This is not fundraising
Over the last fifteen years or so, we’ve seen a fundamental change in how we raise money. For most of the twentieth century, fundraising was about engagement. It was about recruiting new donors, nurturing them, getting a second gift, then a third and then moving…
Plus ça change
Hundreds of old charity ads going back to the mid 19th century can be found here. Take a look.
Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling
Back in 2011, former Pixar artist, Emma Coats tweeted a series of rules for great storytelling that she’d picked up from her colleagues. Dinolgnacio has now painstakingly superimposed all 22 over images from Pixar’s films as a means to remember them. They aren’t all directly…
There are three types of supporter
CAF have just released a new report that segments the UK population according to their attitude to charity. They have identified three key groups – The Civic Core, The Middle Ground and Zero Givers. The Civic Core, volunteer the most, donate most goods to shops,…
Why you need to entertain (and stuff like that)
Here's a great video produced for Red Nose Day in New Zealand. There is no real reason to share it other than it features Flight of the Conchords and, as a result, is rather amusing. But perhaps that should be reason enough. Outrage or pity…
This is not a strategy
Nor is this… Great fundraising isn't about reducing the amount you ask for until it means so little to the donor that they simply don't care about handing it over. Nor is it about asking again until the donor feels uncomfortable saying no. It's…
Give donors what they value and they will reward you
A new study aimed at improving our understanding of donor motivation and behaviour has just been published by New Philanthropy Capital. The report, Money for Good UK, looks at both mainstream and high-income (£150k+ household income) donors. It's a hefty 90 pages long, so whilst…
Mobile giving – it’s easy to stand out in a crowd of one
This is a guest post from Bluefrog's new Head of Donor Engagement – James Waring. In the first couple of weeks after you start a new job (as I have done this January) you often find yourself looking for things to do, or waiting around…
Write a soap opera, not a news story
For the best part of thirty years, Eastenders has dominated the TV ratings. The Christmas episode from back in 1986 attracted over 30 million viewers and still retains the record for Britain's most watched TV show. And I bet this Christmas, it will be there…
The secret life of a donor – video evidence
I recently had the fantastic opportunity of appearing on stage in front of an audience of over 900 fundraisers as part of Tony Elischer's amazing experiment – Theatre of Fundraising – at AFP Congress in Toronto. One of the areas that Tony asked me to…
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?