Advertising’s earliest genius and how he can help your advertisements to work better, predictably

by Claude Hopkins

You shouldn’t miss Claude C Hopkins’ new book.

Actually Scientific Advertising was first published 91 years ago, so new it really isn’t. But if its content is new to you, says SOFII’s reviewer, this concise classic can still teach you valuable lessons to improve your communication skills and enhance your career too. Hopkins was, by rather a long way, the highest paid advertising person of his generation. Find out why here

Verity 16: all of the great fundraisers have certain success factors in common.

by Jerold Panas

It is the thread woven through their entire fabric.

SOFII’s August must-reads

by Pamela Grow & Craig Linton

If you rarely get the chance to speak directly to your donors, you will be interested in at least one of this month’s ‘must-reads’. It’s from a highly successful street fundraiser for a major British charity who recruits between 10 and 15 new donors each and every day. And he loves his job. Find out why, here.

The fundraising climate: a consumer confidence update

by Andrew Papworth

Do you agree with Andrew Papworth when he says that fundraisers are going to find it tough for the foreseeable future? Here on SOFII you’ll find his thoughts on the latest consumer confidence survey

Why I struggle to be proud to be a fundraiser.

by Giles Pegram CBE

Fundraisers at the Institute of Fundraising’s national convention in London this week were enthusiastically greeting the theme Proud to be a Fundraiser. But in this latest article on SOFII, celebrated fundraiser Giles Pegram claims that he struggles with the concept. Is he just being provocative? Find out here.

Assessing your board’s governance capacity

by Simone Joyaux

If you need to do individual assessments of each member of your board, but aren’t sure how to go about it Simone Joyaux shows you the route to optimum board performance.

SOFII’s June must-reads

by Pamela Grow & Craig Linton

There are some great things for you in this month’s must-reads, including why we fundraisers must stop the madness of ‘churn and burn’ direct mail, what you can do if you are trying to raise money for what some call an ‘unworthy’ cause. And the Agitator with a simple twist on making your stories compelling for your donors.

The power of passion

by Per Stenbeck

In this moving personal account veteran fundraiser Per Stenbeck explains and introduces why passion underpins innovation for him. In the accompanying text below he then goes on to outline his three golden rules of fundraising.

Recession-proof fundraising: How to fundraise out of bad times

by Marc Pitman

​Turn on any news show and you’ll hear analysts and pundits forecasting economic doom and gloom. Their reports are filled with words and phrases like ‘economic downturn’, ‘soft economy’ and the dreaded ‘recession’.

A day with the jam ladies

by Kimberley MacKenzie

In our first entry of this new inspiring showcase, Kimberley Mackenzie from Ontario Nature, Canada, shares her holiday memories and how one moving and touching day reminded her of the essential values of good fundraising and how to change the world.

Top 10 tips for retaining fundraisers

by Frances Hurst

You can hardly pick up a newspaper these days without reading how wonderful it is to work for a charity.

Words count: Why fundraisers have to change what they say and how they say it

by Bob Levy

Over the last decade, the direct marketing industry has been smitten by data base gurus who have touted the segmentation of donor files as a process akin to the magical mystery tour.