Foundations of Fundraising
Create a menu of choices for board members
by Simone Joyaux
More tips from Simone Joyaux on not only how to get your board involved in your fundraising, but to get them to love it.
Read moreRethink Mental Illness ‘find Mike’
by SOFII
Here is the story of Jonny Benjamin's search to find 'Mike', one of the bystanders as he climbed onto Waterloo Bridge in an attempt to kill himself. Only Mike didn't stand by, he walked up to Jonny, talked to him and, most of all, he listened. Click here to see how Rethink Mental Illness put their brand in second place and helped to find Jonny's hero. It was a brave decision and one that brought many rewards.
Read moreThe ALS (USA) ‘ice bucket’ challenge
by SOFII
You may be sick of hearing about the ice bucket challenge. You may even think it has no relevance to your own organisation. But find out the special characteristics that made it the biggest fundraising idea of 2014.
Once upon a time…Oxfam and Remember Me
by Aline Reed
Aline isn’t too sure if the technology used in this great way to use stories to sell goods in Oxfam shops wasn’t a little too sophisticated. Anybody out there have any further information?
Read moreBBC Television: the 1966 documentary, Cathy Come Home
by SOFII
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.
Read moreMusings of a direct response fundraiser no. 2: finding the ‘sweet spot’
by Jonathon Grapsas
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.
Read moreF*CK CANCER: raising money for cancer research
by SOFII
‘Fundraisers – your job isn’t to keep complaints down, it’s to connect with people who do care in the strongest possible way.’ So says Rob Woods in this powerful case study from this year’s IWITOT.
Read moreFundraising in the First World War: how the fundraising ground force made a difference
by Tony Charalambides
Asking someone in your immediate vicinity for monetary help is as elementary as fundraising gets. More often than not, it’s as effective as it gets too – which is why it pops up throughout history. Fundraising during the First World War was no different.
Read moreFundraising for the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal
by SOFII
Without the inspiration of Joseph Pulitzer who inspired 120,000 ordinary New Yorkers to donate a huge number of small donations, the 150ft tall Statue of Liberty would not be standing today on New York’s harbour.
Read moreFundraising in the First World War: fighting the good fight
by Tony Charalambides
Fundraising and charitable volunteering is a rather under-reported component of Britain’s war effort during the First World Ward, says Tony Charalambides, but it had an enormous impact on its outcome.
Read moreBen Horowitz of the City of Hope
by Rich Fox
Rich Fox met Ben Horowitz 39 years ago and he says he has never known a better fundraising mind before or since. Here Rich explains this brilliant fundraiser's philosophy for success.
WaterAid: The Big Dig
by Reuben Turner
A very fine example of how storytelling, done right, can change the world. Isn’t the infographic just great? (SOFII loves the crossed legs). This campaign is fun, innovative, engaging, emotional (imagine how you’d feel with no toilet…) and highly effective as, inevitably, real storytelling in real time was bound to be. Altogether brilliant.
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