The main areas of fundraising

I wish I’d thought of… charity shop Gift Aid

by Jonathan Cook

Charity shop Gift Aid. Is it fundraising history? Is it fundraising innovation? Is it a tax loophole for good? Honestly, it’s probably all three! Jonathan Cook takes you on the somewhat strange yet fascinating journey of how charity shops began making 25 per cent more for every pound they earned by simply selling the UK’s donated goods.

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Celebrating donor recognition through history and exploring why it works

by Marina Jones

Join Marina Jones as she shares a selection of her favourite examples of donor recognition. Dating back to mediaeval times, this is a wonderful (and sometimes weird) collection of ways that donors have been recognised for their gifts. 

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Irregularity – is it the future of regular giving?

by Hannah Moysey

Recruiting regular donors, increasing engagement and reducing attrition are three things that feature in plenty of fundraising strategies. They remain a focus for good reason – all fundraisers want to help their cause with the reliable funds that a base of committed supporters brings. But what if the future of regular giving was less ‘regular’ and more ‘irregular’? 

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Hercule Van Wolfwinkle: ‘Bad’ pet portraits fundraiser

by Tony Banks

What do ‘bad’ pet portraits have to do with fundraising? Click here to read the inspiring story of how one person raised more than £200,000 for charity – simply by drawing furry friends from around the world.  

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Charity e-commerce – learning from the best online shops in the sector

by Matt Smith

Fundraising, marketing and digital teams need to work together to improve charity e-commerce and offer a better user experience. Matt Smith shares examples from charities who are leading the way – delivering great customer support and ongoing communication. Read on to find out how you can turn a ‘transaction’ into a more meaningful supporter experience.

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Legacy seeds

by John Lepp

‘The ‘past’ truly can be a part of a glorious future’ – John Lepp explains why sprinkling some legacy seeds in your donor communications can lay the groundwork for future success.

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Everything IWITOT

by SOFII

This is your one-stop shop for all the latest on SOFII’s I Wish I’d Thought of That (IWITOT). If you want to attend an event, become a speaker, host your own IWITOT or revisit a past event – it is all right here.

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National Trust for Scotland: ROOTS regular giving campaign

by Joe Nicholson

For membership organisations, recruiting regular givers isn’t always easy – but with a beautiful new regular giving product, the National Trust for Scotland certainly succeeded.

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I just did my first round of grant assessing – here’s what I learned

by Vic Hancock Fell

After years of fundraising for small charities, Vic Hancock Fell found herself on the other side of the process – assessing grant applications. Find out what Vic learned and what changes she’ll make when she writes her next application for a trust or foundation.

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Fundraisers, are you ready for a potential cyber attack?

by Jack Steadman

Jack Steadman, chief technology strategist at agency Blue State, shares some crucial steps that he believes could help your organisation maintain cyber security and protect donor data.

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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Giving Machines

by Liz Attfield

Imagine using a vending machine, not to get chocolate or a drink, but instead to donate to a worthy cause. It’s possible! This fundraising idea is simple, effective and makes donating easy. Keeping reading to discover more about this unique and successful campaign.

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Improve your supporters’ online experience to raise your fundraising results

by James Herlihy

James Herlihy of Dutch agency Mindwize shares his essential steps for avoiding a poor online experience for donors. He also gives his advice on how to power yourself to fundraising success.

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