The main areas of fundraising
Multiple Sclerosis Society, Holland: television commercial
by SOFII
This remarkable television commercial is so powerful it stops the viewer in his/her tracks. Yet not a word is spoken, the message is entirely conveyed in movements, gestures and looks. This a brilliant use of television, a courageous creative presentation of the personal impact of a devastating disease. It will be instructive for anyone working in a similar field and many others too.
Read moreJerry Falwell’s Liberty Alliance: emergency appeal for cash
by SOFII
Whether or not one agrees with the ‘achievements’ and ‘aspirations’ contained within the letter, it has to be said that they have been given forcefully and with emotion. This is a real battle cry.
Read moreNature Conservancy of Canada: Legacy mailing
by SOFII
Step into our archive as David Love shares how Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) accessed the ‘pot of gold at the end of the fundraiser’s rainbow’ with a classically straightforward but very appealing legacy piece. Without doubt, this carefully and sensitively crafted pack will have raised funds very effectively for the cause and the organisation that created it.
Read moreDogs Trust canine care card
by SOFII
This is really clever fundraising. The Dogs Trust (formerly National Canine Defence League) offers its supporters the chance to join their canine care scheme which ensures that if they die before their beloved pet dog, NCDL will promise to look after the dog for all its natural life. Is that idea going to appeal to an elderly dog-loving donor? We think so. So, which charity is that dog-loving donor likely to leave a legacy to, then? There are no prizes for getting this right, unless you are The Dogs Trust, who've raised £millions from this scheme.
Read moreRSPCA’s ‘sow tethering’ telephone campaign
by SOFII
Any marketing campaign that can have such an impact on members of parliament on the eve of taking their country to war has to be worth recording. This campaign is notable as one of the early UK examples of fundraisers using the telephone.
Read moreTHE PLAN: the launch of child sponsorship, Spain 1937
by SOFII
This exhibit focuses on a documentary film made by Plan International, which shows how the idea of child sponsorship emerged and grew as a response to the dangers faced by children in the Spanish civil war, more than 70 years ago.
Read moreNature Conservancy: launch of their Science Council
by SOFII
Many fundraisers shy away from asking for big gifts particularly through the mail, but experience constantly shows that if it is well done, it works.
Read moreActionAid: transparency and readability
by SOFII
This exhibit shows great accountability and transparency but it’s also an object lesson in how not to communicate via the printed page.
Read moreRebecca Brown and Agnes Holliday: mystery shopping tests for PBS and the Smithsonian Institution
by SOFII
The purpose of these tests was to find out if the generally low levels of customer service offered by fundraising organisations in the UK and Europe were matched by similar organisations in other countries. While the results were generally depressing they also produced flashes of individual brilliance and a long list of useful lessons.
Read moreAmnesty International UK: press ads that shook a nation
by SOFII
These ads changed the political shape of Britain, raised social consciousness generally as well as concerns for human rights in particular.We do not have all the details about this campaign but SOFII decided to showcase it because we believe that every fundraiser wherever he or she works should be familiar with these ads and what they achieved.
Read moreUNICEF: the card that launched UNICEF’s fundraising
by SOFII
UNICEF's very first ever Christmas card would lead to the multi-million dollar international business that is UNICEF's cards today.
Read moreHelp The Aged: ‘make a blind man see’ press advertisement
by Ken Burnett
This ad is a classic. Created by the legendary Harold Sumption in the late 1970s, it embodies one of the most direct and hard-to-resist fundraising propositions, ‘Make a blind man see’. It is a brilliant example of fundraising communication at its best.
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