Foundations of Fundraising

Building the fundraising dream team

by Ken Burnett

This addition to SOFII’s How to be an Effective Client showcase will help you assemble the team that’ll produce your next great fundraising campaign.

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SOFII stars: treasures from IWITOT 2012

by SOFII

Here are links to 17 fundraising greats, 17 of the big ideas that were in the first I Wish I'd Thought of That mega-event in London 2012, at which young fundraisers described and illustrated a cornucopia of big ideas so good that they wish they'd had them, themselves.

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SOFII stars: thank you, welcome and well done.

by SOFII

Saying thank you properly really is a golden opportunity for fundraisers. Here in this special edition of SOFII stars is all you need to know to make the most of it. Enjoy!

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Brilliant donor care: 15 steps to make sure your organisation gets it right

by Jonathon Grapsas

Before I launch into some tangible ways to improve the way you deal with donors, let me preface this by looking at the current climate. Just how are charities in different parts of the world interacting with donors on a daily basis?

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Parkinson’s UK: the Dave the Worm campaign

Dave the Worm pack.

by SOFII

Dave the Worm (DTW) is a fun and witty character that is enabling Parkinson’s UK to compete in a crowded marketplace by presenting research to donors in an engaging way and giving them a unique opportunity to regularly support new and innovative research.

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Arrels Fundació: cardboard hearts for the homeless

cardboard hearts website

by SOFII

Arrels Fundació have come up with an excellent way to wear your heart on your sleeve to raise money and awareness of the growing number of homeless people in Barcelona. It is also easily copied.

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The National Asthma Campaign: Straws mailing

by SOFII

This revolutionary pack from 1991 features an irresistible involvement device, an easily detachable plastic drinking straw that readers are invited to detach, open and breathe through for less than a minute. It is an imaginative way of involving recipients and enabling them to feel for themselves what it’s like to live with asthma.

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Amnesty International: the letter in the pen pack

Women’s letter page one

by Ken Burnett

Now on SOFII, one of the letters that was sent with the legendary Amnesty pen pack. This moving example of fine writing was written specifically for women and sent to women only.

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Who Gives a Crap: the ‘sit down’

by Sue Kershaw

Who Gives a Crap is a new and innovative organisation and SOFII will be watching to see how this initial, creative and funny campaign develops.

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The Salvation Army’s ‘self-denial fund’

by Sarah Bond

The Salvation Army’s archive includes fundraising gems from over 150 years ago. In this article Sarah Bond shares an original draft appeal letter from The Salvation Army’s founder General William Booth. She also takes a look the evolution of their ‘self-denial fund’ donation envelopes.

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Do it yourself fundraising

by Marc Pitman

Start-up nonprofits often ask me, ‘How do we raise money?’. The panic of making budget seems to make raising money impossible without knowing someone rich and famous like Bill Gates or Warren Buffet.

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The British Humanist Association: the atheist bus campaign

These bus-side posters toured the streets of London cheering and upsetting people in equal measure but never failing to stimulate controversy and conversation.

by SOFII

This is a perfect match between a brilliant idea that generates real public interest and the technology that can make it easily happen.

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