career
Can you learn from a Newbie?
Will my intern ever understand what I’m trying to say? The newbie has only ever volunteered before, don’t ask them. You’ve been doing this 6 months what would you know? In a couple of years Read more…
donor service
Fact. Fantastic Supporter Experience = Positive ROI
There’s been a lot of discussion about supporter experience recently, and as a massive advocate of long term relationship fundraising, I’ve been asked several times about KPI’s and ROI’s on supporter experience. It’s not an Read more…
acquisition
Can you create a culture of increased giving?
Propelling your organization to double-digit growth, exponential mission impact, and leadership in your movement, there are only a few strategies that consistently make the grade. Focus on major gifts from all sources Make individual giving Read more…
acquisition
When less is more
For almost as long as I’ve been a fundraiser, I’ve struggled with the disconnect between the notion that more donors equals more funds raised and the reality – that I’ve seen too often – that the Read more…
IFC-2015
How we destroyed our most important asset – and how we’ll mend it
Preview for IFC session by Charlie Hulme and Ken Burnett ‘How to make relationship fundraising work for you and your donors’ One of the biggest mistakes many in our sector are making in response to Read more…
individuals
The Future of Fundraising
“Wow. There are a lot of very clever, experienced and influential people here.” That was my first thought as we sat down to host the first Audience Future of Fundraising debates. This was followed by Read more…
communication
How to be relevant to your donors
Six major international development charities were asked a very simple question; “what’s the reason donor’s support you and not your competitors?” Each gave their answer. A cross section of their donors was asked a similar question; Read more…
communication
If you want more money, stop asking for it!
You can’t do that. **** Last week, Olive Cooke killed herself by jumping off the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol UK. The Coroner has not yet established the cause of death, but her family has Read more…
communication
Relationship Fundraising – Get Real
Let’s call the charity in question Mr. Big. After all, they are a household name, and I am sure you’d know them, but I’ve made a promise never to kiss and tell. We got off Read more…
communication
The State of Relationship Fundraising – A Conversation, Part II
This is the second of two blogs looking comprehensively, and provocatively, at the state of relationship fundraising In the last blog, we defined relationship fundraising, and looked at its implications, strengths and weaknesses. Today, we Read more…
communication
The State of Relationship Fundraising – A Conversation
This is the first of two blogs looking comprehensively, and provocatively, at the state of relationship fundraising. In this first blog, we define relationship fundraising, and look at its implications, strengths and weaknesses. In the Read more…
donors
Do You Give Back?
A question fundraisers were never asked…until now. Your answers were revealed at last week’s AFP conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Responses to the survey “How Philanthropic are Fundraisers?” came in from 19 countries from places as Read more…
donors
A retention vision like Billie Holiday
Across the charity sector we literally spend days on the creation of boardroom presentations, we meet for hours in cross-functional working groups, and the other half of the day we’re either in one-on-one or team Read more…
acquisition
Storytelling – it’s more important than you think
The sense I get is that many fundraisers think “Stories oh yeh – they’re important but not critical”. It’s seen as a nice to have. “What we need for our fundraising campaign is a catchy Read more…
human resources
My Top 5 Takeaways From the International Fundraising Congress
This year in Holland, fundraisers from around the world gathered to learn, connect, share and grow at the International Fundraising Conference (IFC). It was my first time at IFC. After years of hearing how it Read more…
acquisition
The Fundraising Power of Curiosity
When the International Fundraising Conference opens on Wednesday in the Netherlands it will not only benefit attendees, it will send a signal on the power and importance of “curiosity.” Folks spend a lot of money, Read more…
donor service
Is it me you’re looking for? The sad extinction of the donor sapiens
“Oh no, no another post on retention” I can hear you crying…
Is it not something out of the Middle age of fundraising? Is it not really common sense?
A prompt acknowledgment and thank for the donation, a regular update on what the donation has helped to achieve (and don’t forget to ask again!) and voila the donors are ours forever, isn’t it like that? Not really. (more…)
acquisition
Retention Fundraising: adapt or die!
Almost 10 years ago Roger Craver gave me the book Moneyball from Michael Lewis. I was excited, because I have played ball since I was a kid. I love baseball. The book is about the Read more…
acquisition
Who Would You Rather Ask for a Gift: a Woman or a Man?
It started for me with direct mail. See, today, my clients do not segment for gender. They send the very same appeal letter to men and women. But, you have to wonder, could we attract Read more…
IFC-2014
Fundraisers need to ask themselves why, at least five times each day
Why?
It is 22 years since Ken Burnett published the seminal book “Relationship Fundraising”. Everyone claims to have read it. Most people now call themselves a relationship fundraiser, yet almost no-one is actually implementing the core ideas in Ken’s book. Why?
Professor Adrian Sargeant has proved beyond doubt that relationship fundraising increases lifetime value. Yet few of us could say how much we are spending on retaining donors. Why? (more…)
corporate
Let’s go global…there’s gold in them hills
How many Fundraising Directors of national charities that have international programmes have been challenged by their CEO or board member to go out and raise funds in countries where their non-profit spends its money? How Read more…
IFC-2014
Everything that is wrong with our retention programmes and how to put them right
Is anyone’s loyalty programme actually working (and, just to clarify, I’m using the more traditional definition of ‘working’ as you used to lose loads of donors but now you don’t)?
I’ve never met anyone (who wasn’t selling such a programme) who could answer ‘yes’. But that doesn’t stop us squandering enormous amounts of time, energy and money on an entirely unproven ‘best’ practise that’s making things worse. I know several fundraising directors who know for sure retention got worse after they introduced their loyalty programmes. But they continue to run them. It would be funny if it wasn’t tragic. 
(more…)
donor service
Treat your donor like the star that they are
So, you have a new donor. What now?
“My mother thanks you. My father thanks you. My sister thanks you. And I thank you.”
Yankee Doodle Dandy
It all begins with two magical words; thank you. Not hard to say. Someone has gone out of their way to send you a donation, so the least you can do is take the time to respond properly. Don’t treat donations as simply items to be processed, no matter how big your mountain of mail. (more…)
individuals
Treat donors like the superheroes they are
We’re not in a competition, nobody’s shouting who is the most important asset inside a nonprofit organization. No one should do this. Because deep down we all know it. A nonprofit cannot exist, cannot reach Read more…
individuals
How effective is your welcome program?
Many charities have a welcome program in place to keep more donors in, to make them feel welcome or to ask for more money. Whatever the reason you have your welcome flow, there is always room for improvement. So, here’s a simple 10 point checklist that will help you estimate how much room for improvement there actually is. (more…)
