What’s wrong with fundraising?
When the IOF were looking for speakers for this year's convention, I suggested that I’d like to talk about what I saw was wrong with fundraising. I didn’t realise just how prescient my proposal would be. I don’t blog that much these days, but when…
The Ghosts of Christmas Past are a Fundraiser’s Best Friends
Christmas is the time when fundraisers get excited about the sound of a man or woman trudging through the snow struggling under the weight of a sack full of gifts. Only for us, it’s the post delivery that gets our hearts beating a little faster….
Facebook is the future. No it isn’t. Yes it is. No it isn’t!
On Monday, I shared some thoughts on social media, with a particular focus on Facebook and Twitter. My central point was that there are better routes to leverage the power of our social instinct than these two behemoths of the internet. Beate Sorum, of the…
If Facebook isn’t the future of social marketing, what is?
There was a short but intriguing article in the Ad Nauseum column in Private Eye last week. It suggested that some unnamed ad agencies were trying to bury a Forrester report that demonstrated that both Facebook and Twitter were pretty poor at providing an engaging…
Why do so many fundraisers like asking for such small gifts?
When Mark Astarita recently compared some charities to pound shops, he was right on the button. Just like the pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap stores found on our high streets, charities have jumped on the discounting bandwagon. You'd like to inoculate a child? Yes…
How soon does the sorry window close?
When a friend or colleague is bereaved, it can be hard to know what to do or say. The struggle to find the right words can even end up in avoidance; all because you don't want to upset them through saying the wrong thing. The…
Why don’t all donors care about impact?
A new report on donor attitudes has just been published by Ipsos Mori. Undertaken on behalf of New Philanthropy Capital, the survey looks at issues of trust, general levels of satisfaction, thoughts on CEO salaries and the importance of impact. It was this final area…
The fundraising decision making flow chart
At the heart of any fundraising programme lies a plan. That plan identifies an audience, details what they will receive, through what communication channels, timings and what actions the recipients will hopefully take. They can be hefty documents akin to a telephone directory or something…
What happens when Stephen Fry actually does mention you in a tweet?
Sit in any discussion about how a charity can promote a campaign on social media and it won't be long before someone suggests asking Stephen Fry to tweet about it. Being very kind, intelligent and rather lovely, he is known to tweet on behalf of…
Sex sells, but can it help raise money?
Friendly advice for some of my more sensitive readers – the following contains adult themes and language. Last summer, we were sitting on the roof of Bluefrog towers brainstorming ideas for a new digital product for a pitch for the International HIV/AIDS Alliance. For those…
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?