Individual donors
What would fundraising be without donors? And what would SOFII be without a special area devoted to nurturing and developing donor relationships? Within this special space SOFII has selected and assembled a glittering array of specialist showcases in which we display a treasure trove of examples of the art and science of donor relationship development.
Medicos Sin Fronteras: medicine for someone else’s pain
by SOFII
‘Pills for another person’s pain is a project of awareness and also a new symbol of hope.’
Read moreSt Michael’s Hospital Foundation: urban angel newsletter – special campaign edition
by SOFII
This newsletter is particularly worth studying because it's designed to fill a special role at the end of a successful three-year capital campaign. So it's a 'round-up' newsletter, with a number of important jobs to do under the general 'stewardship' heading.
Read moreSt Michael’s Hospital Foundation: a special book to thank volunteers
by SOFII
Fundraisers all too often take their volunteers for granted so it's good to see an organisation setting out specifically to be brilliant at saying thank you to them. Having raised $140 million thanks to the help of volunteers it was reasonable that the people at St Michael's should invest time and resources in saying thank you properly.
Read moreNSPCC: how to motivate fundraisers
by Giles Pegram CBE
When Giles Pegram had the somewhat novel idea of thanking individual fundraisers when they had done something special, he had a great idea that not only thrilled and motivated them, but also inspired other fundraisers around them.
Read moreIn lieu of flowers: how to write lively memorial donation thank-you letters
by Lisa Sargent
Are your in-memoriam donation thank-you letters destined for donor oblivion?
This copywriting clinic looks to help you rescue them from a fate worse than, well… death.
Read moreCHATS: the Norooz letter, in Farsi
by SOFII
It’s an ancient truism of fundraising that if you want to communicate with donors you must speak to them in their language, not yours. Here’s a small example that paid off in practice.
Read moreSt Michael’s Hospital Foundation: the 2010/11 annual report to donors
by SOFII
The St Michael’s Hospital Foundation view their hard-working and very appealing annual report as an opportunity to showcase the accomplishments of the past year and honour their generous donors. It shows them that their donations have been wisely spent and have made a real difference to the patients cared for at St. Michael’s.
Read moreGreater London Fund for the Blind: Christmas card and thank-you card tests
by SOFII
Some people were so pleased with their thank-you cards that they rang GLFB to say so. SOFII is sure that when the next batch of mailings land on their doormats the one from GLFB will spark off a fond memory and, therefore, picked up first.
Read moreRhode Island Foundation: why less can be more with the annual report, particularly when it comes to legacies
by SOFII
To send or not to send? If you ask your donors if they want to receive your annual report, why do you think they don’t reply? It could be inertia, ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’. Maybe they think they'll be saving you time and money, they’re nice, considerate people after all. By the same token intertia will stop them going to your website to view your report online – and you will never know. If you send a printed copy, you know they have it and might they not be more likely to look at it, if it’s there in their hands? The stories here from Tom Ahern and the Rhode Island Foundatio show the power of the printed word.
Read moreSend a Cow: thank-you drive
by SOFII
The team at Send a Cow are passionate about saying thank you to their supporters.
Read moreCulver Academies: by example campaign
by SOFII
It’s not often SOFII gets to showcase an alumni fundraising campaign and this one is an absolute cracker. This campaign managed to exceed their (already ambitious) target, not once but twice.
Read moreWaterAid’s plastic bag mailing
by SOFII
Every day in developing countries thousands of women (mainly) face the difficult task of fetching and carrying water from its source to their homes. It’s a gruelling daily duty most donors would find very hard to imagine. Could this concept be applied imaginatively to a fundraising appeal? Of course it could!
Read more