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.
George Smith: Working with suppliers, part one
by George Smith
A more serious article than ‘So you seriously want to be a client?, George says that if we really want to be creative in fundraising we have to know how to get help from suppliers.
Read moreAt Charing Cross station, I stood up and blubbed a little
by George Smith
This simple, heart-warming Christmas story from George Smith will reaffirm for you that fundraising is, and always will be, about emotion.
Read moreThe donor pyramid is dead… Long live the donor pyramid!
by SOFII
Sarah Clifton shares her thoughts and asks: What exactly is the purpose of the donor pyramid if not to map the upgrade journey to a major gift?
Read moreFREE: ten years of fundraising experience!
by SOFII
Everything that Reinier Spruit has learnt in his his first ten years of fundraising and all in one handy read.
Read moreStaff 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.
Read moreCopywriting 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.
Read moreGive that gift back!
by SOFII
What happens if a donor wants their money back? Donna Caputo has some advice.
Read moreMajor 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.
Read moreTop 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!
Read moreHow 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.
Read moreHow 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
Read moreHow 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.
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