Following on from the changes at Bluefrog Towers, we’ve caught our breath and looked at what we want Bluefrog Fundraising to be.

It’s easy to see that there will be many differences from the old Bluefrog. The fundraising landscape is very different from what we knew just a few years ago. And when we examine what differentiates charities that grow from those that stagnate, we find the adoption of a long-term strategy based on connection tends to correlate very closely with success.

Connection has always been a key element of our offer, but it’s now totally central. Not just in terms of the work we produce but how we work together as a team as well. A group of Bluefroggers (Katherine, Faye and Sophie – thank you to the three of you!) decided to introduce an old fashioned suggestion box to Bluefrog Fundraising to encourage feedback from people across all levels of the company.

A few people mentioned a desire for more holidays (which we have already started to introduce) and different beers for Friday afternoon drinks, but many comments were about connection. About more social events, learning lunches and opportunities to share ideas and get tips from others. And there were many volunteers to make things happen. The energy was obvious, we simply needed to remind people that they had permission to take some time out of day to day work to make the company a better place to be.

So we produced these posters which went up this week (based on an idea that someone found on the web – update: the original was on the UK Government Digital Service). They are a constant reminder that we are trying to create an environment that unshackles knowledge and creativity and ensures they flow freely around the company. They also recognise that work isn’t just about work and that thinking and mulling and reading and wandering about are all essential to the output of great ideas. In effect, we are trying to put everyone in charge of their own working lives (a little like we put donors in charge of their philanthropic lives) and build links between people that go beyond the department level.

It’s gone down well here and a few people have made some positive comments from outside the company as well so I thought it might be worth sharing.

And if this sounds like a company you might like to work for, why don’t you drop us a line. Whether you are an account handler, a planner or a creative, we are always looking for good people. Write to us at [email protected] and we’ll invite you in for a chat.