My new obsession: online gaming

by Lucy Innophoria

Those of you that know me will be surprised to hear that this month I transformed from the bright and bubbly Lucy you know and love into a strange creature, shuffling into the office each morning with my head bent down, back hunched, thumbs too cramped to type and an absolutely ruined manicure.

New research shows how charities can create remarkable corporate partnerships

by Remarkable Partnerships

Remarkable Partnerships, a new report from Jonathon Andrews shows that when charities and companies partner in a remarkable way they deliver huge impact, have wider reach, create more opportunities and last longer. Read SOFII’s summary here. Then get the full report, free.

Bhopal Medical Appeal: press advertisements

by Indra Sinha

On one awful night in 1984 the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, India exploded sending clouds of poisonous gas across the city that would kill tens of thousands of people and inflict misery and suffering on future generations. Thus began the Bhopali people’s search for justice and treatment, which led to the founding of the BMA, whose advertisements have become the symbols of a crime that, more than 25 years later, still inflicts unimaginable suffering and still goes unpunished. The Bhopal Medical Appeal campaigns to change this, through its fundraising.

CPAR: ‘plant a tree in Ethiopia’ mailing

by SOFII

Ethiopia has to be one of the most difficult fundraising markets in the world. Yet this pack produced results that most more sophisticated fundraisers can only dream of.

Less pessimism about the fundraising climate but…

by Andrew Papworth

Andrew Papworth reports on the latest Managing in a Downturn and you’ll be pleased to learn that although things are still tough, there is a less pessimism about the fundraising climate. Even better is that individual giving continues to be an important part of fundraising in the UK (and elsewhere too, no doubt).

How to advertise for funds off-the-page. Part 2

by Andrew Papworth

It is always important to have a banker advertisement that you know you can rely on. This is an advertisement that has proved itself over time to be consistently reliable. But that alone is not enough. Your banker advertisement will inevitably start to decline at some point, even to become ineffective.

WWF UK: ‘Year of the Tiger’ Christmas appeal 2009

by SOFII

This campaign was wildly successful. It is an excellent example of how one appeal, with an urgent and compelling message, can be tailored to fit different types of donor. It is also integrated fundraising at its best.

Shelter’s Joan and Rudy pack: a pet dog helps homeless old people

by Chris Barraclough

The creators of this direct mail pack from Shelter read the cause and its audience brilliantly and went on to smash its targets.

Ryton Gardens: recyclable mailing

by SOFII

Ryton Garden’s famous recyclable mailing is one of the best ever examples of the benefits fundraisers can realise when they show that they really understand their donors.

How to advertise for funds off-the-page. Part 1

by Andrew Papworth

Papworth’s principles of press advertising

Part 1: How fundraising ads work

RSPB: Letter to the future

by SOFII

How do you engage people in your cause, grab their attention and encourage them to stand alongside you on an issue of national importance? Not easy, we think. But here’s a brilliant example of a national conservation charity doing just that, very successfully.

British Heart Foundation: the poster series

by SOFII

A great series of posters from the British Heart Foundation with both public education and awareness messages.