What do donors need from you?
As fundraisers we are in a very fortunate position. We have more advice available to us through books, blogs, videos and conferences that any other generation in history. But that presents a peculiar set of difficulties. How on earth do we differentiate between the good…
When culture doesn’t translate into giving
Fly to one of the international fundraising conferences and you’ll no doubt be presented with more great fundraising ideas than you can shake the proverbial stick at. You might well be planning your next big campaign before the wheels on your plane touch down on…
How to avoid the misuse of emotion in fundraising
Earlier this year I wrote one of my longest ever opinion pieces on fundraising. It’s on the use and misuse of emotion and was written for the Commission on the Donor Experience. You can find the full-length version on SOFII by clicking here. But…
What’s the point of copying if we all have different exam papers?
A few days ago, I shared this quote from the ad man, Bill Bernbach on Twitter (if you don’t know who he was, take a look at this). “Imitation can be commercial suicide”. I suggested copying was pretty normal for charities and I asked if…
Mobile fundraising is not a magic bullet
As quickly as mobile fundraising took off in the UK, so it soon fell into decline. But for a few years, every charity seemed keen to have their own mobile campaign. Open a newspaper, switch on the TV, walk down the street or climb aboard…
Heritage branding. A great opportunity for charities.
Here’s my prediction for charity brands over the next few years. They will go back to their roots. They will revert to their old logos and names. The ones they used in the 60s, 70s and 80s. They might be slightly tweaked, refreshed or produced…
Using donors as part of your case for support
One of the things that frustrates me about modern fundraising is the belief that some donors can actually be a bit of a problem. Last year, I was at the sharp end of a rant where someone was complaining about donors. It went a little…
Five things I learned from the Ask Direct Summer School
Last week I had the privilege of being part of one of the most exciting fundraising conferences I’ve ever attended – The Ask Direct Fundraising Summer School. A group of highly talented people shared, inspired and challenged us to do better. Not just as fundraisers…
Change the future of fundraising by sharing your best practice
I’m currently working with Ken Burnett who has asked me to identify the best global fundraising practice to be featured in the final report of the Commission on the Donor Experience. Our goal is to demonstrate what can be achieved over the long-term by focusing…
What can we learn from Lord Grade?
Last week, I shared a few thoughts in Third Sector, about Lord Grade's views on fundraising. You probably read about his interview in The Sunday Times and may well have heard his speech at the IoF gala dinner. What follows is a slightly more detailed…
