It's official. Ed Vaizey agrees that chief executives need to understand and practice good fundraising. Doesn't mean they have to have been a fundraising director (you can still count those on your fingers I suspect) but it's a great step forward.
What with Adrian Sargeant, despite all his research, telling us that supporters have better links with government than charities and Ed telling us to sharpen up there must surely be some opportunities for improved communications (especially internal - THE most important audience) and for revisiting the case for support. Too many charites (and fundraisers) get locked into all the techniques and forget, at their peril, the reason the charity exists. And even worse, they take it for granted that supporters understand and share the case and the passion. I think we we better think it out again!
Off to a book launch, "The Charity First Series" take a look because whilst they are short starter texts (very suitable for starters and volunteers) they do all remind us of the case and the need for passion.
Wednesday, 26 October 2011
Monday, 10 October 2011
Why should anyone give to charity?
There's, what looks to be, an interesting feature on Channel 4 this week (see www.4thought.tv on at 7.55 each evening) looking at charity and who we should give our money to. Channel 4 are tracking the Big Lottery giveaway of £10 million to community projects and the 4thought programmes are two minute thought starters on and around, my favourite subject, that of philanthropy and giving!
I was filmed as "an academic voice" attempting to put some context to the questions and leave the audience with the message that, of course, it's all about, considered, thoughtful choice. However people benefit by doing their giving joyously in the spirit of, "Do as you would be done by!"
Sadly they now apparently have too many male WASPs so you're going to be spared my dulict tones. An interesting experience however as I was minded to quote the story about Alfred Nobel. He had, as it turns out, the good fortune to read his own obitiary when it was published accidently, when in fact his brother had died. He realised that as things stood he would be remembered only as the inventor of dynamite and an arms manufacturer. At that point he went out out and founded the Nobel Peace Prize.
How do you want the world to remember you?
I was filmed as "an academic voice" attempting to put some context to the questions and leave the audience with the message that, of course, it's all about, considered, thoughtful choice. However people benefit by doing their giving joyously in the spirit of, "Do as you would be done by!"
Sadly they now apparently have too many male WASPs so you're going to be spared my dulict tones. An interesting experience however as I was minded to quote the story about Alfred Nobel. He had, as it turns out, the good fortune to read his own obitiary when it was published accidently, when in fact his brother had died. He realised that as things stood he would be remembered only as the inventor of dynamite and an arms manufacturer. At that point he went out out and founded the Nobel Peace Prize.
How do you want the world to remember you?
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Enlighted Self Interest - Part of the Spectrum of Philanthropy
As I've mentioned before I'm finalising the draft for a second edition of "Marketing Strategy for Effective Fundraising" and am looking for some choice quotations/words about the use of marketing to enhance fundraising so this is your opportunity to be immortalized in print!
I've got some lovely inspirational one liners like: "You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give." (Winston Churchill) and "No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave." (Calvin Coolidge) but this is your opportunity as a fundraising practitioner, pundit, guru or student to have your say about what you think is profoundly important.
Incidentally, talking about important stuff, have you seen the latest offering in Fundraising Research? Whilst "UK Giving" continues to be a free download from CAF/NCVO "Giving Trends" is a brand new kid on the block from Third Sector Research (part of the publication) which has interviewed 3,000 givers in the UK (as opposed to 1000 adults by NCVO). It looks like there is some cracking stuff there, but for £450 I'm not sure they'll get too many takers. Or am I just being Scrooge (like my kids believe). Let me know if you're going to buy a copy.
And do, please, give me your orginal quotes/ideas by leaving a comment below. No money I'm afraid, just the glory!
I've got some lovely inspirational one liners like: "You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give." (Winston Churchill) and "No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave." (Calvin Coolidge) but this is your opportunity as a fundraising practitioner, pundit, guru or student to have your say about what you think is profoundly important.
Incidentally, talking about important stuff, have you seen the latest offering in Fundraising Research? Whilst "UK Giving" continues to be a free download from CAF/NCVO "Giving Trends" is a brand new kid on the block from Third Sector Research (part of the publication) which has interviewed 3,000 givers in the UK (as opposed to 1000 adults by NCVO). It looks like there is some cracking stuff there, but for £450 I'm not sure they'll get too many takers. Or am I just being Scrooge (like my kids believe). Let me know if you're going to buy a copy.
And do, please, give me your orginal quotes/ideas by leaving a comment below. No money I'm afraid, just the glory!
