Campaigning for social change

Why are we here? To make the world a better place, of course. And we do this by campaigning in all the right ways for social change. Social change organisations don’t succeed by being reasonable, by doing things the way they’ve always been done. The first aspiration of all nonprofit organisations should be to do themselves out of business. All campaigners and fundraisers should be restless challengers of the status quo, never ever satisfied that we are doing quite enough. Why? Because we only exist to change the world.

The Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade: minute regarding the need for fundraising from 1788

by SOFII

This piece offers a unique insight into how, 220 years ago, funds were raised to help fight one of the greatest social evils of all time. In its formality, the 114-word single sentence of this solicitation has a distinctly quaint character.

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Bhopal Medical Appeal: B’Eau Pal publicity stunt: don’t go near the water!

Montage

by SOFII

Don’t go near the water: 25 years after the world’s worst ever man-made disaster, B’EauPal shows that effective political campaigning takes ’bottle’ (a commonly used London term for courageous risk-taking). This is a classic opportunistic protest in a good cause.

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Oxfam’s press ads from the 1950s and 60s

by SOFII

These press advertisements really did change the course of fundraising in Britain. They helped Oxfam to grow into a substantial international charity. Though they might seem crude and simplistic now, these ads very effectively alerted the post-war British public to considerable humanitarian needs abroad.

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Cure Cancer Australia: ‘can too’ sporting events

by SOFII

Young people raise money for a great cause while being coached by professionals in a whole variety of sporting skills.

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The Foundation for Childbirth with Dignity: 'you have a right to ask’ campaign

right to ask creative

by SOFII

This brave, important campaign broke new ground in public education in Poland and raised money too.

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RSPCA’s ‘sow tethering’ telephone campaign

Free range pigs

by SOFII

Any marketing campaign that can have such an impact on members of parliament on the eve of taking their country to war has to be worth recording. This campaign is notable as one of the early UK examples of fundraisers using the telephone.

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