That was the big question we pondered when we gathered in an office overlooking London Bridge recently to plan Innovation Camp 2017 at this year’s IFC, coming up 17-20 October in the Netherlands. Innovation Read more…
Distilling 29 pages into 5 Following the Fundraising Regulator’s first consultation on the Code of Fundraising Practice, they have now released changes to the Code along with details of the sector and public consultation responses. Their Read more…
Do you work for a Great Fundraising Organisation? Not any great fundraising organisation… but a Great Fundraising Organisation. For the purpose of the academic study, “The Great Fundraising Report,” Profs. Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang Read more…
I remember a particularly lively IOF conference debate really clearly, even though it was 20 years ago. The argument thrust itself around the theme that “Charities exist to put themselves out of business”. It’s a Read more…
Often at non-profit forums, I get asked about ways to address “donor fatigue”. But I don’t believe that donor fatigue is a real thing. It is a diplomatic way the media devised for saying that Read more…
New data from Target Analytics, a division of Blackbaud, reveals key insights into online donors. The findings are based on analysis of online and offline giving data from 16 large national nonprofits in the United States Read more…
At the UK Institute of Fundraising’s National Convention last week, I found myself chairing a big-room session called “Meet the Donors”. Tasked to address a massive subject – what do donors really think about fundraisers Read more…
The Commission on the Donor Experience (CDE) officially launched last week. Its premise is give supporters a great experience and they will give more and for longer. So: 1. Do we believe that? 2. Aren’t Read more…
This, in my view, is self-evident. Launched earlier this week, The Commission on the Donor Experience is based on this premise. Its 28 detailed reports are available free online. I hope everyone in the sector Read more…
The Resource Alliance team is in the throes of IFC Asia! The conference officially starts today, but most of us have been either traveling or hunkered down at the conference hotel since mid-week last week. Read more…
It’s not about the gift; it’s about the impact of their cumulative contribution. I’ve been pondering supporter recognition recently, and wondering whether we do this nearly enough, never mind well enough. And by recognition, I’m Read more…
I’m often asked how I created our culture at Blakely. I should probably take it as a compliment (since it’s usually a positive reference!), but I actually find it a perplexing question. I certainly didn’t Read more…
It always strikes me as such a paradox: Those of us working in the charity sector find our jobs inspiring, meaningful and transformative. And yet, we as a sector struggle to attract high-calibre individuals to Read more…
Over the weekend came news of the attacks that took place at London Bridge and Borough Market, where terrorists eschewed bombs and guns but used knives and a van to kill seven people and injure Read more…
Many fundraisers are aware of relationship fundraising. Ken Burnett’s famous book Relationship Fundraising has opened many eyes over the last 25 years. There aren’t many fundraisers who haven’t read this book. However, its vision and Read more…
The question of grants success rate is a common one, universally. The fact is, no matter where you are working from, whether a grant application is successful or unsuccessful is not generally dependent on one Read more…
Based on what I see as the evolution of giving habits within the high-net worth families in Asia, here are the four categories of philanthropists I have worked with: Altruistic Usually the patriarch of the Read more…
Charities should be less squeamish and see private sector as an agent of change, not the enemy. There’s a distrust of business, big business in particular, that I’ve experienced in my time in the “for Read more…
Is this a tasteless headline or attention grabbing? Does it matter if it’s tasteless? Let’s get legacy giving noticed How many legacy campaigns are noticed? In focus groups it is truly frightening to discover that Read more…
I have been having one of those ongoing conversations with Atallah Kuttab, the founder of Saaned, an organization devoted to growing philanthropy in the Middle East. In addition to being a charming person, I find Read more…
Despite humanity’s best efforts, through technology or divination, we are yet to master the art of forecasting the future. This article has no ambition to improve on that record. The commentary to follow is a Read more…
Jenny Santi is a philanthropy advisor to some of the world’s most generous givers, celebrity activists, and leading financial institutions in Europe and Asia, helping them channel their wealth, power and search for meaning toward Read more…
Budweiser is bringing friends together. Chevy is keeping America rolling. And we’re all trying to keep up with the Kardashians. For-profit brands just get it. Driving big sales is all about telling us on the Read more…
For far too long, supporter services teams were considered to be a mere “back office” function, perhaps an extension of the individual giving department, and consigned to processing and administration. But a major transformation of Read more…
While my work is focused almost entirely on helping social impact organizations create cultural transformation, it’s surprising how much comfort and insight can be found in the fundamental laws of physics that I learned in Read more…
