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.
Five corporate fundraising mistakes to avoid

by Remarkable Partnerships
It’s inevitable that at some time we will make a mistake. Yet some are so basic that they can be easily avoided. Jonathan Andrews warns of five mistakes you really should avoid when you’re going for that all-important corporate partnership.
Read moreLessons from young charities - part 2
by James Read
You can read principles three, four and five here
Read moreLessons from young charities - part 1

by James Read
In this article, creative director and copy chief of marketing and fundraising agency Grizzard, James Read, looks at some of the newest and relatively small charities that have succeeded in raising enviable amounts of awareness and money. He shares the five principles he believes characterise today’s most innovative nonprofits and how you can apply them to your organisation.
Read moreTom Ahern’s nine-step communications self-audit
by Tom Ahern
Why pay thousands to have an expert tell you what you’re doing wrong? Audit your donor communications yourself, using these criteria.
Read moreTen things you should remember when writing to trusts and foundations

by Jo Habib
As with all fundraising, you really need to think about what you are doing from the foundations’ – the donors’ – perspectives. If you were them, what would you want? How would you want to be approached? What would you want to know?
Read moreFinding the perfect fundraising database in an imperfect world

by Robert Weiner
Searching for a donor database for your organisation can be a daunting task. It can be difficult to know where to start, what functions and features you're really going to need, and where to look for affordable options.
Read moreHow to lose £9,000 without even asking
by Anthony Clay
Why timing is everything. And when it pays to ask for more.
Read moreFive acquisition tests: you choose the winner

by Willis Turner
Sometimes when we test packages we’re actually testing theories.
Read moreDemographic trends: ten reasons why we’re not the way we were
by Dr Judith E. Nichols
Here are ten jaw-dropping demographic trends, according to Cheryl Russell, editorial director of New Strategist Publications, in American Consumers Newsletter, 8 January 2008, that make us different from the way we used to be – and what they tell us about our future. While the statistics may be based on Americans, the trends are fairly universal in developed societies.
Read moreFive lessons learned from higher education fundraising
by David Hazeltine
My agency, Yellowfin Direct Marketing, works mainly with fundraising professionals in development, alumni relations, and marketing. Though classed together as a single group, the differences between these institutions – from small, private colleges to large, public universities – can be vast. This, along with the differences between the various constituents of these institutions – alumni versus parents versus faculty and staff versus community – creates many challenges and opportunities for which we have provided and tested solutions.
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