Of our crazy six peaks mountain madness. Here it is Warning, it's really, really not for the faint-hearted. Or the remotely sensitive. Yes, there's dancing... To put an end to this horror, donate here. Please Or there might be more...
Author: Tobin Aldrich
The Joy of Failure
I love failure. Fundraisers are in the changing the world business. Our job is to make extraordinary things happen. We are simply abdicating that responsibility if we don't take risks. Which means we must inevitably, from time to time, fail. If you haven't failed at something recently, you are not trying hard enough.
6 peaks, 6 countries, 72 hours
You've heard of the 3 Peaks Challenge, right? Or even the 4 Peaks which is basically the same thing but with added testosterone. These are, I proffer to you, for sensible people pussies*. Today's truly discerning charity challengeer (have I just made that word up?) laughs in the face of your paltry three peaks. And … Continue reading 6 peaks, 6 countries, 72 hours
Who really influences fundraisers?
It's that time of the year again. When Civil Society Fundraising magazine has its poll of the most influential people in UK fundraising. Now it's not true that my scepticism about this poll as a true measure of worth is due to my less than stellar performance in it. On a 5 year average, I think … Continue reading Who really influences fundraisers?
How to give effectively to emergency relief
How do we know who to give money to for disasters such as the recent Nepal earthquake. Misfit Foundation's Tobin Aldrich provides some easy to follow tips.
What’s the secret of a successful fundraising strategy?
As a (part-time*) member of the Honourable Society of Fundraising Consultants, Soothsayers and Allied Trades, I do quite a lot of fundraising strategies. And before my fall into darkness when I was an honest fundraising director, strategy was something I spent a lot of time on. So not really having got the hang of this … Continue reading What’s the secret of a successful fundraising strategy?
So why can’t we all sell this?
I've been on, I don't know how many, field trips over the years and seen NGO projects of all kinds all over the world. I've seen some amazing things and met some utterly inspirational people. But until visiting Sankara Eye Care Institutions last week I had never seen this. Jessie White of Misfit Foundation and some old, … Continue reading So why can’t we all sell this?
No one likes us
The problem with articles like the Guardian one is that they perpetuate the idea that the fundraisers take no responsibility for their relationship with the rest of the organisations.
The Future of Fundraising..Really
I’m a fundraiser which makes me, pretty much by definition, an optimist. You have to be, to expect people to give you money for, basically, nothing. Except a good feeling. But even I am starting to become more than a littler perturbed when I survey our current fundraising landscape. Not so much the relentlessly negative … Continue reading The Future of Fundraising..Really
Supporting the miners
It's thirty years this week since the end of the 1984-85 Miners' Strike. That's pretty terrifying for those of us for whom this was a seminal experience. For the generation who became politically active during the time of the Wicked Witch the NUM's fight against pit closures was the ultimate litmus test. There wasn't any middle ground … Continue reading Supporting the miners
Fundraising Fundamentals 