First America, Then The World

A non-profit, charitable organization located outside the United States with an interest in taking its fundraising global may want to look at using the US market as a first step. Why? Well, America’s philanthropic market combines several features that make it a welcoming culture for new ideas. Griet Dehandschutter explains… If your organization espouses a big idea, cure or solution to an urgent global problem, Americans may be willing to engage more quickly in your cause than citizens, corporations or foundations in other countries. Americans like to act quickly and they are generous. Very generous. In 2008, they gave away more than US$308 billion (Giving USA, 2009). The lion’s share was given by individuals (82% including bequests), followed by foundations (13%) and corporations (5%). America... Continue Reading

Could e-Services Be the Way for Your Charity?

Charities often don’t invest in new technology and online services because of the cost, but software as a service (SaaS) could be the answer. by Patrick Nash Charity websites are big business. Growing an online presence is critical – for fundraising, public relations, marketing and much more. Digital marketing managers command good salaries and there are armies of consultants and agencies. The competition for charity website awards is intense. But despite all this, I would argue that the third sector is, in most cases, behind the curve of the e-service revolution. I’m not sure that many charities know what e-services are and if they do, many reject the notion that their charities service users will access their services online. Charities provide a wide range of services but for the purpose... Continue Reading

Building Donor Loyalty

If donor retention is so important to nonprofits, why are we not doing more to keep them? by Adrian Sargeant We continue to lose our donors at an alarming rate. When I last studied retention in the UK I identified that it wasn’t at all unusual for a nonprofit to lose 50% of its cash supporters between their first and second donation and then 30% year on year thereafter. I thought that was bad, but here in the US I discovered that initial attrition rates of 70% are considered acceptable by many organizations. Given that most nonprofits lose money on their donor acquisition activity, this increasingly leaky bucket is costing the sector dear. Even regular giving, where the economics are quite different, sees attrition rates of 30% from one year to the next as the norm. No business would survive if it... Continue Reading

Using Mission, Vision and Values to Inspire Volunteer Leadership for Your Organization

by Kay Sprinkel Grace, CFRE As philanthropy matures globally there is an increased desire on the part of organizations in all locations to increase the number and commitment of volunteer leaders involved in fund raising, advocacy and other activities that will benefit the organization and the community. Whether the organization is volunteer-run and in need of more volunteers, or staff-run and wanting to engage community people in its programs, the goal is the same – to find ways to effectively recruit, enlist and continually inspire volunteers. The three critical factors that attract, inspire and continually motivate volunteers are already at the heart of all successful nonprofits – mission, vision and values. Working as both a volunteer and a professional with a wide variety of organizations,... Continue Reading

Quantum Fundraising: A Shared Vision to Effect Change

Throw away the rule book and take a leap into the world of quantum fundraising, says Jon Duschinsky, where people come together for a reason, effect change and then go their separate ways For a long time, scientists have known the world is no longer a place of certainty. That it is not linear. That cause and effect was a thing of the past. Scientists came up with a way of defining this world, and called it Quantum. The basic premises of a quantum world are that nothing is centrally controlled and that the universe works because an infinite number of very small things join together in ways that we don’t yet understand, to effect change, before disbanding and going their separate ways. However it is only very recently that we have begun to link science and society. For, difficult as it is to believe,... Continue Reading

She Gives Back: Understanding What Makes Women Donors Tick

The economic power of women all over the world is growing, offering huge opportunities for fundraisers. Nicky Mcintyre asks what actually motivates women to give and how we can engage them as donors Until two or three decades ago, women typically inherited wealth rather than earned it, supported their spouses’ or families’ philanthropic practices, were more passive than active in their giving, and felt unempowered by money. As we move into the 21st century, we find that this portrait of women donors has changed. While there is little data accurately documenting patterns of women’s giving behavior and demonstrating differences in giving between women and men, we know that the growing economic status of women is bearing greatly on their participation in philanthropy. Research now shows that American... Continue Reading

The Six Secrets to Being a Successful Fundraiser

Every manager is looking for the next great team member, and each of us is looking for the next opportunity. But what are the elusive qualities that make for success. Paul Farthing and Jo Swinhoe get to grips with the conundrum. At the International Fundraising Congress last October we ‘revealed’ the six secrets to being a successful fundraiser. Based on a project conducted through the UK’s Institute of Fundraising we surveyed a selection of people across the globe. Aggregating their responses we identified six key themes, our ‘secrets’. In examining these there might be no surprises, they may not even really be secrets, but that was not our aim. We wanted to challenge our audiences, and now you, to assess yourself against the findings, and ask could I do better. Do I demonstrate these behaviours... Continue Reading