Apart from the posts on here, I also share loads of other useful and interesting things on Twitter. If you haven't yet signed up, perhaps because you think it's a load of rubbish, can I ask you to read this and think again. To show...

Bill Tancer of Hitwise has reported on some fascinating data on his blog. The earthquake in Haiti caused a huge jump in visits to US charity websites. They were up five fold from an average of 0.02% before the earthquake hit to over 0.1% on...

There have been a number of recent posts on various blogs looking at the reasons why people don't give to charity. Last week I added to the debate when I wrote about nine techniques that donors use to avoid giving to appeals. Reading them, you'll...

Regular readers will notice that there have been a few changes on the blog. First off, I've moved the navigation column over to the left. The people at Bluefrog who know more about this than I do have shown me some rather powerful eye-tracking studies...

Some people think I don't like branding. They are wrong. I love great brands. The trouble is that I don't think many charity brands are very well managed and there are a growing number of pieces of research that serve to confirm my beliefs. I...

If you are looking to compare the performance of your email campaigns in terms of open, click through and delivery rates, Marketing Online has a regularly updated set of benchmarking studies. As well as global and US surveys, it also includes reports on UK campaigns...

At Bluefrog we run a number of very successful matched giving appeals for a variety of clients. An organisation with a great deal of cash (usually a corporate partner or statutory donor) offers to fund a project but only on the proviso that you raise...

One of the most contentious parts of putting together an appeal is choosing which photographs will be featured. I've seen images rejected for a wide range of reasons – too sad, too happy, too paternalistic and even too stimulating. Considering the impact that a photograph can have...

A few weeks ago I was preparing to give a presentation at the PFRA AGM. With a few days notice, I was told I wouldn't be needed. I'm not actually sure why it was decided I wouldn't be required. I've heard that it was in...

A recent poll undertaken by ComRes and published by Premier Christian Radio shows that the vast majority of Christians are still giving to charity despite the impact of the recession. Bluefrog had looked at the attitudes of the wider public to giving to new charities...