The unbeaten aphorisms of the founder of modern fundraising, 50 years on. A careful and thorough distillation of the wisdom of Harold Sumption You won’t find this anywhere else, and it is both stimulating, and a great read. I can’t believe you won’t be inspired
Category: History
One person. One need. One solution. One donor engagement.
A brilliant piece of fundraising. By Harold Sumption, above. Not for every-one. A minute analysis of one fundraising piece, half a century on, but which I believe has never been bettered, and contains lessons for all of us. As someone who usually likes to focus on the big picture, I am mesmerised by this one […]
Are we managing a fundraising decline? Only if we let ourselves.
A fundamental review of the situation in. November 2016. A very full analysis of what happened in 2015, how the sector responded, and, again, a defence of the Daily Mail. Where we were then, and clear suggestions about the changes many fundraisers need to make in current practice, and where we should go in the […]
A brief history of fundraising
My most complete post. The origins of fundraising. How things went wrong. Fundraising becoming about ‘technique’, not connecting with donors. And short-termism instead of long-term thinking. The collapse of the fundraising edifice in 20215. And finally, hope for the future.
The joy of giving
Why did a ten-year old boy experience that joy 55 years ago? Why is the concept of ‘the joy of giving’ so critical for fundraising now, and how do we recapture it, and bottle it up for our current donors?
What do we do now to reassure our donors?
A very well read follow-up on the last blog, which focused on the problem. This blog now discusses the solution and delves into detail of defining a new vision for fundraising, which puts the donor at the centre. Not just principles, but loads of examples.
The state of relationship fundraising. A conversation. Part 2
Two blogs, very well received at their time, which analyse relationship fundraising just two years ago, They are, I would suggest, for the reader who is interested in timeless thinking, beyond the furore of the last two years. They might seem dated in the context of the last two years, but in their dated way […]
The state of Relationship fundraising .A conversation. Part 1
Two blogs, very well received at their time, which analyse relationship fundraising just two years ago, They are, I would suggest, for the reader who is interested in timeless thinking, beyond the furore of the last two years. They might seem dated in the context of the last two years, but in their dated way […]