Updates 2015

Updates on SOFII

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SOFII
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September 01, 2014

 

SOFII update - 12th February 2015  

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Dear SOFII friend,

Cathy Come Home, the powerful story about a young family’s slide into homelessness and poverty

Cathy Come Home, the powerful story about a young family’s slide into homelessness and poverty was a defining moment in 1960s television. The controversy it created led to public outrage at the state of housing in Britain and to the launch of several charities, including Shelter. Here you will see the deeply moving final scene, presented by Chris Barraclough at last year’s IWITOT.

And now, see the last of SOFII’s lessons learned at the 2014 Annual Lectures from Kirsty Simpson. Find out who are the fundraising fairies.

One of Aline Reed’s biggest wishes is that she had been in the Oxfam shop on Whitworth Road in Manchester when it was magically transformed into a treasure hunt. Find out how Oxfam sold some goods within five days instead of the usual weeks.

All best wishes

Carolina

SOFII project manager.

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 SOFII update - 4th February 2015

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Dear SOFII friend,

Cancer Research UK’s Dryathlon

If you think that the cause should never take second place in an appeal, click here to see how Cancer Research UK’s Dryathlon did exactly that. And raised £4.5 million.

Click here to see more thoughts and opinions on Ken Burnett’s Storytelling can change the world from Bethan Francis in the UK and Rory Green in Canada. Just a little trailer: you can’t make important change if you aren’t an expert teller of stories.

Now Stephanie Drummond, who also won a place at the Annual Lectures through SOFII’s competition, tells us the valuable lessons she learned on that day. Go and get your fishing rod!

With all best wishes from

Carolina

SOFII project manager.

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SOFII Update 22nd January 2015

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Dear SOFII friend,

  Creative legacy fundraising

This innovative and creative legacy fundraising idea understands and responds to the real concerns of potential legators. It is an emotionally moving yet rational proposition. If you find conversations about legacies daunting, click here to see how RSPCA’s approach can change that.

SOFII’s case study of the week tells the story of a man who had never heard of the Rhode Island Foundation in the USA. Yet he left them a small fortune as a legacy. Click here to discover the power of the printed word. It’s a great story – you’ll love it.

And now our final essay winner on the next big thing for fundraising. Click here to find out about Kirsty Simpson’s leap of faith.

Carolina

SOFII project manager.

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 SOFII update 16th January 2015

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Dear SOFII friend,

 What's next in fundraising?

Third of our essay winners on the theme of what’s the next big thing for fundraising? is here for you, now.

SOFII’s article of the week recalls a three-part special ‘how to’ feature about surveying your supporters and finding what they think. Surveys Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

And an important new book about storytelling is given a special review from not just one, not just two but three of the UK’s most eminently qualified reviewers.

So that’s three good things for you. But SOFII always goes a bit further. This week there’s also a bonus for SOFII’s Spanish and Portuguese readers too.

With best wishes for a great week (third week of the year, of course).

Carolina

SOFII project manager.

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 SOFII update 8th January 201

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Dear SOFII friend,

stories-with-an-impact

Gemma Walder, one of the winners of our essay competition to attend the Revolutionise Annual Lectures in London at the end of 2014, tells us what she thinks will be the next big thing for fundraising – the one thing that will give your supporters such a fantastic experience that they’ll want to introduce you to all their friends.

Emily Henry, also a winner, says that the Annual Lectures was full of inspiring, thought-provoking insights into what fundraising is currently, where it is going and how it can improve. If you were one of the unfortunate souls who missed this event, she lists here her top 10 lessons – the ones you just have to know!

A fundraising text from Australia is unusual, says Roewen Wishart. Read his review of Yes You Can Fund It by Shannon Anderson, which he says is well worth reading whether you’re new to fundraising or an old hand.

With best wishes for a happy, successful 2015.

Carolina.

SOFII project manager.

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 SOFII update - December 18th 2014

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Dear SOFII friend,

Annual fundraising lectures in London

This special new tutorial from Jerry Huntsinger is not like the others. No action points, no ‘must dos’, just a simple Christmas story told through a donor’s eyes. You’ll love it, and learn too.

It isn’t only those gifted scientists who frequent London’s Royal Institution who can lead an experiment that will change the world. Fundraisers can too. And it starts with us all simply thinking… if not me, then who, if not now, then when? Click here to read Gemma Walder’s detailed account of this year’s Annual Fundraising Lectures held in London, on December 4th.

SOFII’s case history of the week

SolarAid’s ‘spread the light’ campaign provides conclusive proof that the best people to recruit new donors and raise more money are … Well, read the exhibit to find out.

This is SOFII’s last update of this year and we want to extend a big THANK YOU to everyone in the SOFII community for their ongoing support. Season’s Greetings to each and every one of you and best wishes for a happy and successful 2015.

