A fundraising firing squad is now being formed in the UK. Unfortunately, it seems to be forming in a circle. If ever there were a time for calm, cool, thoughtful and different fact-finding and exploration, it’s now. I’m afraid that in the name of ‘protecting’ the donor, the true reform desperately needed by our sector — improvements in how donors connect and interact with charities — will largely be ignored. MORE
From the same article above: “In his first major speech as leader of the Labour Party (in the UK), Ed Miliband said: “I do believe this country is too unequal and the gap between rich and poor doesn’t just harm the poor, it harms us all.”". Wow, hello hate mail! MORE
Greetings from London, where the arts world is bracing for its worst crisis since 1974, when a combination of steep increases in the price of oil and a coal strike paralyzed the UK economy and, by extension, the arts world. Unlike in the States, where there is a culture of fundraising and private support for the arts, the UK has long subsidized its arts community with free admission to many museums and heavy subsidies for non-profit theatres. MORE
Lately, thanks to my friend Christina Attard , I’ve been reading a book called Fry the Monkeys by Alan Kay. In it, I am learning about how to talk about solutions instead of just problems. I think it’s a useful lesson for us as nonprofit leaders and managers, when people come up to us in a huff or a snit or itching for a fight, to learn how to redirect to a solution quickly. When someone is down on themselves, you can ask: What most pleases you about your work of late? MORE
Did you know organizations in the UK, Canada, and Australia raise more money with bequests than we do in the US? Fundraising expert Tom Ahern believes that the answer may be as simple as not having a marketing plan to ask for those bequests. MORE
Here’s a question for fundraisers in the UK and the European Union: Would you rather lose 50% or 85% of your donor base? That’s the essence of what’s at stake as fundraisers stand on the tracks staring at the fast approaching train of new regulations on donor data protection that go into effect May 2018. First, some background on what’s coming and some frightening results of early testing indicating it’s not gonna be pretty. MORE
Here are the top skills required in the UK. According to LinkedIn , here are the top skills for 2017. Here are the hottest, most in-demand skills around the world: Cloud and Distributed Computing. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining. Web Architecture and Development Framework. MORE
Last week, in The U.K.’s s New Fundraising Sheriff , I noted the failure of UK fundraisers and The Institute of Fundraising at self-regulation. That failure has now led to proposals for greater government intervention and the as-yet-unknown imposition of new rules that may prove difficult and even unwise. One thing is certain. This is no time for the sector and its trade association to acquiesce or silently lick its wounds while new rules are proposed and then imposed. MORE
I really can’t say it any better than this ad thanks to LegacyVoice , a legacy administration and marketing firm based in the UK. Folks, it’s time to focus on where you’ll get the money to sustain your mission. It’s that simple. Leave your comments below. Kudos! MORE
Regardless of the outcome of next week’s Brexit referendum on whether the UK should stay in or leave the European Union, fundraisers will continue to face the Opt-in/Opt-out Dilemma. MORE
This happy piece of insight is delivered in a new, important and thought-provoking series by veteran U.K. Fundraising is in for a bleak future. More bleak than at any time in the past 40+ years. And there’s little evidence fundraisers have the capacity to implement plainly needed changes. MORE
Here is a reminder … Our colleagues at DonorVoice are going to replicate in the UK their recent US study of donor commitment. The call is out for UK charities who would like to participate in the study, which will be conducted in association with Ken Burnett and SOFII. The first will study a representative sample of recent, frequent UK cause donors. UK participants will be charged a £1,000 fee each to cover direct costs of the work. MORE
Brexit will make North Americans poorer, and people in the UK poorer. Conflict Generational clash ageism arts Brexit Brexit decision canadian fundraising first impressions of brexit Fundraising nonprofit Brexit nostalgia rosemary metz UK fundraising US fundraising MORE
