The Fundraiser’s Toolbox
You know that fundraising is hard work. To be successful you need to be well equipped to take on all its challenges. At SOFII, we thought you might like some help. So we’ve put together this fundraiser’s toolbox that we’ll be filling with essential examples, formats, articles, case studies, ideas and tips that we think every fundraiser should know about.
26 tips for more effective fundraising writing
by Jeff Brooks
Write like a tabloid journalist. Use emotion, even overdo it. Write a paragraph about your donor. These are just three tips of 26 from the great Jeff Brooks (of the Bad Ads Showcase fame) that will help you become the best writer possible.
Read moreFrom the Myth Smashers: ‘Fundraising isn’t a serious profession’
by Victoria Andrews
‘To call us a not for profit is a disservice and to say fundraising isn’t a real job, is simply not true.’ From the Fundraising Institute of Australia’s exceptional Myth Smashers session comes this impassioned deflation of that most pernicious of myths - that fundraising isn’t a profession.
Read moreThe BADASSforGOOD podcast. Episodes six to ten.‘I might just ruffle a few feathers’
by R. Trent Thompson
Mr Badass is back! We bring you five more short, sharp and provocative podcasts from R. Trent Thompson that will transform how you think about your non-profit brand and the impact it makes.
Read moreGeorge Smith: the art of creative fundraising - ‘Give us your money – or the panda gets it!’
by George Smith
In 1992, George Smith predicted a sea change in the development of the fundraising profession, with deference and royal reverence to be a thing of the past. Was he right? Read his reasoning and decide for yourself.
Read moreSOFII’s September must-reads
by Craig Linton and Pamela Grow
SOFII heroes Pamela Grow and Craig Linton have trawled the Internet to pick out the finest fundraising fruits of September.
Read moreThe A to Z of writing fundraising appeals: T to Z
by Steve Lynch
Words of wisdom, notions of tone and urgency and the central importance of YOU - all are covered in this last entry in Steve Lynch’s A to Z of writing fundraising appeals.
Read moreThe A to Z of writing fundraising appeals: M to S
by Steve Lynch
We bring you part three of copywriter Steve Lynch’s superb A to Z, exploring everything from the value of a good slogan to lessons taken from his mother and George Orwell. Stay tuned for T to Z, coming soon.
Read moreThe A to Z of writing fundraising appeals: G to L
by Steve Lynch
From grammar to the length of fundraising copy via important takes on jargon, headlines and even Rudyard Kipling, Bluefrog’s Steve Lynch continues to take a fun and informative linguistic foray through fundraising essentials.
Read moreSOFII’s July must-reads
by Craig Linton and Pamela Grow
Do you know how to properly thank your donors? Does your copywriting need a boost? Do you want to tap into the potential of gaming? Would you like to read an inspirational and emotional piece of storytelling? All these questions and many, many more are addressed in this month’s collection of SOFII must-reads from Pamela Grow and Craig Linton.
Read moreFrom the Myth Smashers: The myth of the ‘rational donor’
by Alice Anwar
In the first presentation from Myth Smashers, an I Wish I’d Thought Of That (IWITOT)-inspired event that takes place every year down under, Alice Anwar of CARE Australia explores the myth of donor rationality and asks, ‘can the head and the heart ever be friends’?
Read moreMeet the fundraising Myth Smashers
by Joe Burnett
SOFII shares the winning presentations from Myth Smashers, Fundraising Institute of Australia’s IWITOT-inspired event. These young fundraisers each shine a light on dispiriting fundraising myths and show how they can be overcome.
Read moreIntroducing the wisdom of Jerry Huntsinger
by Gwen Chapman
Jerry Huntsinger is the dean of direct mail fundraising. Now, just for you, he is sharing his wisdom here, in the unique Jerry Huntsinger tutorials.
Read more
