—from four-figure donations transforming local communities to multi-million philanthropic partnerships advancing climate action, higher education, human rights and scientific discovery.
Working alongside remarkable people has reinforced one lesson above all others: generosity grows where trust, purpose and relationships come first.
My philosophy
Relationships before transactions
People don't give because they are persuaded.
They give because they believe.
Strategies before tactics
Great fundraising isn't built on clever techniques
It's built on clear thinking , consistency and long-term vision
Partnership before fundraising
Strong philanthropic relationships create value for all involved.
Why I created Major Donor Lab
When I started my career, I was fortunate to learn from some exceptional teachers.
But it was the rare opportunities to learn from people who had actually done the job that had the greatest impact on me.
Experience changes the conversation.
It goes beyond theory and helps you understand what really works, what doesn't and why.
That's why I created Major Donor Lab: to share the practical guidance I wish had been more accessible when I started my own fundraising journey.
Everything I teach is grounded in more than twenty years of real-world experience the successes, the setbacks and the lessons learned along the way and designed to help you build stronger donor relationships with confidence.
Let me help you
Whether you're building your first major donor programme or strengthening an existing one, my goal is to give you practical tools you can apply with confidence.