Deerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from 1957 and 1958, letters 20 and 21

by SOFII

Bruce Barton’s letters are all about the donors’ achievements, so are welcome news packed with flattery and tales of selflessness and fine motives.

Deerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from 1956 and 1957, letters 18 and 19

by SOFII

There’s no trickery in these letters, no artifice, no phoney PSs. Just direct, honest talking put in such an endearing and charming way as to become irresistible for those recipients who share the writer’s enthusiasm for Deerfield Academy and his passionate belief that it should give the best education possible to its students.

Why your charity (still) needs better thank-you letters

by Lisa Sargent

So you’ve heard that, thanks to Lee Saunders, SOFII will champion the renaissance of the charity thank-you letter. Renaissance, you say? A lofty word, that, for the humble thank-you letter. 

But if you aim to raise money for good causes, the thank-you letter is still among your mightiest tools.

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.

Founding 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.

Ocean 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.

Deerfield 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.

McPherson 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.

The 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.

University 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.

University 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.

University 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.