The SOFII history project part one: treasures from fundraising’s history
Welcome to part one of SOFII’s history project. Dive in to explore the best campaigns from antiquity to the 20th century.
- Written by
- SOFII
- Added
- April 17, 2019
Take a trip in time with SOFII to discover the great fundraising of before
To explore SOFII’s history project is to go on a journey through time. Part one will send you back to the dawn of civilisation, into medieval times and beyond to the enlightenment as we share case histories (literally!) from humanity’s forebears.
In part two we explore the great era of philanthropy: the Victorian times. Reacting to bloody wars and ever-changing living conditions, the great and the good of the 1800s pioneered many of the techniques fundraisers still use today.
And where would we be without those who went before us in the twentieth century? From David Ogilvy to Kenneth Leech, we are standing on the shoulders of giants, as the exhibits in part three aptly demonstrate.
As a special treat we bring you Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters for Deerfield Academy, all gathered in one place and the magic moments that saw the birth of some of the greatest charitable organisations on the planet.
Note: have we forgotten any of the giants of times gone past? If so, please e-mail carolina@sofii.org with suggestions of campaigns or pioneers we should be including in our treasures from history.
Click here to return to the contents to view parts two and three.
1) From antiquity to the enlightenment: the best campaigns from way back when
The oldest campaign on SOFII: Moses raises funds for the tabernacle
Greeks, Romans and Egyptians: philanthropy in ancient times
The first ever major donor dinner: c. 970 BC
Fundraising from the very early Christian church with the Apostle Paul
Is this the oldest fundraising letter?
Pliny the Younger and the first appeal for matching funds, c. 100 AD
Moses Maimonides: the 90-degree shift, 800 years ago
Eihei Dogen’s fundraising letter from 1235
Magic moments: The founding of Cripplegate Foundation and North London Cares: over five hundred years of collaboration
How Harvard got its name: major gift fundraising in the seventeenth century
The Foundling Hospital Appeal, 1728-1745
Establishing the need for fundraising in 1788: The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade
2) Those generous Victorians
Great Ormond Street Hospital: legacy marketing 1856
Dr Barnardo’s Homes: four fundraising greats from the distant past
Dr Barnardo’s Homes: how the death of Carrots led to a powerful slogan, from 1866
The pearly kings and queens and their fantastic fundraising
Charles Dickens shares how fundraising was viewed in the 19th century. An extract from Our Mutual Friend
‘Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.’: more wisdom from Charles Dickens
William Quarrier: the most determined fundraiser of all time?
A fundraising song bigger than Band Aid?: check out ‘The Absent-Minded Beggar’ by Rudyard Kipling and Sir Arthur Sullivan
Fundraising for a timeless landmark: the Statue of Liberty
The Elephant Man: a fundraising success story from 1886
Britain’s first ever street collection from the RNLI, in 1891
A lesson in how to say thank you properly from over one hundred years ago
The amazing story of Octavia Hill and the National Trust
3) All change in the 20th century
How the suffragettes became one of the most successful brands ever
Fundraising in the First World War: fighting the good fight
Fundraising in the First World War part two: how the fundraising ground force made a difference
Tank Banks: more sensational fundraising from the First World War
From the roaring twenties, a fantastic postcard to raise money for a legendary expedition.
Lessons for fundraisers from yesterday’s cigarette advertising
Albert Street Methodist Sunday School: the foot of pennies from the 1930s
RNLI: ‘stand behind these men’ press ad
A classic Christmas mailing by Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1941
Dr Barnardo’s Home: the home collecting box
UNICEF: the card that launched UNICEF’s fundraising
The Leprosy Mission: phial of sixpences, from the 1960s
‘The most important piece of dramatised documentary ever screened.’: learning from Ken Loach’s Cathy Come Home
‘For God’s sake give us a pound’: a superb campaign from the Salvation Army in 1967
A brilliant letter from a trail-blazing genius: David Ogilvy in 1968
How one fundraiser wished he’d thought of David Ogilvy’s letter
Words of wisdom from ‘The Pope of advertising’
How the RNLI turned one fundraiser into a donor
ActionAid: the inserts with built-in reply mechanism
RSPCA’s pile of dead dogs advertisement
The gold standard of fundraising: the NSPCC’s centenary campaign. Part one: laying the foundations
The gold standard of fundraising: the NSPCC’s centenary campaign. Part two: exceeding expectations
A never bettered direct mail pack: Help the Aged: ‘you have this gift’
The Wishing Well campaign from Great Ormond Street: an incomparable appeal
The Harry Secombe soft sell legacy approach
The Bhopal Medical Appeal grabs every opportunity to tell good stories
Millennium magic: the NSPCC’s Full Stop campaign, a complete retrospective
4) Magic moments and the Bruce Barton letters
Magic moments part one: how small beginnings inspire great causes
Magic moments part two: how some of the world’s best causes got started
Bruce Barton’s classic letter with a 100 per cent response rate
Deerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s first and second letters
Deerfield Academy: letters three, four and five
Deerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s letters six to eight
Deerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s letters nine to eleven
Deerfield Academy: the letters from the fifties
Deerfield Academy letter 15: Bruce Barton’s words in 1951
Deerfield Academy: letters 16 and 17 from Bruce Barton
Deerfield Academy: letters 18 and 19 in 1956 and 1957
Deerfield Academy: letters 20 and 21 in 1957 and 1958
1960 - the last letter. Bruce Barton’s 22nd appeal
