Face to face fundraising from 1910
Many people seem to think that large-scale face to face fundraising was first developed by Greenpeace in the 1990s, but it's been around far longer than that. ActionAid were recruiting child sponsors in the 1970s by going from door to door. And Oxfam were using...
Another way to measure supporter loyalty
I can't think of many charities that wouldn't want more loyalty from their donors. But as we all know, people can be very, very fickle. Just because someone has set up a small regular gift or responded to an appeal, it doesn't mean that they...
Bluefrog gets connected
An organisational case for support might help highlight some of the reasons why people give to you, but it will rarely help you identify why they don't. The reasons are surprisingly complex, but one is quite simple - it's a hassle. It's rarely a case...
An influential fundraiser
The poll for the most influential fundraiser has just been opened by Civil Society's Fundraising magazine and my thoughts on it haven't changed. Every year, we chat to people, read books, blogs, articles and watch presentations. What we learn influences us. As a result, we...
Good fundraising is about more than just showing need
I've found a short film of a story that's often attributed to David Ogilvy. David was on his way to work and he saw a blind man sitting on the pavement with a sign that said… I am blind. Beneath the sign was a hat...
Why donors don't want to hear from you
A report has just been published that adds to the growing body of evidence that shows many charities are still getting something wrong when it comes to donor communications. The study, commissioned by the REaD Group, asked 1,500 UK adults about their attitudes to charity...
Charity ads from the archives
I recently signed up to Pinterest and soon realised that it was a great way to put my archive of charity advertisements online. It goes back to the beginning of the last century and features ads from Save The Children (UK and USA), Oxfam, The...
Five idea killers and how you beat them
Tom Fishburne, The Marketoonist, has just released a video presentation that looks at some of the problems you might face when trying to turn a great idea into a finished product. At just over half an hour, the video is a little long, but half...
What's wrong with charity advertising?
Howard Gossage is my favourite Mad Man. If I have an advertising hero, it's probably him. Howard didn't particularly enjoy coming up with ways to sell more cars and airline tickets, he was just rather good at it. What interested him most was making the...
Reinventing the collection box
I've always thought that we have a great deal to learn from the humble collection box. Even with something as simple as a container with a hole in the top, testing shows that design, copy, and positioning will have a major influence over how much...
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?