What does the CIOF have planned for us?
Today, Giles Pegram and I have the absolute pleasure of chatting with the fantastic Harpreet Kopndel- Harps to her chums – who is the newly appointed Chair of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising. With an impressive 30 years at the fundraising coalface, Harps brings a…
Why do people give? The missing £5 billion one with Giles Pegram.
For the past month or so, I’ve been posting videos on LinkedIn examining the causes of the fall in individual giving income – in real terms – by £5 billion since 2005. Here’s the chart that shows what’s happened. It’s been built with data from…
Beyond words: How thanking can transform your relationship with your charity’s supporters.
When a charity reaches out asking for help with their fundraising, especially if they’re facing challenges such as low second-gift rates, high attrition, and limited interest in legacies, my first reaction is to hop online to get a first-hand experience of being one of their…
Why do people give? The Donor Participation Project with Louis Diez.
Today’s podcast features Louis Diez, the founder of the Donor Participation Project (DPP). Louis set up the DPP with a single goal – to try to reverse the decline in the number of people giving to charity. Until recently, its members have predominantly been US…
The Fundraising Ecosystem
I’ve now completed the analysis of Bluefrog Fundraising’s qualitative research into the opinions of donors regarding the safeguarding stories that hit the headlines in February. The process of presenting the findings to clients and sector bodies has begun and we will be sharing them more widely…
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…
Three things you need to get right in mid-value fundraising
There has been a surge of interest in mid-value fundraising over the last year, so I thought it might be worth sharing a few thoughts about the technique. For those who don’t know, mid-value fundraising is a focused, engaging and highly personal version of direct marketing that asks…
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?