Amidst the continuing headlines — New Shame of the Charities and Charities to ban bullying of donors — fundraising in the U.K. the Netherlands or the U.K. continues to be buffeted between media outrage and an all-to-ready willingness to cave into ‘regulation ‘ in hopes it will all go away. Fortunately, some veteran voices are offering a helpful dose of perspective and calm. MORE
A number of thoughtful and concerned UK Agitator readers weighed in this week expressing a range of emotions from distress to disgust over what some termed the Institute of Fundraising’s (IoF) latest “betrayal” of the sector. On August 18 IoF announced an Update to the Code of Fundraising Practice. MORE
I’ve written copy that’s run in the USA, the UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand the Middle East and South East Asia, and one thing shines through: no matter where you go, donors are much the same — people who care. Image Creative Commons "Money" by Stuart Dootson). MORE
Yesterday Ofcom , the independent regulator for the UK’s communication industries, released its latest Communications Market Report – providing up-to-date information on the nation’s use of all communications technologies from Radio and Television through to the Internet. A few highlights, just to whet your appetite… Overall, between home, work and other connections, 74% of UK adults now use the internet. MORE
The result of this failure manifested itself most recently in the massive outcry—and consequent demands for “reform”— in U.K. See Playing the Blame Game in the UK ) The tsunami of press. MORE
Tags: Online fundraising crowdfunding Bryan Miller Cancer Research UK Community Fundraising 2.0 MORE
Tags: Online fundraising crowdfunding Bryan Miller Cancer Research UK Community Fundraising 2.0 MORE
Why do organizations in the UK, Canada, and Australia raise more money with bequests than we do in the US? According to Tom: UK fundraising superstar, Stephen Pidgeon, notes that a well-executed bequest marketing program can raise far more money than a major gifts program. MORE
As I read and wrote about the press and public’s outrage over Face-2-Face and telemarketing techniques that’s spilled forth in the UK, I kept asking: “Why or how in the world could a sector this sophisticated have allowed this to happen?” ” After all, it was in the UK where direct debit, monthly giving first proved itself and served as a model for much of the world. I wonder how many donors give in spite of the fundraising machine, not because of it?! MORE
by Ben Hunt , a UK web designer who is pretty fantastic at helping people create more engagement and money on their websites. Enclosed: A picture of me in the middle of writing an incredibly important blog post. Uh huh. MORE
Protest Puppet from Paris: Image copyright 0olong from Flickr. What Barbara Erhenreich AND the Occupy Movement are teaching me is that we need to take the collective expression of protest around the world and have a dance-off. Really? What does your cause need next? Music! Face-painting! Big puppets! MORE
million U.K. The TUC estimates that unpaid overtime in the U.K. And hey, this doesn’t just happen in the UK. Work Your Proper Hours! Why is staying late equivocated to working hard? MORE
Madeleine is a marketing executive at Skeleton Productions - one of the UK''s leading video production companies. This week''s examples of good nonprofit infographics was put togther by Madeleine Hammond. Robyn here. So what makes a good infographic? Lots of things, but in a general way, the most important - especially for a small nonprofit with limited budget - are simplicity and story flow. MORE
At 50 pages this free report is a lengthy but worthwhile read, combining recent research into general UK internet usage as well as online charity activity, together with advice on how to make best use of online opportunities and some thoughts on how things are likely to develop in the future. Are charities under-reporting online giving or is online really providing less than one twentieth of all the UK’s voluntary income? MORE
Marketing Nonprofits Pinterest Social Media Cynthia Sanchez graphic design tools Interview Oh So Pinteresting Operation Smile podcast Shot @ Life UNICEF UK visual marketing MORE
So I was mighty pleased to see that our UK fundraising friend Matthew Sherrington has managed to distill a lot of what we’ve had to say into a single post. Tom and I spend lots of time and spill lots of digital ink over building donor relationships, the importance of retention and donor experience. MORE
