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.
United Negro College Fund: David Ogilvy’s letter
by SOFII
Go back in time to meet one of the commuters who, in 1968, found this superb letter from David Ogilvy on the seat of the train taking him home to his comfortable New York suburb.
Read moreThe 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.
Read moreGreat Ormond Street Hospital: Christmas mailing from 1941
by Aline Reed
This direct mail appeal from 1941 has everything. Charm, courage, dedication and, perhaps most importantly, it is brilliantly innovative too. Plus, how many mailings have been preserved for 70 years and then end up being sold? Find out more in this great case study.
Read moreHarvard University: how Harvard got its name. Major gift fundraising in the seventeenth century.
by SOFII
The examples in this exhibit are almost 400 years old, yet it would seem that we are still making the same mistakes today when it comes to major gift fundraising.
Read moreHelp the Aged: ‘you have this gift’ direct mail pack
by SOFII
Both the text on the envelope and the incentive in this classic direct mail pack from the 1980s have been copied frequently.
Read moreDavid Ogilvy’s secret weapon
by SOFII
Few people more deserve the term ‘giant of fundraising’ than David Ogilvy. Here, in a fragment of film from days gone by, Ogilvy passes on a single gem from his glittering experiences. Those who heed his words will prosper.
Read morePearly kings and queens – fantastic fundraising
by Mark Astarita
Mark Astarita tells the charming story of the pearly kings and queens. With their colourful feathered hats and hand-sewn pearl button suits, the ‘pearlies’ are an instantly recognisable London institution dating back 150 years.
Read moreDr Barnardo’s Homes: how the death of Carrots led to a powerful slogan, from 1866
by SOFII
The death of a lonely young boy led Dr Barnardo to declare that the children’s homes that bore his name should never, ever close their doors to any child. A great example of fine writing combined with sincerity.
Read moreDeerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from 1960, letter 22
by SOFII
It has been a pleasure and a privilege to bring you all these letters from that master of direct mail letter-writing, Bruce Barton. But, as the infamous ‘they’ say, ‘all good things must come to an end’. Yes, this is the last SOFII has. But, of course, as they also say, ‘the glass is half full’, so maybe there are more out there that will find their way to SOFII.
Read moreDeerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from 1957 and 1958, letters 20 and 21
by SOFII
Bruce Barton’s letters are all about the donors’ achievements, so are welcome news packed with flattery and tales of selflessness and fine motives.
Read moreDeerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from 1956 and 1957, letters 18 and 19
by SOFII
There’s no trickery in these letters, no artifice, no phoney PSs. Just direct, honest talking put in such an endearing and charming way as to become irresistible for those recipients who share the writer’s enthusiasm for Deerfield Academy and his passionate belief that it should give the best education possible to its students.
Read moreDeerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from 1955 and 1956, letters 16 and 17
by SOFII
A four-year gap between Bruce Barton's letters for Deerfield Academy in no way diminished his exceptional capacity for penning a powerful appeal. Read, reflect and recycle, for there is real treasure here.
Read more
