It’s a shame about Ray
Data Mining for Fund Raisers by Peter B. Wylie is one of the best introductory guides to the effective use of data that you'll get your hands on. It's pretty hard to track down in the UK, but you can get it from CASE in…
A great example of how to use Twitter as a campaign tool
I'm rather impressed by the Follow the Money Twitter app created in response to the allegation that The News of the World was involved in hacking Milly Dowler's voice mail account. You can read more about it in Melissa Harrison's article in The Guardian, Why…
Face to face attrition – a few thoughts
We have another chance to quantify the effects of the recession with the publication of the PFRA Face to Face Attrition Survey. The study shows us what happened to those donors recruited on the street and door to door during 2009. The figures look good….
An award tells you more about the judges than the contestants
D&AD have just had their annual awards bash where they hand out their coveted yellow pencils in recognition of outstanding creative work. It's not just the big agencies who get their chance to shine, students have their opportunity too. And this year, one of the…
Why don’t people care as much as you?
When you are committed to a cause it's easy to think that the only reason other people don't feel the same is that they don't understand. Your reaction might be to bombard them with evidence – facts, figures, statistics – anything that supports your position….
How to make a social stew
Last month I featured an episode of Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle where he shared his views on why celebrities get involved with charites. I recently discovered he's just published a presentation on what he could do to boost his social media presence. As you'll see,…
A Father’s Day fundraising tip
It's Father's Day on Sunday, which finally gives me an excuse to feature this video. It might not have much to do with fundraising – it was produced by a church from Oklahoma and used as the opening to their Father's Day service in 2010…
Donors don’t like giving when it doesn’t feel good
Face to face donor recruitment is back in the spotlight following the publication of a survey that reported 44% of respondents thought chugging was the most aggressive form of fundraising. The PFRA was quick to respond, questioning the validity of the sample, the questions and…
Are you a writer or communicator?
Bill Bernbach was one of the original Mad Men. The founder of DDB, he created some of the most famous lines in advertising. Bill appreciated that great ads came from an understanding of human motivations. And, in that respect, he didn't necessarily think that facts…
So what do people really dislike about direct mail appeals?
The FRSB has just released their Annual Report for 2010. Based on the detailed analysis of complaints received by 1,138 UK charities, I'd say it paints a pretty decent picture of our noble profession. Even when you look at the more 'engaging' fundraising techniques –…