This UK import is dedicated to raising money to help children who are most in need, both in the U.S. It's a cause import from the UK that has raised $1 billion over the past 30 years. Having a CEO from the UK helped! MORE
Self-regulation of fundraising went down the tubes this week in the U.K., and the nonprofit sector has no one to blame but itself. MORE
Like, do the fundraising professionals in the UK get taken for granted, just like in the US? How is UK fundraising different than USA fundraising? I think there were only 174 million pound plus gifts in the UK in 2011, whilst in the US there was over 6,000! MORE
Our colleagues at DonorVoice are going to replicate in the UK their recent US study of donor commitment. The call is out for UK charities who would like to participate in the study, which will be conducted in association with Ken Burnett and SOFII. The first will study a representative sample of recent, frequent UK cause donors. The second element looks at the same issues using samples (with transaction histories) from house files provided by participating UK organizations. MORE
Slowly, but surely, research in the field of behavioral science is making its way into Fundraising Land. MORE
I suspect that most of The Agitator’s UK readers read the fundraising wisdom of Ken Burnett on a regular basis, and have already caught up with his latest gem, Adventures in emotional space. This post is for all other Agitator readers out in the colonies. We can all use a reminder of the primacy of emotion in driving fundraising … and not just emotion on the part of donors, but equally importantly, on the part of those of us who do the asking. MORE
I am so excited to present to you my interview with Charlotte Beauvoisin, who writes Diary of a Munzungu , a UK citizen working in Uganda. Modern life is so stressful – the choices I’m faced with when I travel home to the UK boggle my mind! MORE
This week the mild mannered, empirical-evidence-please scholar and the author of the classic Building Donor Loyalty shed his Clark Kent persona and came out swinging against proposed regulatory efforts by the UK government to gag charities. MORE
Yesterday Ofcom , the independent regulator for the UK’s communication industries, released its latest Communications Market Report – providing up-to-date information on the nation’s use of all communications technologies from Radio and Television through to the Internet. A few highlights, just to whet your appetite… Overall, between home, work and other connections, 74% of UK adults now use the internet. MORE
No sooner had I finished reading Tom’s post — The Greatest Story Ever Told — than the phone rang with an irritated U.K. A close friend of his who does communications and marketing got in touch with one of the infinite number of health charities in the U.K. reader at the other end. ( I think the Brits refer to this state as ‘in high dudgeon’ ) No, he wasn’t complaining about Tom’s post. MORE
This is exciting! Are you looking for a job at your desk right now? I will be giving a presentation on moving up in your nonprofit career for the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, Monday, at Opal Devines in Austin TX, doors at 6pm, presentation starts at 7pm BE THERE! MORE
Guest blogger Madeleine Hammond is a Marketing Executive at Skeleton Productions, a UK based corporate video production company. Here''s the second of three guest posts on the subject of storytelling for your nonprofit through videos. An oldy but a goody - the storytelling arc is a proven staple to video marketing. When it comes to non-profits, it’s an impossibly effective medium for really. video storytelling video production Madeleine Hammond Skeleton Productions Small nonprofit MORE
If you’re one of our 872 UK Agitator readers this is for you. Over the last few months the UK tabloids busted the fundraising British sector for its overly aggressive tactics in telemarketing and Face –To-Face techniques. ( See Playing the Blame Game in the UK.) MORE
and UK charities. That’s just one of the basic premises of our new book Start Over explores. The problem with getting the manuscript off to the publisher is that new research findings keep coming in. So, another chapter or two have to be re-written. Let me explain. MORE
The Agitator
AUGUST 20, 2015
A number of thoughtful and concerned UK Agitator readers weighed in this week expressing a range of emotions from distress to disgust over what some termed the Institute of Fundraising’s (IoF) latest “betrayal” of the sector. On August 18 IoF announced an Update to the Code of Fundraising Practice.