Carolina and all at SOFII

P.S. Why not have some fun and raise some money for SOFII by entering fundraising consultant Roger Law son’s annual Christmas quiz? Roger will donate a £1 to SOFII for every entry into the competition and this year you could win £50 for your own nominated charity too.

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 SOFII update 11th December 2014

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Dear SOFII friend,

Unconventional fundraising

SOFII loves to celebrate all that is good about fundraising: what we can learn from and replicate. At the same time, we like something quirky, even controversial. So we were delighted to hear about the Good Agency’s gallery of unconventional fundraising. Click here to see the first four nominations.

Our job as fundraisers is to find the sweet spot: an amount that is appropriate to that donor at that time. In his second article on the musings of a direct response fundraiser Jonathon Grapsas shows exactly how to do it.

SOFII’s exhibit of the week

One of the nominations to the gallery is the story of Alistair the optimist from MNDA. When you click here you’ll read about John’s journey: an  awareness campaign that went on to raise a lot of money towards the search for a cure.

All best wishes,

Carolina

SOFII project manager.

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 SOFII update - 4th December 2014

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Dear SOFII friend,

The conflict between people who take either an exclusively relationship fundraising or a singularly marketing-driven approach seems to go on and on. But, says Roewen Wishart, of Neuroscience Australia, to get the best from our fundraising we shouldn’t forget that we are on the same team. He advises against taking a simplistic view.

Recently SOFII and The Agitator joined forces with Revolutionise to identify, foster and develop new journalistic talent in fundraising. We offered five free places for the 2014 Annual Lectures at the Royal Institution in London to aspiring fundraising writers, who each had to submit a short piece on the theme of ‘what’s next in fundraising?’ The first of the winners is here, now.

SOFII’s exhibit of the week:

When Wood Green, the Animal Charity had to develop a strategy to recruit new supporters with a low value gift they went back to more traditional methods: press advertising and direct mail. However, they also combined these with more modern techniques, such as SMS. Click here to see their fantastic results.

All best wishes

Carolina

SOFII project manager.

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SOFII update 27th November 2014

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Dear SOFII friend,

101fundraising is a crowdblog on fundraising. A free resource. A volunteer initiative. By fundraisers, for fundraisers.

SOFII has also been created by fundraisers for fundraisers  - an easily accessible free online archive of the best fundraising creativity and innovation from around the world. We are safeguarding our fundraising history and constantly adding new initiatives as appropriate.

Getting great content out there to all fundraisers is SOFII’s mission of course, and not surprisingly it’s 101fundraising’s mission too. So, from now on we’re working together.

Together, we can improve on both SOFII’s and 101fundraising’s value and usefulness to fundraisers around the world by providing a permanent dedicated archive of the best blogs from 101fundraising - SOFII’s best of 101fundraising.

SOFII will put the top ten 101fundraising blogs from each year starting with 2011 (101fundraising’s first full year of operation). We’ll also add in our own special favourites of 101fundraising blogs - articles chosen by us because they are unusual, quirky, illuminating or specially well written.

See the first blogs in SOFII’s best of 101fundraising here.

Have a great weekend,

Carolina

SOFII project manager

P.S. The future of fundraising writing is in good hands the winners of the competition for a place at the Annual Lectures are: Stephanie Drummond, The Children's Society; Emily Henry, interning in Holland; Simon Scriver, One in Four Ireland; Kirsty Simpson, Claire House Children’s Hospice; and Gemma Walder, Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

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 SOFII update 13th November 2014

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Dear SOFII friend,

How do you really feel?

Two new case stories from SOFII’s IWITOT 2014.

If you’re likely to be offended by a little vulgarity then don’t click here. But then you won’t discover how this courageous Canadian charity talks to its audience in their own language and helps younger people to fight back against cancer in a fun and unique way.  And raises a lot of money.

JustGiving, a ‘for profit, for good’ online platform in the UK, has allowed individuals to raise millions of pounds easily and painlessly (well unless they are running marathons) for the charities they love. Find out how here.

Please enjoy these new additions.

All the best,

Carolina

SOFII project manager.

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 SOFII update - 6th November 2014

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Dear SOFII frie,

Children should be seen, and not hurt.

Donations to The Children’s Center’s annual appeal were dwindling scarily. So they developed a campaign strategy that incorporated powerful images and compelling stories to take donors clearly to the heart of their mission. Which is to heal the hurt in children. And they reversed the decline to raise over $70,000.

If Pret A Manager, Pizza Express, or Starbucks were losing even half the amount of customers as we are they’d go out of business, says Charlie Hulme. And here he explains how we can be even better at customer, or rather, donor service than they are – and keep our donors from deserting us.

