The Beautiful Foundation: building philanthropy in South Korea with Lego block banks

by SOFII

The Beautiful Foundation wanted to further promote charitable giving in South Korea, during a time when a 'giving culture' was rapidly taking root. This campaign aimed to increase the awareness of the needs of children and poor people and to raise necessary financial social support through a non-conventional monetary system.

Dream A Dream: evenings out at the Little Theatre, Bangalore

by SOFII

An inspirational guide to nights out at the theatre, courtesy of Dream A Dream, Bangalore. The annual theatre production is a classic example of an exchange model, where all participants gain value through the collaboration. The audience, adults and children alike, enjoy an entertaining play by a leading theatre group. Dream A Dream is able to raise funds for its development activities.

Great Ormond Street Hospital: Christmas mailing from 1941

by Aline Reed

This direct mail appeal from 1941 has everything. Charm, courage, dedication and, perhaps most importantly, it is brilliantly innovative too. Plus, how many mailings have been preserved for 70 years and then end up being sold? Find out more in this great case study.

How to really understand fundraising’s reigning big idea, direct mail

by Mal Warwick

The foreword to this short and readable book summarises its value well, ‘For reluctant writers who need warm-up exercises and structured lessons…and for seasoned grant writers who get caught up in the jargon of our fields’…

Review by Jan Chisholm. 

Dove: the Campaign for Real Beauty and Dove Self-Esteem Fund

by Carolina Herrera

Here’s a company using exactly the same tactics that charities use to campaign for social change while, of course, rather effectively selling its prod…

Is this the best way to develop bequests?

by Rich Fox

Most organisations are surprised when they receive bequests. Many of the people who leave bequests do not even appear on the organisation’s donor file, and most of the others have been only low value donors for a number of years (and are often lapsed) -- not the kind of people who you might expect to leave a large bequest.

Telephone fundraising, part 2: how to use the phone across different programmes

by Bethan Holloway

In the second part of her articles on telephone fundraising, Bethan Holloway gives an overview of fundraising campaigns that the telephone could massively improve.

Wood Green Animal Shelters: urgent £3 food appeal

by SOFII

Wood Green, The Animals Charity changed their fundraising strategy and are now achieving better ROIs on their cold recruitment campaigns than ever before.

St Michael’s Hospital Foundation: urban angel newsletter – special campaign edition

by SOFII

This newsletter is particularly worth studying because it's designed to fill a special role at the end of a successful three-year capital campaign. So it's a 'round-up' newsletter, with a number of important jobs to do under the general 'stewardship' heading.

St Michael’s Hospital Foundation: a special book to thank volunteers

by SOFII

Fundraisers all too often take their volunteers for granted so it's good to see an organisation setting out specifically to be brilliant at saying thank you to them. Having raised $140 million thanks to the help of volunteers it was reasonable that the people at St Michael's should invest time and resources in saying thank you properly.

NSPCC: how to motivate fundraisers

by Giles Pegram CBE

When Giles Pegram had the somewhat novel idea of thanking individual fundraisers when they had done something special, he had a great idea that not only thrilled and motivated them, but also inspired other fundraisers around them.

Telephone fundraising, part 1: why the phone is a great fundraising tool

by Bethan Holloway

In this first of three articles Bethan Holloway gives five reasons why the telephone is such a great fundraising tool whether your organisation is small or large.