The Agitator
MARCH 23, 2017
Here’s a question for fundraisers in the UK and the European Union: Would you rather lose 50% or 85% of your donor base? That’s the essence of what’s at stake as fundraisers stand on the tracks staring at the fast approaching train of new regulations on donor data protection that go into effect May 2018. First, some background on what’s coming and some frightening results of early testing indicating it’s not gonna be pretty.
The Agitator
SEPTEMBER 23, 2015
Self-regulation of fundraising went down the tubes this week in the U.K., and the nonprofit sector has no one to blame but itself.
The Agitator
JUNE 15, 2016
Regardless of the outcome of next week’s Brexit referendum on whether the UK should stay in or leave the European Union, fundraisers will continue to face the Opt-in/Opt-out Dilemma.
The Agitator
JULY 12, 2015
A fundraising firing squad is now being formed in the UK. Unfortunately, it seems to be forming in a circle. If ever there were a time for calm, cool, thoughtful and different fact-finding and exploration, it’s now. I’m afraid that in the name of ‘protecting’ the donor, the true reform desperately needed by our sector — improvements in how donors connect and interact with charities — will largely be ignored.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JANUARY 23, 2012
I am so excited to present to you my interview with Charlotte Beauvoisin, who writes Diary of a Munzungu , a UK citizen working in Uganda. Modern life is so stressful – the choices I’m faced with when I travel home to the UK boggle my mind!
Wild Woman Fundraising
JUNE 19, 2012
by Ben Hunt , a UK web designer who is pretty fantastic at helping people create more engagement and money on their websites. Enclosed: A picture of me in the middle of writing an incredibly important blog post. Uh huh.
The Agitator
NOVEMBER 29, 2011
Here is a reminder … Our colleagues at DonorVoice are going to replicate in the UK their recent US study of donor commitment. The call is out for UK charities who would like to participate in the study, which will be conducted in association with Ken Burnett and SOFII. The first will study a representative sample of recent, frequent UK cause donors. UK participants will be charged a £1,000 fee each to cover direct costs of the work.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JANUARY 16, 2012
From the same article above: “In his first major speech as leader of the Labour Party (in the UK), Ed Miliband said: “I do believe this country is too unequal and the gap between rich and poor doesn’t just harm the poor, it harms us all.”". Wow, hello hate mail!
Wild Woman Fundraising
JULY 3, 2012
Like, do the fundraising professionals in the UK get taken for granted, just like in the US? How is UK fundraising different than USA fundraising? I think there were only 174 million pound plus gifts in the UK in 2011, whilst in the US there was over 6,000!
Wild Woman Fundraising
DECEMBER 12, 2011
I’ve written copy that’s run in the USA, the UK, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand the Middle East and South East Asia, and one thing shines through: no matter where you go, donors are much the same — people who care. Image Creative Commons "Money" by Stuart Dootson).
Giving in a Digital World
SEPTEMBER 20, 2011
At 50 pages this free report is a lengthy but worthwhile read, combining recent research into general UK internet usage as well as online charity activity, together with advice on how to make best use of online opportunities and some thoughts on how things are likely to develop in the future. Are charities under-reporting online giving or is online really providing less than one twentieth of all the UK’s voluntary income?
Wild Woman Fundraising
FEBRUARY 8, 2012
Protest Puppet from Paris: Image copyright 0olong from Flickr. What Barbara Erhenreich AND the Occupy Movement are teaching me is that we need to take the collective expression of protest around the world and have a dance-off. Really? What does your cause need next? Music! Face-painting! Big puppets!
Wild Woman Fundraising
FEBRUARY 26, 2011
This is exciting! Are you looking for a job at your desk right now? I will be giving a presentation on moving up in your nonprofit career for the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, Monday, at Opal Devines in Austin TX, doors at 6pm, presentation starts at 7pm BE THERE!
