August and early September are the quietest weeks a trust fundraiser gets all year. Stacey Teece sets out how to use them: an honest pipeline review, a realistic income forecast, every autumn deadline in the diary, and end of grant reports prepared before the rush arrives. A few intentional hours now is what makes September manageable.

After nearly two years of Let's Chat sessions, training and client work, Stacey Teece keeps hearing the same questions from trust fundraisers. Here she answers the most common ones honestly and practically, from executive summaries and application length to how much to ask for and making the case for core costs. No judgement, no silly questions.