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.

Forcing or forging a relationship? Part 5: what’s your real message? Or, how to be relevant

by Charlie Hulme

Do you really know your donors? Do you know why they give you money? Does it matter? Yes, says Charlie Hulme. If we want to keep our donors so expensively recruited we have to make sure our messages are relevant to what they want. We can’t do that if we don’t know what that is.

Read more

Why I support 12 different charities

by Laura Croudace

How can you learn and improve if your training budget is titchy? Get out and donate says Laura Croudace, who wants a steady stream of fundraising pouring through her letterbox because she learns so much from it. And all those donations are still cheaper than most seminars and workshops.

Read more

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 more

How much is a good story worth?

by Michael Rosen

How much is a good story worth to a fundraiser? A lot says Michael Rosen. Here he gives you seven ideas on how you can make your stories powerful tools to raise lots more money for your organisation.

Read more

The UNICEF partnership with the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games

by Joe Jenkins

UNICEF's partnership with the Glasgow Commonwealth Games was the first time the opening ceremony of a global major sporting event was used by a charity to raise money: £3.7 million during that evening alone, much of it by texts from people in the audience.

Read more

Involving your board and board members in fund development, part three

by Simone Joyaux

Your board members reluctance to take part in your fundraising could be down to plain fear. In Simone Uncensored this week you'll find some useful tips on how to show them that it is a great, fulfilling thing to do – nothing to be scared of at all.

Read more

It’s time to create a strategy for your website that will increase your fundraising

by Beate Sørum

If you follow these five steps you will create a strategy that will make the content of your website work hard for you and your donors happy.

Read more

A simple equation, plus three big reasons to buy this book

by Craig Linton & Giles Pegram CBE

There are many good books on fundraising, says Craig Linton, but not many truly great ones. Retention Fundraising by Roger Craver of the Agitator is one of those books and is an instant classic. At its heart is the simple equation: retention + commitment = increased lifetime value. Read it, find the big reasons – and banish attrition forever.

Read more

Lessons from the Annual Lectures: Kirsty Simpson’s view

by Kirsty Simpson

See the last of SOFII’s lessons learned at the 2014 Annual Lectures from Kirsty Simpson. Find out who are the fundraising fairies.

Read more

Lessons from the Annual Lectures: Stephanie Drummond's view

by Stephanie Drummond

Now Stephanie Drummond, who also won a place at the Annual Lectures through SOFII’s competition, tells us the valuable lessons she learned on that day. Go and get your fishing rod!

Read more

Do we really need another book on storytelling? Part 2

by Bethan Francis & Rory Green

Click here to see more thoughts and opinions on Ken Burnett’s Storytelling can change the world from Bethan Francis in the UK and Rory Green in Canada. Just a little trailer: you can’t make important change if you aren’t an expert teller of stories.

Read more

What’s next in fundraising? Part 4

by Kirsty Simpson

Our final essay winner on the next big thing for fundraising. Click here to find out about Kirsty Simpson’s leap of faith.

Read more