Ask any head of fundraising what their biggest challenges are and it's a pretty good bet that first or second on their list will be the ability to recruit or retain the right people. Good fundraisers are at an absolute premium and a huge number of non-profits are failing to deliver their missions as effectively … Continue reading The fundraising staffing crisis
Fundraising
Fundraising new year’s resolutions
I have to admit I've never been a great one for New Year's resolutions. Never quite saw why an arbitrary date would suddenly make you behave in a better or more productive way. But really it's as good a reason as any to review how things are going and maybe introduce a few improvements. I … Continue reading Fundraising new year’s resolutions
Open for business
Here's a complete bombshell..I'm going to be a fundraising consultant. Yes, I knew you'd be astonished….. Oh well then, yes of course it was inevitable. And the day has finally come. Deciding what to call the consultancy was a real challenge. So I hired branding consultant who carried out a six month multi-stakeholder exercise including … Continue reading Open for business
New challenges
An update from me…I will be leaving Sightsavers on 30 November 2014. I've greatly enjoyed working at this organisation and very proud of all that we have achieved together. In particular the new million Miracles campaign is really exciting. Sightsavers is a great organisation with a tremendous cause and a fabulous fundraising proposition. I'm sure … Continue reading New challenges
Direct mail isn’t dying but it’s changing
There's nothing more tedious than the arguments you sometimes get into about which types or channels of fundraising are the most effective. The "my one is better than your one" species of debate seldom leads to a great deal of enlightenment (indeed it is I think one of the Seven Myths of Fundraising). The most … Continue reading Direct mail isn’t dying but it’s changing
Disasters and fundraising
The news that the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) have launched an appeal for the Ebola crisis in West Africa is probably causing quite a bit of mixed feelings for fundraisers in the UK. Of course we all support our colleagues in the DEC in their efforts to raise as much money as possible to help … Continue reading Disasters and fundraising
Aiming high is never a mistake
You know that moment when, in a fit of enthusiasm you've agreed to do something and then the full enormity of what you've committed yourself to dawns. I had this when earlier this year, Peter Muffet challenged me to do a Lands End to John O' Groats bike ride. He later told me he was … Continue reading Aiming high is never a mistake
So we’re quite proud of this
Mad challenges and ludicrous targets
As anybody who has had to endure my constant wittering on about it can tell you, I've just completed the most extreme fundraising challenge of my life. With my friend Peter Muffet and 800 other misguided souls I cycled from Lands End to John o'Groats in 9 days. (The length of what at the time … Continue reading Mad challenges and ludicrous targets
Getting the board to invest
I've been having a few conversations recently with charities struggling to get their boards to agree to invest in their fundraising. It's a common problem and I quite often get asked to advise on the best ways to overcome board reluctance to put money into growing fundraising. Now I don't think I have to convince … Continue reading Getting the board to invest
Fundraising Fundamentals 