The Foundling Hospital appeal, 1728-1745

by Tobin Aldrich

Another opportunity to be inspired by fundraisers of the past. Raffles, art gallery events and benefit concerts are common ways to raise money today. But when Thomas Coram was fundraising for the Foundling Hospital in Georgian London he employed all these methods. In fact, some might say he invented them…

William Quarrier – the most determined fundraiser of all time?

by Simon Burne

Be inspired by the most determined fundraiser of all time. Using an approach not designed for the faint-hearted, William Quarrier went into a room full of wealthy people and walked out with enough money to fund a village for homeless children in Glasgow. But how did he do it? And what can we learn from this fundraising superstar?

The Darüşşafaka Society: a unique offer for special donors

by Gunes Yildirim

Darüşşafaka – meaning house of kindness – has provided full scholarships to orphans as well as clothing, accommodation, healthcare and food. But there’s also a lot we can learn about donor care, legacy and high value fundraising from the oldest NGO in Turkey.

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home: ‘secret suppers’

by SOFII

Battersea Dogs & Cats Home struck gold with a marvellous and original idea to show their urgent need to wealthy donors.

Harvard University: how Harvard got its name. Major gift fundraising in the seventeenth century.

by SOFII

The examples in this exhibit are almost 400 years old, yet it would seem that we are still making the same mistakes today when it comes to major gift fundraising.

Grassroots International: their distinctive annual report

by SOFII

Grassroots Interenational’s staff diligently take photos during field visits and now they have a wide choice of images to use in their annual report. They also use donor profiles to support their message, so GRI donors are interested and highly involved.

Is Asian charity different from Western charity?

by SOFII

Looking for some insight into fundraising in Asia? Mitchell Hinz has some advice.

Deerfield Academy: the Bruce Barton classic long copy letter from 1925 that pulled a 100 per cent response

by Carolina Herrera

He sounds like the racy detective hero from a 1930s crime thriller. But Bruce Barton is something else, for sure – a great copywriter and communicator.

Fund for a Free South Africa: high value mailing

by SOFII

Apart from its historical value this colourful, beautifully-crafted direct mail appeal package, designed to create maximum impact from a carefully targeted group.

The 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?

Give that gift back!

by SOFII

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

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.