The main areas of fundraising
Data is gold. But only if you can get to its real value
by Chuck Longfield
All fundraisers know that their data is valuable. All fundraisers know that developing an existing donor is many times less costly than recruiting a new one. All fundraisers know that fundraising should be integrated, that focusing on the donor is more appropriate than on the medium of communication, that...well, that there are a lot of things we all know full well but we still don’t do the right thing by them. Data is one of these, perhaps one of the most obvious and important.
Read moreDeerfield Academy: Bruce Barton’s fundraising letters from the 1940s, letters 1 and 2
by SOFII
Written between 1944 and 1960, the 22 letters in this series reputedly raised over US$2 million. Serious direct mail copywriters will study these letters carefully and will profit accordingly.
Read moreDeerfield Academy: the Bruce Barton classic long copy letter from 1925 that pulled a 100 per cent response
by Carolina Herrera
He sounds like the racy detective hero from a 1930s crime thriller. But Bruce Barton is something else, for sure – a great copywriter and communicator.
Read moreThe Children’s Hospital Trust careometer viral campaign.
by SOFII
This exhibit shows how important it is to raise awareness of your cause and encourage people to care before you ask them for time or money.
Read moreWe can boost donor retention. But only if we get smart
by Chuck Longfield
Chuck Longfield created a SOFII classic with his last interview Data is Gold, providing SOFII readers with free access to real fundraising gems hidden within their donor files. Today SOFII enthusiastically adds part two, an in-depth conversation with Chuck that draws out five more golden nuggets of smartness.
Read moreNSPCC’s supporter magazine The Children’s Friend
by SOFII
With their newly adapted online supporter magazine, the NSPCC are maximising a key supporter retention mechanism and making it relevant to the lives of their supporters.
Read moreThe Obama effect
by Jonathon Grapsas
Six lessons from President Obama’s fundraising team to help fuel growth in your organisation.
Read moreSupporter insights: what are they, why bother with them and how to uncover them?
by Kevin Waudby
In this thought-provoking article, Kevin Waudby shows how great supporter insight can help differentiate your charity from your competitors and be the difference between a supporter giving to your cause instead of theirs.
Read moreWood Green Animal Shelters: hungry mouths SMS Christmas campaign
by SOFII
The fundraising team at Wood Green Animal Shelters decided to be brave and try something new in their Christmas campaign – and it paid off. Their successful SMS campaign resulted in new donors and new gifts.
Read moreThe Salvation Army: the ‘for God’s sake care, give us a pound’ campaign
by SOFII
In this campaign the Salvation Army revealed the urgent need of people who had fallen off the edge of society. Their shocking photographic campaign sought to jolt people into action with the hope of raising £1 million.
Read moreNARAL Leadership Circle: membership renewal
by SOFII
The concept behind NARAL’s leadership circle is straightforward. It’s a high- value giving group and it seems to work. This renewal mailing effectively uses all the drama of a current cause along with a number of practical devices to gain and secure the donor’s attention and involvement.
Read moreJesse Jackson’s bid for the White House, 1988
by SOFII
Twenty years before the world had ever heard of Barack Obama, the Reverend Jesse Jackson was breaking new political ground with his campaign.
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