Harold Sumption

Wise words from the founder of modern fundraising.

What follows are the unbeaten aphorisms of the man who founded modern fundraising 50 years ago. It is a careful and thorough distillation of the wisdom of Harold Sumption, who lived from 1916 to 1998. I can’t believe you won’t be inspired.

1 – “The charity is the agent of the donor.” 

The role of the charity is as the agent of the donor in bringing about change, and fundraising is the process that brings donors and cause together. Like many of Harold’s aphorisms, this is both simple and profound.

2 – “Open their hearts, open their minds, then open their wallets.”

All three, in that order. Present the need that your charity is addressing, then the solution it is providing, and then engage the donor in being part of that solution. It’s your ‘case statement’. It’s very simple.

3 – “Present the need, powerfully, not to shock but to engage.”

Charities have used shocking images, attracted media attention and defended them on the basis of the intensity of the problems they were tackling. 

But donors? They recoil, and tell us so. 

We need to present the need in a way that viscerally engages the emotions of the donor by showing them the need, and powerfully, and making them want to help meet that need. This is both acceptable and indeed good. 

Donors will feel they are making a significant difference when they give, so will have a better experience. Not just be shocked.

4 – “People give to people, not to organisations, mission statements or strategies.”

People say they give to NSPCC: In fact they give to prevent a child being cruelly treated. Anyone who suggests that your charity is more important than your beneficiaries is simply wrong.

5 – “Clever copy doesn’t work.”

So much advertising today is “clever”. Puns, metaphors, allusions and ambiguities. People buying perfume may be impressed. Potential donors won’t be. So why do some among us still do it? Stop it. And stop your agencies doing it. Give sound reasons for commitment and you’ll get it.

6 – “Fundraising is not about money. It’s about important work that needs doing. If you start by asking for money, you won’t get it and you won’t deserve it.”

I’ve nothing to add.

7 – “Success produces congratulations. Need produces results.”

Tell that to your trustees when they ask why you aren’t presenting the great work of your charity, and its successes, in your fundraising. Raising money from supporters is the means to that success.

If you present your successes, and another charity presents its needs, who will the donor give to? (And see no.3. above.)

8 – “Those who give, give. Those that don’t, don’t.”

This quote of Harold’s is often glossed over. I have written a thought piece just on this (⟶ “…those who don’t, dont”).

9 – “The most important two words are thank you. Acknowledge every donation with a friendly, personal letter. Give larger donors special treatment.”

I’ve three things to say about this.

First, in some mystery shopping I did for a client, the most common response to the first gift was a book of raffle tickets. They must have done some testing that showed it ‘worked’. But I’d bet a pound to a penny that it won’t create committed supporters, and so will decrease their Lifetime Value.

Secondly, send the thank-you as quickly as is humanly possible. I have written a separate thought piece just on this (⟶ First is foremost). 

Thirdly, some charities don’t send ‘thank yous’ to small givers.

But why would someone send you just £5? Perhaps because they are a pensioner who puts 50p aside each week, which they can hardly afford, to send £5 to your cause because they believe passionately that that’s the right thing to do. 

Of course they must be thanked. You should be doing it both because it is morally the right thing to do, and because although cash poor they may be asset rich. Thanking the small donor may get you their home. 

10 – “Share your failures as well as your successes.”

When I was Appeals Director at the NSPCC, a child died because a child protection officer falsified his records. People didn’t know what to do.

I decided to write to all our donors, tell them what had happened, how we had responded and what steps we were taking to prevent it happening again. We asked for our donors’ support at this difficult time. 

The response was overwhelming. Our donors were on our side. They appreciated our honesty. And they gave an extraordinary amount of money. It wasn’t what many were expecting.

11 – “A complainant, well handled, will be your most loyal donor.”

Someone cares enough to write to complain. Don’t fob them off with a standard response.

“Thank you … we take all complaints very seriously … we will carefully consider your comments.” 

Bullshit. If they make four points, respond to each one in turn. Be prepared to acknowledge your mistakes. And stand up for yourself if the complainant is wrong.

Prepare to be amazed.

12 – “Read donors’ letters.”

Treat white mail as a source of gold dust. And their emails and their comments on the donation form, where there is one. Be across your social media. Grow to understand your donors and what they were thinking when they sent you a gift. You will be surprised. 

It is far more important that you understand your donors than that you spend their money getting them to understand you. Indeed, only consider doing the latter when you have thoroughly done the former. And then, go back to the writer’s comments.

Create feedback. To the very top. So that those who are making decisions about what to say to donors have listened to what donors themselves say. (And donors’ communications often contain great copy ideas.)

In short, be outside-in, not inside-out.

Harold, the seasoned professional

Harold was not a fundraiser. Harold was a seasoned commercial advertising professional. He enjoyed a key role at several innovative UK advertising agencies, including chairman of the fashionable start-up MWK in the late 1970s. He applied his great commercial experience to the world of fundraising. Harold knew precisely what he was doing.

Fundraising has evolved in 50 years. But the underlying principles haven’t changed a jot. Think about the mind-set of donors when they receive your communications, and put that thinking at the heart of your next communication.

Harold Sumption changed the world. I was privileged to be able to call him a real friend. We often had lunch together. At heart he was a very humble man.

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