Why do younger people seem to ignore your appeals?
An interesting set of studies has been published by UC Berkley that looks at how our emotional strategies for dealing with upsetting issues change as we age. As psychologist, Robert Levenson explains: "Increasingly, it appears that the meaning of late life centres on social relationships…
Have a great christmas
I've a couple of posts that still can't get from my brain to the interweb and, quite honestly, it looks like I'm running out of time. But it's christmas! I hope yours is a fantastic one and that santa brings you everything you could wish…
Hopes and fears for 2011
I was asked to write a few paragraphs for The Guardian Voluntary Sector Network on my hopes and fears for 2011. I've been meaning to write something on this for the last few weeks and as I've been a little busy, I thought it worth…
Whatever Jumo is, it isn’t magic
I'm sure people sometimes confuse me with Harry Potter. They invite me in to discuss a new piece of work and the conversation goes a little like this… Hopeful fundraiser: We need to raise (insert very large sum of money of your choice here) urgently….
If Santa was a brand
Santa Claus has been around for a fair few years now and there can't be many of us who don't understand what he's all about. But what would happen if Santa turned up at an advertising agency looking for some advice on how he could…
Online donors are old-fashioned too
A particularly interesting report has just been published by Network for Good andTruesense Marketing. It looks at online giving in the US. It’s a massive study that covers $381 million in online giving through Network for Good’s platform including 3.6 million gifts to 66,470 different…
Taking protesting from the streets to Facebook
There are many ways to protest and with things like Facebook around, you don't neceassrily have to pick up a placard or loud-hailer and march the streets. PETA proved this when they staged an anti-fur protest on DKNY's Facebook page last Monday. Sixteen different users…
More great ideas from before any of us were born
I picked up a copy of My Life in Advertising & Scientific Advertising a short while ago. It was written in the 1920s by Claude Hopkins. Claude was an ad man who wasn’t too shabby at his craft. Back in 1907 he was earning $185,000…
How to get a £1 million donation
The Coutts Million Pound Donors Report 2010 has just been published. It takes a look at the condition of British philanthropy at the very top of the giving scale – which, as you might guess, covers gifts of £1,000,000 and more. There were just 201…
What makes a good banner ad?
I can't think of any areas of fundraising where simple and engaging propositions don't work – and that includes online display ads. And here's an example to prove it. You've probably seen the recent fundraising campaign on Wikipedia, where they have tested a number of…
The Essentials
‘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?
How do donors manage their philanthropic budgets?