The Ax descends

Well George Osborne, the butcher of Downing Street, has struck. £100m transistional relief but £7Bn off the local government spend. No prizes for guesses as to how much will come from that spent on discretionery grants and contracts to local community organisations. Interestingly that's just about what local authorities currently spend in that direction. Melt down in April and so much for the Big Society.

Did anyone go to the EAPG meeting last night at CASS which was going to debate the Big Society. That, in my book, ought not to have taken very long!

e-fundraising - a core strategy or a bolt-on gizmo?

Interesting isn't it? The consultants group at the Institue of Fundraising are holding what looks to be a really interesting meeting on 24th November with some really good speakers. We try to do the same at LSBU each year with guest speakers looking at the latest trends and what's working well. As do a number of other organisations. Problem is it all changes so quickly, doesn't it?

Well at the risk of being labelled a ludite I wonder if it does. It goes without saying, (well ought to) that one must consider the changing state of technology and our uptake of it and that must be built into our communications strategies to avoid redundancy and being unnecessarily overtaken. However first into the market rarely triumphs. Remember Betamax and later the video laser disc both technologies that were superior to those that followed and cleaned up. I'm not sure if its the hare and the tortoise or simply following the first entrants and making a better job of it. Either way you have to be well informed but an element of risk aversion and pragmatism makes a compelling argument.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, "The world will beat a path to the door whoever makes a better mousetrap" but not necessarily the person who tries to eradicate mice altogether.

Summer's Over

Lots to report on the research conference season - NCVO last week and ISIRC this week with some interesting implications for fundraisers so watch this space. Meanwhile a photo of 10 of the first 20 postgraduates from LSBU getting their Institute of Fundraising accreditation from chairman Paul Amadi

The digested convention

Did you go? Were you inspired? How was it for you?
Seems to me that Nick Hurd set the scene by speaking for 30 minutes without saying anything other than information is power. And there we have the debate. Lots of sessions about storytelling and the power we can harness. Even the sainted Camila Batmanghelidjh told a great story. On the other hand we had the science with excellent sessions on Social Return on Investment, Balanced Score Cards and predictions for generation X over the boomers. Oh yes and a nod to the world cup with the great debate which, some people thought was going to be serious, but with Simon Burne, Joe Saxton, Mark Asterita, Jo Swinhoe (threatening to kill you) and Pauline Broomhead you have to be kidding!

So the outlook for fundraising remains tough, don't hold your breathe for government funds, tell great stories but do the numbers really really well.

Plus ca change but great fun.

The Big Debate

Did I say it would be cracker? Well it was. Mick Aldridge, just voted the most influential person in fundraising by Fundraising Magazine, and I went head to head over the issue of paying fundraisers by commission.

Where we agreed was that there are always exceptions and no rule ought to be set in stone and never questioned. Mick made the point that, increasingly street and house to house collectors are remunerated partly by commission though, I thought, ducked the issue of the vital difference between incentivizing acheivement and paying only by immediate results. That of course tends to be the biggest objection that such payments can lead to short termist, expedient fundraising which will, over time always lose out to a well planned giver centric approach.

The crucial point however made by yours truely is that commission payment simply doesn't work! Read Frederick Herzberg and you'll see, or remember that money isn't a motivator. If it's not enough it's a demotivator but that is utterly different. That's why the banks continue to pay obscene bonuses because everyone else does.

So let's not go down that road. Motivation, job enrichment (more Herzberg) incentives for producing outcomes (not outputs) has got to be the way to go.

Or are you still (unlike everyone at the AFC annual forum) unconvinced?

Payment by Commission - The Big Debate

Do come along on Monday 21st June if you possibly can email geoff@craigmyle.org.uk and book your place (1 Moorgate Place EC2)for the afternoon. I'm going head to head with Mick Aldridge of the PRFA who is going to defend the indefensable! Ought to be fun as well as an opportunity to air some important recurrent issues, particularly in these straightened times. For those unable to come I'll let you know how the debate goes and the upshot.

Meanwhile does anyone have strong views (either way) that they'd like to share. I really would be very interested and will respond positively.

Venture Philanthropy - Whither Goest?

Interesting to see that Scope are the latest charity offering an investment opportunity to venture philanthropists. According to Third Sector, The Grangewood Venture Philanthropy Project involves supporters making donations of £2,800, supplemented by £700 of Gift Aid, and an interest-free loan of £7,000, to be repaid through the sale of the charity's existing property over three years. This is a harder edged offering to the really innovative Crisis Urban Investors package but never the less is worthy of consideration. As is, of course, a straight investment in Charity Bank which spends its time persuading risk averse charities to borrow money!

Something we could all bear in mind is that most of the Venture Philanthropists are, yes you've guessed it, Baby Boomers! We've made our money and are now willing to invest it (well some of it) in changing the world.

Midi Akerwusi describes Venture Philanthropists as: risk takers, calling the shots, fast decision makers, innovators (not sustainers),results orientated and, most importantly, ALWAYS RIGHT. Describes the boomers to a tee. So when you're thinking about innovative fundraising, major gifts and how to tap into this whole thing about "social enterprise and venture philanthropy" think - class of '48 the luckiest generation ever (according to the Observer). Then make your plans accordingly.