Five things I learned from the Ask Direct Summer School
Last week I had the privilege of being part of one of the most exciting fundraising conferences I’ve ever attended – The Ask Direct Fundraising Summer School. A group of highly talented people shared, inspired and challenged us to do better. Not just as fundraisers…
Change the future of fundraising by sharing your best practice
I’m currently working with Ken Burnett who has asked me to identify the best global fundraising practice to be featured in the final report of the Commission on the Donor Experience. Our goal is to demonstrate what can be achieved over the long-term by focusing…
What can we learn from Lord Grade?
Last week, I shared a few thoughts in Third Sector, about Lord Grade's views on fundraising. You probably read about his interview in The Sunday Times and may well have heard his speech at the IoF gala dinner. What follows is a slightly more detailed…
Three things you need to get right in mid-value fundraising
There has been a surge of interest in mid-value fundraising over the last year, so I thought it might be worth sharing a few thoughts about the technique. For those who don’t know, mid-value fundraising is a focused, engaging and highly personal version of direct marketing that asks…
Thoughts on the roots of the fundraising crisis and what might happen next
For all the headlines, news reports and criticism of fundraising over the last year, the point that seems to have escaped attention is just how we found ourselves in so much trouble. It's all too easy to blame elements of the media for whipping up a…
Time to change tactics – the view from Australia
Last year, I spoke at the Australasian Fundraising Forum in Sydney. I shared my thoughts on the fundraising crisis in the UK and how we ended up in such a mess. I also looked at what was happening in Australia and found a number of similarities…
Who should influence the future of fundraising?
With the most influential fundraiser/popularity contest up and running, I thought it presented a rather interesting opportunity. I’ve always been of the view than rather an opportunity to vote for mates, colleagues and famous faces, it should be presented as a means to introduce some…
What do donors actually read when you write to them?
There aren’t too many fundraisers who can be unaware of the power of using YOU in copy. One of my favourite fundraisers, Tom Ahern, gives the word central importance in his brilliantly effective Ahern Audit, with the famous You test. But why does such a simple word make such…
What is wrong with trojan horse fundraising?
There's a fundraising technique that's caught on in the last few years based on offering important information as a means to obtain someone's contact details. You probably have seen the type of thing I'm talking about on TV or train ads. Rather than directly offer…
How do we change the public perception of fundraising?
With the ongoing media storm, improving the public perception of fundraising is near the top of every fundraiser's list of concerns. But luckily, not only do we have the Commission on the Donor Experience working on the problem, senior staff from the UK’s top charities recently got together…
The Essentials
Crack the Code to Regular Giving: Insights, Strategies, and a Special Giveaway!
‘Tis Halloween. Keep to the light and beware the Four Fundraisers of the Apocalypse!
Why do people give? The Donor Participation Project with Louis Diez.
A guide to fundraising on the back of a postcard
What does the latest research tell us about the state of fundraising?