Best of the best showcase
Many times we’ve been asked ‘How do I find the very best of SOFII’s exhibits?’ So look no further, the best of the best are right here. This section honours fundraisers who have really made a difference by creating campaigns that have changed the way we do what we do. If you know of a fundraising promotion or campaign that really was an industry game-changer, please submit it today to be considered for a place amongst the best of the best.
Greenpeace International: the reinvention of face-to-face fundraising
by SOFII
Across the world the approach Greenpeace developed for direct dialogue changed the way fundraising organisations recruit new monthly direct debit donors. Raising millions, perhaps billions of pounds in the process.
Read moreRNLI: Britain’s first-ever street collection, 1891
by Carolina Herrera
An appalling loss of life in 1886 leads to the invention of a fundraising classic that's still raising millions today. A horrific double tragedy brought about Britain’s first-ever street collection for a charitable cause. It was a significant milestone in the history of voluntary action in the UK and elsewhere.
Read moreActionAid: the inserts with built-in reply mechanism
by SOFII
This promotion raised £millions and won almost every direct marketing award going. It also helped propel a new and little known organisation called ActionAid into the list of Britain's top 20 charities. Action Aid created a new format, which was then copied by dozens, perhaps hundreds of other organisations.
Read moreRNLI: the legacy letter
by SOFII
This is a classic example of a direct appeal to supporters, asking for information that will help plan future income. The candid, plain-speaking, respectful copy reminds supporters that RNLI relies heavily on legacies to fund their work. You can read the whole thing here.
Read moreStation WDCN, Nashville, USA: special ‘thank you’ to a donor
by SOFII
A fundraiser really listening to her donor, thinking on her feet and responding in an entirely appropriate and personal manner with a communication that any donor would be delighted to receive.
Read moreRSPB: brand stretch work
by SOFII
Ten brilliant images designed to inspire and introduce new audiences to the work of one of Britain’s premier conservation organisations.
Read moreFeed the Children’s ‘baby box’
by SOFII
This is a story of classic product development. The baby box was devised specifically to respond to the need to maintain giving at a time when donor interest was flagging and the idea for it came from the best possible place – the charity workers on the front line. But the logic behind this initiative was unarguable and it proved to have lasting public appeal.
Read moreBotton Village: giving donors choices
by SOFII
Until Botton Village started offering its donors choices with the simple form shown opposite, donors everywhere were almost invariably not given any say in how they might be communicated with.
Read moreDogs Trust: sponsor a dog
by SOFII
One of the most imaginative, instructive adaptations of the concept fundraisers have dubbed ‘the best fundraising proposition of all time’.
Read moreWWF integrated legacy marketing campaign
by SOFII
This is truly ground-breaking communication for fundraising. Not only did these press advertisements and posters herald a new approach to the promotion of legacies (bequests) but they were also the first ads to use jargon-free language and to talk about legacies in plain, everyday terms that any one could understand.
Read moreGreenpeace Australia: The legacy beer mat
by SOFII
The copy you see above is a line that every writer wishes he or she had written. If half the challenge with legacy marketing is how do you raise the delicate subject with donors, then this brilliant promotion hits every button perfectly. Without doubt, it is a fundraising classic. But did it actually generate many bequests? Click to find out...
Multiple Sclerosis Society, Holland: television commercial
by SOFII
This remarkable television commercial is so powerful it stops the viewer in his/her tracks. Yet not a word is spoken, the message is entirely conveyed in movements, gestures and looks. This a brilliant use of television, a courageous creative presentation of the personal impact of a devastating disease. It will be instructive for anyone working in a similar field and many others too.
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