The main areas of fundraising
Deerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from 1955 and 1956, letters 16 and 17
by SOFII
A four-year gap between Bruce Barton's letters for Deerfield Academy in no way diminished his exceptional capacity for penning a powerful appeal. Read, reflect and recycle, for there is real treasure here.
Read moreFounding of the British Red Cross: a spectacular result from a letter to a national newspaper, 1870
by SOFII
This is an important piece of fundraising history. It explains how one of the world’s most significant international humanitarian organisations took root in the UK. Also, it records the moment when a brief correspondence in a leading national newspaper of the day showed the British public’s extraordinary capacity to react with inspirational generosity at a time of evident need.
Read moreOcean Conservancy: membership drive
by SOFII
In fundraising via direct mail, attempts to better a control pack (also known as beating the banker pack) are always interesting and usually instructive. This pack from Ocean Conservancy exemplifies much of dm fundraising best practice.
Read moreDeerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from 1951, letter 15
by SOFII
With all the usual captivation and craftsmanship of a classic Bruce Barton letter, this provides a very valuable lesson in donor care from 60 years ago that is just as relevant today.
Read moreMcPherson Associates/ WPBT2: the ‘surprise us’ tick box
by SOFII
'Like a lot of so-called best practices, many of our gift strategies date back to a day when the hot new technology was faxing and “my space" was where you parked'. What happened when McPherson Associates changed the paradigm and let the donors choose.
Read moreThe Big Give: online fundraising
by SOFII
We're sure many fundraisers will find it hard to believe that for some donors, particularly major donors, it can be difficult to find a trustworthy, donor-friendly organisation to give their money to. The Big Give is an innovation that meets the needs of both donors and fundraisers. For charities, the website is a fantastic, and free, opportunity to showcase their projects, the real and relevant work that much of the public will fail to see, or realise needs funding.
Read moreUniversity of Oxford: legacy brochure
by SOFII
The dream inspires. A classic legacy promotion brochure with multiple enclosures shows you how it’s done. By providing an inspiring vision in the main document as well as individualised content in the template insert, this brochure has the ability to be as broad or as narrow as required.
Read moreUniversity of South Carolina: ‘We are South Carolina Y’ALL’ (Young Alumni Leaving a Legacy)
by SOFII
In another piece from our archive, this innovative and engaging alumni fundraising from the University of South Carolina (USC) is a great reminder to the higher education sector that communicating with young people about legacies can and should be done.
Read moreUniversity of South Carolina: Search for ‘the face of Y’ALL’
by SOFII
Y’ALL stands for Young Alumni Leaving a Legacy and this exhibit chronicles an associated endeavour, the search for a face, or rather a couple of faces, to promote it.
Read moreDeerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from the turn of the 1950s, letters 12, 13 and 14
by SOFII
It's a delight now to add letters 12, 13 and 14 to this growing SOFII series featuring legendary writer Bruce Barton's brilliantly conversational direct mail letters for Deerfield Academy.
Read moreLake Simcoe Conservation Foundation: 2008 progress report
by SOFII
From this one low-cost publication donors can clearly see what their donations have achieved. When presenting this progress report in person to one of our major donors, he said: ‘I wish some of the other organisations I am involved with would produce this kind of stuff.’
Read moreMissing People: the online annual review
by SOFII
How to use the Internet to brilliantly present your flagship publication. In this piece you will see reporting to donors as it should be, easily accessible, transparent, exciting, informative, using all the potential for short, high-impact and memorable messages that makes the Internet such a versatile medium for fundraisers.
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