Harold Sumption: the shy pioneer

by SOFII-author

In this addition to SOFII’s Fundraising Legends series, Ken Burnett proudly shares the full text of Harold’s only published material – Yesterday’s trail-blazing and pointers for tomorrow. 

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.

In lieu of flowers: how to write lively memorial donation thank-you letters

by Lisa Sargent

Are your in-memoriam donation thank-you letters destined for donor oblivion?

This copywriting clinic looks to help you rescue them from a fate worse than, well… death.

The Obama effect

by Jonathon Grapsas

Six lessons from President Obama’s fundraising team to help fuel growth in your organisation.

How to write a better thank-you letter (and why it matters)

by Lisa Sargent

‘Dear Friend,’ the thank-you letter began... and it broke my heart. Don’t they know my name? I wondered. (It was on the cheque I sent them, after all.)

SOFII announces the return of the thank-you letter clinic

by Lisa Sargent

New thank-you letter clinic to champion a renaissance in charity thank-you letters, starting with Lee Saunders – and YOU.

It all started when veteran fundraiser and SOFII user Lee Saunders kindly sent SOFII a packet of charity thank-you letters he’d written for charities in Western Australia.

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.

The power of benchmarking

by Jonathon Grapsas

How looking around at others can help you raise more money for your cause.

The 11 pillars of fundraising wisdom – plus the five assumptions that underpin effective fundraising

by Ken Burnett

In this noisy, brash and insincere world, how can fundraisers and their organisations stand out and be understood when much of the ground we would occupy is not our exclusive preserve? Indeed, our traditional territory tends to be crowded with other occupants who also posture, to the same audiences we wish to inspire, as ‘socially concerned’ and ‘worthwhile’, so we nonprofits have to struggle to be distinctive and different.