Best wishes,

Carolina

SOFII’s project manager


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 SOFII update 29th October 2014

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Dear SOFII friend,

NSPCC mind map

After listening to the supporter care team’s concerns when talking to donors about making gifts in wills, NSPCC came up with the idea of a ‘mind map’. This visual solution helped the team see the challenge from the supporters’ perspective. Click here to see the impressive results and to meet ‘Norm’ and ‘Pasha’.

Is the chair of your board neither great nor bad but just plain old mediocre? You should raise your sights, says Simone Joyaux. Here she shows how you can aim for a ‘darn good board chair, even a really great one’.

Yes, you can, go ahead and do it!

Happy fundraising

Carolina

SOFII’s project manager

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 SOFII update 23rd October 2014

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Dear SOFII friend ,

Does thanking really work?

It’s rare that a charity fundraising ad stops you in your tracks and makes you think: ‘Wow!’ Now’s your chance to see one, here on SOFII.

Click here to see how new and enthusiastic fundraiser Laura Croudace delighted her donors and raised lots of money.

In this second article from Tony Charalambides you’ll see how important fundraising was in keeping the nation’s spirit intact when it seemed that so much else, including hundreds of thousands of young lives, was being lost.

Best wishes, as always

Carolina

SOFII’s project manager

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 SOFII update - 16th October 20

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Dear SOFII friend,

  Thank you

The story

The NSPCC wanted to do a little extra when they thanked their donors, so they included a special booklet – a collection of real stories, drawings and poems by the children the donor is helping. No stats. No organisational messages. No asks. Just the real unvarnished truth of how an NSPCC donor helps children feel. It worked a treat.

The right ask

Did you know that the Statue of Liberty very nearly didn’t get to stand proud and welcoming on New York’s harbour? It’s incredible, but true. Click here to see how thousands of ordinary people made it possible to keep this symbol of freedom for their city.

Inspiration

Fighting the good fight. How fundraising in the UK during the First World War amounted to a stupendous £75 million, roughly £3.6 billion now.

Very best wishes

Carolina

SOFII’s project manager

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 SOFII update 9th October 2014

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3-Cheers

OPINION

Matthew Sherrington is depressed and losing patience with fundraisers who won't try a different idea. You can read why here.

INSPIRATION

In this, the first in a new SOFII occasional series, veteran fundraiser Rich Fox describes the one fundraiser who most influenced his career and outlines some of the lessons he’s learned.  Find out more about the inspirational fundraiser Ben Horowitz of the City of Hope here.

TRANSFORMATION

United Way Southeastern Michigan successfully shifted their fundraising model from transactional to relational and from obligation giving to inspired giving. They also solicited and received the largest corporate donation ($27.1M) given to United Way worldwide, which is transforming lives in recession-hit Detroit.

I hope these three new items from SOFII have given you some cheer and that you have a great weekend.

Carolina

SOFII’s project manager

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 SOFII update - 2nd October 2014

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This week SOFII brings you three generous helpings of inspiration and innovation.

It's simple

INNOVATIVE, EFFECTIVE AND USEFUL

WaterAid’s Big Dig campaign doubled already

About the author: SOFII

The SOFII collection aims to be the most comprehensive, best organised, and most inspiring collection of fundraising related content from around the world.

Recent Articles

Team Trees – digital fundraising success in aid of the Arbor Day Foundation

This article celebrates a viral campaign that has been making a big impact since 2019. Keep reading to learn how two men took on a challenge to plant 20 million trees, engage Gen Z donors, and achieve fundraising success for the Arbor Day Foundation.

Read more

Unleash the might of the donor – power as a component of a fundraising plan

Your donors want to make a difference. But sometimes when they give, they aren’t sure if their generosity is making an impact. In this article, Mark Phillips shares three techniques you can add to your fundraising appeals. Each one will help ensure your donors know that they DO have the power to make a difference.

Read more

Is your donor a Spiderman, Batman or a Wonder Woman?

Superheroes have a unique backstory that makes them who they are and shapes their narrative. But in fundraising, your donor has an ‘origin story’ too. Marina Jones believes that making an effort to learn more about your donor’s story can give you an insight into why they choose to give – and help you build supporter loyalty.

Read more

Will you join these kind fundraisers at the heart of SOFII?

Who are the SOFII One Hundred? They are fantastic fundraisers from around the world – and you can find them at the heart of SOFII. Read on to discover more about this group of caring people and learn why they have chosen to help fundraisers today, tomorrow and forever.

Read more

New year, new changes in digital fundraising – five tips to help you prepare

Changes in online marketing and data privacy have made it harder than ever to find new donors. And as we embark on a new year in fundraising, more shifts are on the horizon. So what can fundraisers like you do to make sure you’re prepared to communicate with and nurture your donors in an ever-evolving digital landscape?

Read more

Make SOFII bet­ter still…

We love receiv­ing new exhibits from around the world, so please share your fundrais­ing sto­ries with us. Add a case-study or arti­cle to SOFII.

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