The essence of Campaigning Fundraising in 52 exhibits and 199 web links is going to revolutionise fundraising. For years to come, this book will be acknowledged as the tool that gave fundraisers the confidence to move away from a target-driven mindset to one of truly inspiring donors to give.

Right now, this should be the first book given to a new fundraiser and everyone in the fundraising department needs to have a copy. They deserve to be given the key to Campaigning Fundraising! 

Not only will this book transform our donor’s experience of giving but it will instil a sense of pride in fundraisers, confirming that they have an essential role to play in society as a campaigning fundraiser. The author, Ken Burnett, has given donors, our causes, and fundraisers a true gift by writing this book.

Imagine! We might never have to ask some donors for money, ever again!

Burnett begins by clarifying why he believes that Campaigning needs to be as important as Fundraising to every fundraiser. It’s not about asking for money; fundraisers need to inspire donors to give to make good things happen. Both parties will benefit from this change of approach:

‘Understanding that our job is to inspire, not to cajole, persuade or plead, is utterly, liberatingly transformational for everyone of any age or level of experience who does this job, wherever they may be. It changes everything’.

‘The campaigning dimension is so central to why the donor is there. They’re not there to give us money. They’re there to make a difference, to change the world’.

To show us that this is not just a pipe dream, Burnett skilfully guides us through a journey of 52 exhibits and 199 web links to illustrate what we need to do to be successful campaigning fundraisers. The author is not suggesting that fundraisers won’t ever have to ask. Not at all. Just that it works much better if the donor’s commitment and enthusiasm drives the process, not pressure or persuasion from the fundraiser.

This is a very readable book full of humour and insightful comments. The content of each of the 52 exhibits is succinct and structured with QR codes and web links for more detail. Most of these links direct you to the website SOFII.org, which, once discovered, will continue to be your one-stop shop fundraising mentor!

The book is laid out in a style that makes it quick and easy to access specific information; perfect for every time-poor fundraiser. Need help with your regular giving programme? Flick straight to exhibit 20 and be inspired by ActionAid, Plan, Dogs Trust, and others. As Burnett says:

‘... the purpose of this book, quite simply, is to show you what you need, where to go to find it and how to get there in the shortest possible time’.

Burnett’s use of language makes it difficult to resist turning the page to the next exhibit with enticing titles such as: ‘storytelling that shook a nation’, ‘transformational campaigns’, ‘the irresistible proposition’ … Burnett’s skilled copywriting makes this book a joy to read!

Campaigning fundraising may be a new term to us, but it seems that it’s not a new concept. 

In the section on ‘Lessons from history: where we’ve come from’, Burnett shows us how in the past, successful fundraisers worked as campaigners as well as fundraisers to achieve goals for their causes. A letter written by a Japanese monk over 800 years ago seeking to build a monastery in his homeland is still a brilliant guide on how to do fundraising by direct mail.

It’s obvious that we’ve a lot to learn from our fundraising past. For example, Burnett shares an appeal letter from the 1920s that achieved a response rate of 100 per cent! Moreover, exhibit 11 illustrates how just after the end of the Second World War in 1946, a huge, highly detailed campaign by the British Red Cross raised more than £500 million, which would be equivalent to around £7.7 billion in today’s money! 

Burnett guides you through the basic fundamentals of campaigning fundraising, including inspiring donors, building the dream, reciprocity, looking at opportunities in the right way, asking properly, and always having the essential foundations at the heart of everything you do. You’ll be reminded of the importance of the 34 fundamental foundations, the 11 pillars of fundraising wisdom and the five great assumptions that underpin effective fundraising.

Among the foundations of fundraising and campaigning, Burnett includes integrity, the role of trustees, understanding why donors give, and the importance of regular giving and legacies. Burnett saves us hours of searching on Google by including an exhibit on essential reading and the leading lights in fundraising who we need to learn from:

‘…the true sages can give you a shortcut or two, or at least a hand up’.

The ‘case studies of creativity, innovation, and inspiration’ to help you be the best of the best are bursting with ideas! I’ll not drop too many spoilers but expect to read about the charity that had to stop fundraising because they were too successful, and a cold mailing that achieved a response rate of 40 per cent!

In his exhibit on the power of words, Burnett tells us that:

‘... words are precision instruments capable of taking us directly to the hearts of our donors ...’

This advice was very timely recently when I was writing a cover letter to send out with our charity’s donor newsletter. I re-read my cover letter after completing the exhibit and added a few changes to make a better connection with our donors. I told them about the primary school child who had given her pocket money ‘to help the sick children’, about the man who couldn’t swim, but signed up (and completed) a triathlon to help support children with cancer … just little everyday examples of the overwhelming kindness of our donors. 

Those changes resulted in donations of over £30,000! It didn’t require any additional spend, I was simply telling our story better, just as Burnett recommends. 

Now I’m wondering what I could achieve if I implement the lessons from the other 57 exhibits! What might be possible if our CEO bought a copy of this book for all the fundraisers in my team and we all became Campaigning Fundraisers?

After finishing this book, you can’t help but experience the warm glow that we always aim to give our donors. Everything that Burnett talks about in this book feels right. It feels that Campaigning Fundraising should always have been what we did. 

The approach advocated by Burnett is evidently the only way forward and this book gives every aspiring campaigning fundraiser the toolkit they need to hit the ground running! 

© Tanya Jackson 2021

The book is available for £34 from Civil Sector Press and you will receive a USB key with all the weblinks fully loaded.

Don’t miss out, get your very own copy by clicking here.