Wild Woman Fundraising
APRIL 18, 2012
Lately, thanks to my friend Christina Attard , I’ve been reading a book called Fry the Monkeys by Alan Kay. In it, I am learning about how to talk about solutions instead of just problems. I think it’s a useful lesson for us as nonprofit leaders and managers, when people come up to us in a huff or a snit or itching for a fight, to learn how to redirect to a solution quickly. When someone is down on themselves, you can ask: What most pleases you about your work of late?
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
SEPTEMBER 14, 2016
Why do organizations in the UK, Canada, and Australia raise more money with bequests than we do in the US? According to Tom: UK fundraising superstar, Stephen Pidgeon, notes that a well-executed bequest marketing program can raise far more money than a major gifts program.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 18, 2011
Our colleagues at DonorVoice are going to replicate in the UK their recent US study of donor commitment. The call is out for UK charities who would like to participate in the study, which will be conducted in association with Ken Burnett and SOFII. The first will study a representative sample of recent, frequent UK cause donors. The second element looks at the same issues using samples (with transaction histories) from house files provided by participating UK organizations.
The Agitator
JULY 27, 2015
If you’re one of our 872 UK Agitator readers this is for you. Over the last few months the UK tabloids busted the fundraising British sector for its overly aggressive tactics in telemarketing and Face –To-Face techniques. ( See Playing the Blame Game in the UK.)
iMarketSmart
AUGUST 19, 2016
I really can’t say it any better than this ad thanks to LegacyVoice , a legacy administration and marketing firm based in the UK. Folks, it’s time to focus on where you’ll get the money to sustain your mission. It’s that simple. Leave your comments below. Kudos!
Social Media Bird Brain
OCTOBER 2, 2013
Guest blogger Madeleine Hammond is a Marketing Executive at Skeleton Productions, a UK based corporate video production company. Here''s the second of three guest posts on the subject of storytelling for your nonprofit through videos. An oldy but a goody - the storytelling arc is a proven staple to video marketing. When it comes to non-profits, it’s an impossibly effective medium for really. video storytelling video production Madeleine Hammond Skeleton Productions Small nonprofit
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 28, 2015
Did you know organizations in the UK, Canada, and Australia raise more money with bequests than we do in the US? Fundraising expert Tom Ahern believes that the answer may be as simple as not having a marketing plan to ask for those bequests.
The Agitator
MAY 23, 2017
and UK charities. That’s just one of the basic premises of our new book Start Over explores. The problem with getting the manuscript off to the publisher is that new research findings keep coming in. So, another chapter or two have to be re-written. Let me explain.
Giving in a Digital World
MARCH 16, 2010
Tags: Online fundraising crowdfunding Bryan Miller Cancer Research UK Community Fundraising 2.0
Giving in a Digital World
MARCH 16, 2010
Tags: Online fundraising crowdfunding Bryan Miller Cancer Research UK Community Fundraising 2.0
Social Media Bird Brain
JANUARY 29, 2014
Madeleine is a marketing executive at Skeleton Productions - one of the UK''s leading video production companies. This week''s examples of good nonprofit infographics was put togther by Madeleine Hammond. Robyn here. So what makes a good infographic? Lots of things, but in a general way, the most important - especially for a small nonprofit with limited budget - are simplicity and story flow.
The Agitator
JULY 15, 2015
As I read and wrote about the press and public’s outrage over Face-2-Face and telemarketing techniques that’s spilled forth in the UK, I kept asking: “Why or how in the world could a sector this sophisticated have allowed this to happen?” ” After all, it was in the UK where direct debit, monthly giving first proved itself and served as a model for much of the world. I wonder how many donors give in spite of the fundraising machine, not because of it?!
The Agitator
OCTOBER 27, 2015
This week the mild mannered, empirical-evidence-please scholar and the author of the classic Building Donor Loyalty shed his Clark Kent persona and came out swinging against proposed regulatory efforts by the UK government to gag charities.
