SOFII’s April must-reads

by Pamela Grow & Craig Linton

It’s amazing how much is going on in fundraising. But when you’re busy it can be hard to find the best blogs and articles. Relax, let SOFII do the work. Just click here and you’ll find all the latest news, opinions and top tips that will really help you in your work.

Verity 15: you understand that every grand opportunity is simply masquerading as a problem, a mystery waiting to be solved.

by Jerold Panas

If you don’t understand the problem, then explain it to someone and listen to yourself discussing it.

What do you talk about at your board meetings?

by Simone Joyaux

Wait! Don’t answer that yet. Instead, let’s start at the very beginning: what is the purpose of a board?

Why have a board?

by Simone Joyaux

You have to have a board. That’s what the law says. Any other reason? Well, having a board really does add value – more value than just raising or giving money.

Involving your board members in fundraising, part one

by Simone Joyaux

Sometimes it’s a struggle to get the board to carry out its fundraising role. Often it’s even harder to get individual members to participate; even if they understand their roles, they don’t want to do ‘that fundraising stuff’.

‘No sale’ video from Oxfam

by Tom Belford

I’m a sucker for online videos to deliver important messages and sell causes and charities. But this one from Oxfam is a ‘no sale’ as far as I’m concerned.

What do you think of this three-part website donate button?

by SOFII

Three buttons, or one? Or two, four or more?

How should we use website giving to engage donors?

Verity 14: you have a quality of leadership

by Jerold Panas

Something quite distinctive is in evidence in everyone who is successful in fundraising. There is a special quality of leadership.

Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success

by Dan Hill

‘The face is a picture of the mind as the eyes are its interpreter’, said the Roman philosopher Cicero. It is so much more eloquent than ‘facial coding’. Yet this core of Dan Hill’s Emotionomics could be extremely important to your fundraising. 

Reviewed for SOFII by Charlie Hulme.

How to harness the power of celebrity to your cause

by Alex Goldup

Could finding a celebrity supporter sprinkle a little stardust on your fundraising? Or is it just a waste of time? As with everything in life – and fundraising – it depends on how you go about it. Alex Goldrup gives some advice on how to do it properly.

Verity 13: you inspire others to action.

by Jerold Panas

A fundraising programme or project must be pursued with inspiration by the fundraiser.

A very angry anagram, nudge, nudge, wink, wink

by Andrew Papworth

It is by no means unknown for me to be critical about Greenpeace’s advertising – particularly its tendency towards confrontational belligerence and its lack of any sense of humour.