Staff like donors? Recruit, develop, retain them…

by SOFII

In this article Patrice Simonnet advises us to use the same techniques on our fundraising staff as those we use on our donors.

Copywriting and design strategies for better donor newsletters: a before and after success story

by Lisa Sargent

Fundraising copywriter Lisa Sargent and designer Sandie Collette, of S.Collette Design, discuss how copywriting and design go hand-in-hand to make a Dublin-based charity's newsletter overhaul a success. Discover the strategies that helped make it happen in this case study of a nonprofit newsletter.

Give that gift back!

by SOFII

What happens if a donor wants their money back? Donna Caputo has some advice.

Major gifts: fundraising from the frontlines

by Rebecca Davies

Director of fundraising for Médecins sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, Canada, Rebecca Davies shares with SOFII readers the qualities that have made her a stronger major gift fundraiser over her career.

Top ten techniques for fresh thinking

by Lucy Gower

In this article, Lucy explains how you can come up with fresh ideas and creative thinking. Whoever would have thought that putting yourself in the shoes of Homer Simpson could be so rewarding!

How I wrote it: the ActionAid iguana letter

by Fergal Byrne & Aline Reed

Are you sitting down to write your next appeal? In this article, Aline Reed takes you through a letter she wrote in 2005. It was part of ActionAid UK’s long-running mid-value donor programme. Aline explains her approach to writing stories that move donors to action, and offers hints and tips that will help you to do the same. 

How I wrote it: the classic Amnesty press ads

by Indra Sinha

In this eight-minute video, legendary copywriter and author Indra Sinha reflects on the thinking behind some of the most poignant and affecting fundraising advertisements of all time. There are pearls of wisdom here for every enthusiastic communicator

How I wrote it: the Sharp HospiceCare conversion letter

by Fergal Byrne & Tom Ahern

In the first of this SOFII series of interviews with leading fundraising writers, Fergal Byrne talks to Tom Ahern about a letter he wrote in 2002 for Sharp HospiceCare. Here Tom tells Fergal how he wrote this letter, explains his approach and takes us through the letter step by step.

The Bruce Barton letters: 22 classic direct mail appeals

by Ken Burnett

If you are new to SOFII, or an old hand, please have a look at some great fundraising letters you’ll love. Written by Bruce Barton over many years, they are priceless examples of the craft of writing fundraising letters.

Why should God have all the best ideas?

by Ken Burnett

Plagiarism, we all know, is the most sincere form of flattery. Why trouble to think of your own big idea, if you can steal – or, perhaps better, borrow – someone else’s?

The GIVING WELLY Campaign

by SOFII

SOFII doesn’t have many rules but this exhibit nevertheless breaks a few of them, in that it focuses not on a charity/nonprofit but on a commercial sponsor. Still, it’s a colourful, creative idea very well executed and several charities benefited rather significantly from it. It strikes us as a sound win-win situation, a good example of both commerce/charity partnership and of charities working together.

A ‘magic porridge pot’ for those new to major gifts – but keen to learn

by Neil Sloggie

Major gift fundraising has been the ‘next big thing’ in a number of fundraising markets around the world for far too long. By this I mean that, although there is excellent work being done in this area by some not-for-profits, too many are held back by fear and lack of understanding…

Review by Charlotte Grimshaw.