Wednesday, 21 September 2011
More Free Champagne plus Bill Crosby (a seriously grumpy old man)
Free Champagne! Would everybody who works for a charity PLEASE complete a short research survey being done by one of my students as she's struggling to get enough responses. It's on Survey Monkey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QCVPC5F
I think I'll award Bill Crosby honorary membership of the Association of Grumpy Old Fundraisers. Or will I?
There is a diatribe doing the rounds, ascribed to BC, that starts off, "I'm 76 and I'm tired of....." going on to have a serious grump about the world in general, scroungers, the irresponsible, work shy and so on (all good stuff). However it then, far more worryingly, has a very nasty pop at Islam. This is rather unlike Crosby the comic genius and suspiciously like another email doing the rounds which is a real slur, using all the extremist, fanatical stuff to paint one very unpleasant picture of the religion.
In my 60 years experience I'm seen fanatical biggoted, Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus (not to mention aethiests and agnostics). I've also seen wonderfully kind, thoughtful, peaceful and philanthropic Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, aethiests agnostics and Jedi.
Sweeping generalisations are not only dangerous. They can be toxic.
I think I'll award Bill Crosby honorary membership of the Association of Grumpy Old Fundraisers. Or will I?
There is a diatribe doing the rounds, ascribed to BC, that starts off, "I'm 76 and I'm tired of....." going on to have a serious grump about the world in general, scroungers, the irresponsible, work shy and so on (all good stuff). However it then, far more worryingly, has a very nasty pop at Islam. This is rather unlike Crosby the comic genius and suspiciously like another email doing the rounds which is a real slur, using all the extremist, fanatical stuff to paint one very unpleasant picture of the religion.
In my 60 years experience I'm seen fanatical biggoted, Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus (not to mention aethiests and agnostics). I've also seen wonderfully kind, thoughtful, peaceful and philanthropic Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, aethiests agnostics and Jedi.
Sweeping generalisations are not only dangerous. They can be toxic.
Friday, 16 September 2011
The Banksters could learn something from charities
Well well, another $2bn popped it, this time from UBS, and they said it couldn't happen again.
In my experience, if the banks put in something akin to the cost controls that the average charity has (actually Parliament could learn something here) then it really couldn't happen again. The number of signatures, checks, balances and justifications one usually has to make to get repaid for a trip to, say Leeds, would make all but the sturdiest stalwarts tremble in their boots. But it works.
The same applies for sales control as I've just found out. I've spent the last two months chasing around the university to get an invoice raised for a tiny piece of research. Eight weeks, six signatories about about four separate forms all so that the university can be paid by an organisation gagging to pay us! You might say that this is over controlled. I couldn't possibly comment. It does however throw into stark relief the fact that with a few more people looking over the shoulders of the traders and asking the obvious questions, this stuff just could not happen.
In my experience, if the banks put in something akin to the cost controls that the average charity has (actually Parliament could learn something here) then it really couldn't happen again. The number of signatures, checks, balances and justifications one usually has to make to get repaid for a trip to, say Leeds, would make all but the sturdiest stalwarts tremble in their boots. But it works.
The same applies for sales control as I've just found out. I've spent the last two months chasing around the university to get an invoice raised for a tiny piece of research. Eight weeks, six signatories about about four separate forms all so that the university can be paid by an organisation gagging to pay us! You might say that this is over controlled. I couldn't possibly comment. It does however throw into stark relief the fact that with a few more people looking over the shoulders of the traders and asking the obvious questions, this stuff just could not happen.
Friday, 9 September 2011
Legacy Fundraising - The Last Great Fundraising Opportunity!
How interesting, some 15 years after George Smith challenged Directors of Fundraising during an informal meeting at the Institute of Fundraising, Adrian Sargeant comes up with the research to prove what we all know! Incidently, the "Remember a Charity" campaign was a direct result of the subsequent actions of the group over the next few years to try and stimulate charitable gifts in wills.
Apparently, "The Last Great Fundraising Opportunity" is a study Showing How Identity Can Help Charities Increase Legacy Giving.
Clearly legacy giving must be a crucial part of any charity fundraising strategy. Adrian's study published in Psychology & Marketing uses dimensional qualitative research(DQR) to reveal how charities might understand identity as part of a supporter's motivation to give, in order to increase gifts in wills.
