Where are you on the remarkability curve?
Whenever we undertake research with donors, we rarely hear them question the grass roots work of the charities they support… “The trouble with that charity is they aren’t that good at drilling wells.”“I’m not sure if the housing they provide is good enough.” “I know…
How do donors choose which charities they support?
I spent an interesting day at the CGAP conference in London on Friday. The highlight was Beth Breeze's presentation on how donors choose charities. I wrote about her initial findings back in February and now I've had an opportunity to read her final paper I'm…
Social media in numbers (refreshed)
The ubiquitous Social Media in Numbers video has been refreshed. I've pulled out just a few facts for fundraisers, but it's really worth watching the whole thing. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is 55-65 old females. YouTube is the world's second largest search engine….
The twelve tweets of April
With the year skipping along quite nicely, it's time for the April Twitter round up. It's another great crop and, as ever, it's the tweeter who found the piece that get's the credit. If there isn't anyone cited, it's from one of my own tweets….
Do brands matter in a recession?
When your charity undertakes a re-brand does it stop and start at the design stage or does it direct the relationship you have with your donors at every level of the organisation? If it is primarily a design and copy led exercise, you need to…
Who makes the final decision about what you send to donors?
I’ve always loved research. It lies at the very heart of Bluefrog. We channel a large part of our tiny profits into filling knowledge gaps in the charity sector by undertaking research that gives insight and guidance on tackling some of the biggest problems that…
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…
Podcast: Recent Episodes
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?