In-memoriam donation thank-you letter samples

by Lisa Sargent

These letters are part of Lisa Sargent’s thank-you letter clinic: How to write lively memorial donation thank-you letters.

Do it yourself fundraising

by Marc Pitman

Start-up nonprofits often ask me, ‘How do we raise money?’. The panic of making budget seems to make raising money impossible without knowing someone rich and famous like Bill Gates or Warren Buffet.

Supporter surveys: what do your supporters really think?, part 2

by Jonathon Grapsas

The second part of a three-part analysis of the benefits of annual supporter surveys.

How to be an effective client

by Ken Burnett

SOFII’s founder and trustee, Ken Burnett, introduces this showcase and explains why he thinks it’s not just important but critical, that fundraisers have a place to go where they can learn how to be an effective client. The reason for this? To ensure that not so much as a penny of donor’s faithfully given money is wasted. SOFII can be that place.

A debt to the master: the Ogilvy effect

by Ken Burnett

Part two of SOFII’s tribute to ‘the pope of advertising’, David Ogilvy.

David Ogilvy: A profile of the ‘father of advertising’

by Christiana Stergiou

While the thought of another ‘must read’ book for fundraisers might overwhelm, you really should read this book, especially if you want to hire, or are currently working with an agency, want to apply for a job, have to write copy or are using …

How to really understand fundraising’s reigning big idea, direct mail

by Mal Warwick

The foreword to this short and readable book summarises its value well, ‘For reluctant writers who need warm-up exercises and structured lessons…and for seasoned grant writers who get caught up in the jargon of our fields’…

Review by Jan Chisholm. 

The emotional brain

by Ken Burnett

Seasoned fundraiser Ken Burnett says of his latest article, The Emotional Brain, ‘It seems to me that fundraisers don’t know as much as they might about what it is that makes people give and why; what makes them loyal or repeat donors and what binds them to our cause above other causes, come what may. So I’m fairly sure that the emotional brain is the most important subject I’ve written about in a long time. Working on it has quite altered my view of what, as fundraisers, we should be doing when we acquire and then communicate with our donors.’

My big mistakes – and what I learned

by Lyndall Stein

When Lyndall Stein’s article on the ANC first appeared on SOFII it prompted the comment: ‘This is a great piece! Wow, the power of fundraisers!’ However, one part of an ANC campaign had a serious flaw. Here Lyndall owns up to that mistake, and others, and tells SOFII users what she learned from them.

Commitment. And why it matters more than anything for fundraisers

by Ken Burnett

Has the argument about the value of donor commitment finally been brought to an end? Ken Burnett reports on how Roger Craver of the Agitator and his colleague Kevin Schulman have developed a way to calculate your donors’ commitment and, from this, ascribe a commitment score to each of them.

Corporate fundraising is less and less about funds

by Margot Ende - van den Broek

Managing director of SOS Children’s Villages Netherlands, Margot Ende - van den Broek shares her experiences of the changing relationship with corporate donors. Margot argues that fundraisers need to be seen as a potential business partner, sharing costs and risks and ultimately being of mutual benefit to each other. She asks whether this is how you feel about your current corporate relationships.

One-night stands ruin your fundraising

by Reinier Spruit

In this article Reinier Spruit gets serious about the importance of establishing lasting and meaningful relationships with your supporters. Reiner acknowledges that most fundraisers understand the importance of developing a long-term relationship, but questions whether we’re looking far enough into the future.