The Agitator
JULY 25, 2016
I suspect that most of The Agitator’s UK readers read the fundraising wisdom of Ken Burnett on a regular basis, and have already caught up with his latest gem, Adventures in emotional space. This post is for all other Agitator readers out in the colonies. We can all use a reminder of the primacy of emotion in driving fundraising … and not just emotion on the part of donors, but equally importantly, on the part of those of us who do the asking.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JANUARY 22, 2017
Here are the top skills required in the UK. According to LinkedIn , here are the top skills for 2017. Here are the hottest, most in-demand skills around the world: Cloud and Distributed Computing. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining. Web Architecture and Development Framework.
The Agitator
DECEMBER 1, 2015
So I was mighty pleased to see that our UK fundraising friend Matthew Sherrington has managed to distill a lot of what we’ve had to say into a single post. Tom and I spend lots of time and spill lots of digital ink over building donor relationships, the importance of retention and donor experience.
Giving in a Digital World
AUGUST 7, 2009
Yesterday Ofcom , the independent regulator for the UK’s communication industries, released its latest Communications Market Report – providing up-to-date information on the nation’s use of all communications technologies from Radio and Television through to the Internet. A few highlights, just to whet your appetite… Overall, between home, work and other connections, 74% of UK adults now use the internet.
Giving in a Digital World
AUGUST 7, 2009
Yesterday Ofcom , the independent regulator for the UK’s communication industries, released its latest Communications Market Report – providing up-to-date information on the nation’s use of all communications technologies from Radio and Television through to the Internet. A few highlights, just to whet your appetite… Overall, between home, work and other connections, 74% of UK adults now use the internet.
The Agitator
AUGUST 13, 2015
The result of this failure manifested itself most recently in the massive outcry—and consequent demands for “reform”— in U.K. See Playing the Blame Game in the UK ) The tsunami of press.
The Agitator
APRIL 22, 2015
This happy piece of insight is delivered in a new, important and thought-provoking series by veteran U.K. Fundraising is in for a bleak future. More bleak than at any time in the past 40+ years. And there’s little evidence fundraisers have the capacity to implement plainly needed changes.
Selfish Giving
MAY 31, 2016
This UK import is dedicated to raising money to help children who are most in need, both in the U.S. It's a cause import from the UK that has raised $1 billion over the past 30 years. Having a CEO from the UK helped!
The Agitator
JUNE 14, 2017
Slowly, but surely, research in the field of behavioral science is making its way into Fundraising Land.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JULY 25, 2016
Brexit will make North Americans poorer, and people in the UK poorer. Conflict Generational clash ageism arts Brexit Brexit decision canadian fundraising first impressions of brexit Fundraising nonprofit Brexit nostalgia rosemary metz UK fundraising US fundraising
The Agitator
SEPTEMBER 7, 2015
Amidst the continuing headlines — New Shame of the Charities and Charities to ban bullying of donors — fundraising in the U.K. the Netherlands or the U.K. continues to be buffeted between media outrage and an all-to-ready willingness to cave into ‘regulation ‘ in hopes it will all go away. Fortunately, some veteran voices are offering a helpful dose of perspective and calm.
The Agitator
SEPTEMBER 27, 2015
Last week, in The U.K.’s s New Fundraising Sheriff , I noted the failure of UK fundraisers and The Institute of Fundraising at self-regulation. That failure has now led to proposals for greater government intervention and the as-yet-unknown imposition of new rules that may prove difficult and even unwise. One thing is certain. This is no time for the sector and its trade association to acquiesce or silently lick its wounds while new rules are proposed and then imposed.
The Agitator
MARCH 19, 2015
No sooner had I finished reading Tom’s post — The Greatest Story Ever Told — than the phone rang with an irritated U.K. A close friend of his who does communications and marketing got in touch with one of the infinite number of health charities in the U.K. reader at the other end. ( I think the Brits refer to this state as ‘in high dudgeon’ ) No, he wasn’t complaining about Tom’s post.
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