SOFII · Small charities

I just did my first round of grant assessing – here’s what I learned

by Vic Hancock Fell

After years of fundraising for small charities, Vic Hancock Fell found herself on the other side of the process – assessing grant applications. Find out what Vic learned and what changes she’ll make when she writes her next application for a trust or foundation.

Lar da Menina: ‘Blessed Beetle’ raffle

by João Paulo Vergueiro

Meet the wonderful fundraising nuns of Lar da Menina in Brazil, and pick up some tips from their unique and very successful ‘Blessed Beetle’ raffle.

The Great Bungay Duck Race: Virtual success in 2020

by Joe Burnett

How one small charity in rural England had to innovate and try out new ideas to ensure their event went ahead. When coronavirus forced them to go virtual, they did in style.

Bluefrog Fundraising’s free resources for creating a coronavirus appeal

by Mark Phillips

During uncertain times it’s refreshing to find that people are offering help to fundraisers and charities who may be affected by the coronavirus outbreak. One such hero is Mark Phillips of UK agency Bluefrog Fundraising, who provides much-needed support, advice and useful templates in this excellent blog post.

How Save the Dogs used a founder’s birthday for fundraising success

by Veronica Parise

Discover the multi-channel campaign that helped an Italian charity raise enough money to build a shelter for stray dogs.

Shine: virtual balloon races

by John Grain

What do you do if your well-established fundraising strategy is having a negative impact on the environment, even if it’s popular? Shine, a small charity, made the smart and innovative decision to take their balloon races online – with spectacular results.

KiKa's story: how a small charity gained success through donor engagement

by Joe Burnett

A small Dutch charity shows the way in event fundraising and donor relations.

Abortion Support Network: ‘Why do you support ASN?’

by Damian O’Broin

By asking a simple question of their donors and sharing the responses in later communications, a small Irish charity provided inspiration for all fundraisers.

Bluebell Wood's Soapbox Derby 2016

by Joe Burnett

With their first Soapbox Derby, Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice smashed their fundraising target with a fun and thrilling public event.

Meet Nana Murphy: lessons in donor care from Merchants Quay Ireland

by SOFII

This inspirational case study celebrates the incredible work of Merchants Quay Ireland’s fantastic fundraising team. They transformed the fortunes of this small charity, multiplied its revenue more than tenfold, and provided essential assistance to people experiencing homelessness.

CDE project 23: small charities

by The Commission on the Donor Experience

This project is intended to give a starting point to allow any charity with limited resources to easily look at some of the most important parts of the output and to suggest some of the areas where charities with small or sole fundraisers might look at interpreting some of the output’s recommendations. It is not intended to replace reading and interpreting each project.