Mark Astarita OBE, Principal Associate at AAW Group, former Chair of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, and a fundraiser credited with serving to to boost over £1.5 billion for humanitarian causes, has died.
Astarita fell sick whereas on vacation in Spain final week, and died on Friday, 26 April.
A statement by Principal Associate Imogen Ward on the AAW Group web site calls him “a kind of distinctive individuals who modified your life from merely being in his presence”, and paid tribute to his ardour for, amongst different issues, the Crimson Cross Motion, and for championing fundraisers.
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Within the assertion, Ward says:
“Mark raised hundreds and a great deal of cash for the causes he labored for in his profession – billions of {dollars} in actual fact. He gained numerous awards, was the Chair of many, many committees and establishments and even obtained an OBE in recognition of his work. However I feel the factor he was proudest of was the groups of Fundraisers he led and impressed to not solely ship the best for the charity they have been working for, however to realize greatness for themselves.”
Astarita was awarded an OBE in 2015 in recognition of his companies to fundraising.
At AAW Group, which he founded with Ward and Tobin Aldrich in 2016, he labored primarily with the Individuals division. Earlier than this, he spent 14 years at British Red Cross as Director of Fundraising the place he’s credited with trebling its revenue, and previous to that, spent 9 years at National Deaf Children’s Society the place he was its first Director of Fundraising, earlier than later holding the position of Deputy CEO. He was Chair of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising from 2011 to 2014.
Astarita was additionally Vice-Chair of trustees at St Clare’s Hospice in Essex, and had served on the board of St Joseph’s Hospice in Hackney, and been a trustee at VSO.
He additionally joined Article 25 as a Trustee in 2022.
Chief Government, Gemma Holding described him as “a passionate and dedicated advocate of the work we do all over the world.”
She added:
“Mark had an excellent thoughts and a giant coronary heart – and he will likely be sorely missed by us all. We’ll miss his heat, his knowledge, his humour and his dedication.
“We have been exceptionally fortunate to have Mark on board – he actually was one of many biggest leaders within the sector in latest a long time, and we benefited vastly from his worldwide improvement and fundraising experience. Mark was an amazing trustee, an excellent pal and an enormous help.
“The Board of Trustees, myself and the workers wish to ship our honest condolences to his household.”
Extra tributes from the sector
Susan Daniels OBE, Chief Government on the Nationwide Deaf Kids’s Society, stated:
“Mark Astarita joined the Nationwide Deaf Kids’s Society as our first Director of Fundraising in 1993. At the moment the charity had one fundraiser and was completely depending on legacy, statutory and belief revenue with a turnover of simply over £1 million. Mark launched problem occasions and nose to nose fundraising into the combo and set the foundations for our revenue development, making it potential for us to put money into rising our charitable programme and campaigning actions.
“Fundraising was in his DNA – he was an unbelievable fundraiser with an uncanny capability to identify alternatives and nurture up and coming expertise. Lots of the individuals who labored with him in these early days on the Nationwide Deaf Kids’s Society have now gone onto be Administrators of Fundraising and CEOs within the sector.
“He was a giant character with great appeal and charisma. He touched the lives of so many individuals and made an instantaneous impression on everybody he met. He was a loyal pal who at all times had time, regardless of how busy he was. I sought his recommendation on many events through the years and his in depth expertise of fundraising throughout the globe was invaluable. It’s so tough to ponder the actual fact he’s now not with us, and his premature loss of life has left everybody who knew him reeling. Our deepest condolences to his household, his many mates and colleagues.”
Additionally commenting, a CIOF spokeswoman stated:
“We’re very unhappy to listen to of the loss of life of our former Chair, Mark Astarita OBE. He was a relentless champion for our occupation, and his ardour and achievements depart an indelible mark on our group. A devoted and proud fundraiser, all through his 30-year profession Mark was answerable for elevating over £1.5bn for good causes internationally. Our ideas are with Mark’s household, mates and colleagues at this unhappy time.”
Giles Pegram CBE, Guide, stated:
“Mark Astarita was a power of nature. He had an enormous character and presence. He couldn’t be missed.
“Whether or not as a Director of Fundraising himself, or recruiting the easiest Administrators of Fundraising for tomorrow, Mark had a profound affect on the fundraising sector.
“We had lunch recurrently. I knew to count on a whirlwind of vitality, concepts and scurrilous feedback. We mentioned, debated and profoundly disagreed. I at all times got here away from our lunches feeling higher than I did earlier than them.
“I do know it’s corny to say so, however Mark will depart a void within the fundraising world.”
The information was additionally shared on LinkedIn by Ward, with many individuals from throughout the sector commenting on the submit to pay their tributes to his ardour and his kindness, and share their unhappiness in listening to the information.