Do you need some help?
Most fundraisers work with tight budgets and to tough targets. It’s part of the territory of fundraising. Creative thinking, a focus on the needs of the donor and great database management can only take you so far. Sometimes you need help. But who do you…
Great logo, shame about the work
Another interesting piece of research has just been released by nfpSynergy. This study looks at how a charity's size can influence the way in which it is perceived. Perhaps the most important finding is that over half the people surveyed saw big charities as being…
How I learned to stop worrying and love financial overheads
The debate about the relaxation of rules controlling comparative charity advertising continues (the Fundraising Detective has the best links on his site). Much of the discussion seems to be about the impact of charities putting the public boot into each other regarding things like…
So donors are rational are they?
A study by academics from East Carolina University, the University of Chicago, the University of Maryland and the University of Nevada-Reno came up with some interesting results that showed that it’s not always what a charity says or does that influences a gift. The research…
The Twelve Tweets of March
The tradition continues with a round up of my favourite things found via Twitter over the last month. The rules stay the same. Everything has something to do with fundraising and everything is credited to the tweeter who found it. Here we go… Every big…
How to make sure your ideas will work
People often ask me about how we do such great work at Bluefrog. The answer is simple. Years ago, we bought ourselves an OkiDoki 30007 ideas checker. Every idea that we come up with goes into the hopper (1). Computer science then gives it a…
Giving is a game
This one's very left field. It's the weekend, so forgive me. It's a thirty minute presentation by Jesse Schell, at DICE 2010, on the future of games. Maybe you should stop now. You're a fundraiser for a charity. There's nothing you can learn about fundraising…
Think of a number
I’ve just been looking through nfpSynergy’s March 2010 Charity Awareness Monitor survey. It has a fairly large chunk of information on people’s attitudes to fundraising. In short, they tend to find it annoying. They single out telephone and door-to-door techniques as being particularly offensive but…
Engaging entrepreneurial donors with creative thinking
Many years ago, whilst working for the YMCA, we created a very successful donor recruitment and development campaign. The only trouble was that we didn’t have enough cash to realise it’s full potential. Rather than just sighing and waiting for the next financial year, my boss…
What direct mail fundraisers can learn from charity box collections
So much fundraising research concentrates on the relationship donors have with charities via direct mail that we tend to forget that cash is still the most common way to give. The latest data from NCVO / CAF shows that 48% of donors gave cash gifts…
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?