The SOFII history project
Welcome to the SOFII history project! To be a great fundraiser you need to be aware of what has come before and there is no better place to explore our collective past than here. Have you heard of the first ever major donor dinner from 970 BC? Have you read the wise words of Moses Maimonedes, who explored the eight levels of giving 800 years ago? Are you aware of the ground-breaking campaigns from the Victorian era? All these treasures and many more can be found in the SOFII history project. Dive in to learn the valuable lessons of fundraisers past. You can find:
Take a trip in SOFII’s time machine: the SOFII history project - introduction and contents
Part 1: treasures from fundraising’s history here.
Part 2: the all-time fundraising greats here.
And Part 3: the legends of fundraising here.
A timeline of modern British philanthropy
by Rhodri Davies
In this fascinating article, Rhodri Davies takes you through a brief but insightful history of British giving.
Read moreThe SOFII history project: introduction and contents
by SOFII
Being a great fundraiser means knowing your history, and learning from it. This introduction helps you to explore SOFII’s collection of historical fundraising brilliance. Enjoy!
Read moreCrowdfunding: A lesson from World War II
by Roger Craver
The Spitfire was a single-seat, short-range, high-performance interceptor. But Britain faced an early and major problem with this impressive fighter plane – where to get the money to pay for the thousands that were required. The solution was fundraising.
Read moreThe SOFII history project part one: treasures from fundraising’s history
by SOFII
Welcome to part one of SOFII’s history project. Dive in to explore the best campaigns from antiquity to the 20th century.
Read moreThe SOFII history project part two: the all-time fundraising greats
by Joe Burnett
Do you want to learn from the very best in the fundraising business? This is the section for you as we explore the greatest ever campaigns, events and pioneering thinkers.
Read moreThe SOFII history project part three: the legends of fundraising
by Joe Burnett
Meet the women and men who transformed, improved and revolutionised fundraising.
Read moreEihei Dogen: fundraising letter from 1235
by SOFII
This letter, sent in the year 1235, may be the oldest fundraising letter on record. It’s certainly the oldest we know of. It is also an extraordinarily competent appeal. The letter identifies the different types of people that the writer, a famous Buddhist sage, wishes to address. It doesn’t just describe the need that donors can meet, it also recognises the benefits that donors might receive when they respond.
Read moreHow the RNLI made me a donor
by Kathryn Holloway
Kathryn Holloway of Friends of the Earth shares the story of how she became a donor, inspired from a young age by a unique collection box.
Read moreNSPCC’s Full Stop campaign - SOFII’s view
by Ken Burnett
As we come to the end of the story of the NSPCC's unparalleled Full Stop campaign, SOFII founder Ken Burnett shares his praise for such a powerful, donor-focused appeal.
Read moreThe Foundling Hospital appeal, 1728-1745
by Tobin Aldrich
Another opportunity to be inspired by fundraisers of the past. Raffles, art gallery events and benefit concerts are common ways to raise money today. But when Thomas Coram was fundraising for the Foundling Hospital in Georgian London he employed all these methods. In fact, some might say he invented them…
Read moreWilliam Quarrier – the most determined fundraiser of all time?
by Simon Burne
Be inspired by the most determined fundraiser of all time. Using an approach not designed for the faint-hearted, William Quarrier went into a room full of wealthy people and walked out with enough money to fund a village for homeless children in Glasgow. But how did he do it? And what can we learn from this fundraising superstar?
Read moreTank Banks: more sensational fundraising from the First World War
by Aline Reed
Now for something completely different: give a tank to thank your donors. Okay, this is a little cheeky, there aren’t many of us today who can give a tank as a special thank you. But we can create pride and excitement in our donors, just like the Tank Banks back in 1919.
Read more