Adrian goes on to say (about the US but it's the same in the UK) that, "at a time of austerity cuts to social welfare programs are increasing pressure on charitable organisations, however, while legacy fundraising accounts for 10% of charity income, only 8% of the population include a charity in their will, a figure which has not increased for over a century."
Apparently,according to Adrian, one of the motivators, not previously identified is "identification with a charitable organisation,” and he goes on to say that, “Our research points to a clear need to recognise how this identification occurs, and the need to foster this sense of shared values in a variety of ways.”
Hello? Adrian? Agreement with the case for support, and resultant alignment with the charity itself is at the heart of all good fundraising. At least that's what I've been writing and teaching for the last 8 years and practising for 20 years.
Of course to be fair, there is some really good, helpful advice and findings in the study, which practitioners really ought to consider. But come on, don't tell us it's new. The research is new and is going to be valuable in underpinning legacy development strategies, practises and arguements for additional investment. However the idea certainly ain't.
Apparently, "The Last Great Fundraising Opportunity" is a study Showing How Identity Can Help Charities Increase Legacy Giving.
Clearly legacy giving must be a crucial part of any charity fundraising strategy. Adrian's study published in Psychology & Marketing uses dimensional qualitative research(DQR) to reveal how charities might understand identity as part of a supporter's motivation to give, in order to increase gifts in wills.
Adrian goes on to say (about the US but it's the same in the UK) that, "at a time of austerity cuts to social welfare programs are increasing pressure on charitable organisations, however, while legacy fundraising accounts for 10% of charity income, only 8% of the population include a charity in their will, a figure which has not increased for over a century."
Apparently,according to Adrian, one of the motivators, not previously identified is "identification with a charitable organisation,” and he goes on to say that, “Our research points to a clear need to recognise how this identification occurs, and the need to foster this sense of shared values in a variety of ways.”
Hello? Adrian? Agreement with the case for support, and resultant alignment with the charity itself is at the heart of all good fundraising. At least that's what I've been writing and teaching for the last 8 years and practising for 20 years.
Of course to be fair, there is some really good, helpful advice and findings in the study, which practitioners really ought to consider. But come on, don't tell us it's new. The research is new and is going to be valuable in underpinning legacy development strategies, practises and arguements for additional investment. However the idea certainly ain't.
Monday, 8 August 2011
The First Cut is the deepest
For the boomers (or pop saddos) you'll recall P P Arnold had a huge hit with this in 1967. In 1977 Rod Stewart covered it pretty succesfully though it was actually written by Cat Stevens and sold to P P Arnold for £30!
I'm recalling the lyrics as I read the NCVO report on the impact of the government cuts upon front line service delivering charities. (see www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/cuts-report) Where the NCVO use the government's own spending review figures to highlight a £3bn cut in funding to community groups and charities providing vital services. They admit that the figures are conservative which confirms that LSBU's estimate of £5bn is probably not far off. Effective fundraising can only do so much and replacing government funding is rarely an attractive proposition for givers.
In reacting to these unnecessarily savage cuts charities may fall into the trap of cutting spending budgets across the board, simply in order to survive. However those cuts, if falling on fundraisers could, in fact be the most savage. By cutting fundraising investment organisations will inhibit not only their capacity to weather the storm, but also reduce their ability to provide alternative income streams when they are most needed. The charities and civil society organisations who survive in the best shape to prosper in the longer term have to be the ones that continue to invest in fundraising and continue to develop teams able to do better.
Whilst the first cut is the deepest, it might the the second that kills!
P
I'm recalling the lyrics as I read the NCVO report on the impact of the government cuts upon front line service delivering charities. (see www.ncvo-vol.org.uk/cuts-report) Where the NCVO use the government's own spending review figures to highlight a £3bn cut in funding to community groups and charities providing vital services. They admit that the figures are conservative which confirms that LSBU's estimate of £5bn is probably not far off. Effective fundraising can only do so much and replacing government funding is rarely an attractive proposition for givers.
In reacting to these unnecessarily savage cuts charities may fall into the trap of cutting spending budgets across the board, simply in order to survive. However those cuts, if falling on fundraisers could, in fact be the most savage. By cutting fundraising investment organisations will inhibit not only their capacity to weather the storm, but also reduce their ability to provide alternative income streams when they are most needed. The charities and civil society organisations who survive in the best shape to prosper in the longer term have to be the ones that continue to invest in fundraising and continue to develop teams able to do better.
Whilst the first cut is the deepest, it might the the second that kills!
P
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