Alumni Relations Forecast 2020: Relevance Rules

The alumni relations field today is in a good place: institutions have never been so consistently strategic, outcomes-based and intentional in their approach to alumni engagement. A growing business-oriented discipline toward strategy and programming has contributed to the rise in the stature of alumni relations as a more vital and respected institutional asset. Alumni professionals […]

Go Fast? Go Alone. Go Far? Go Together: Tools and Thoughts to Gaining Buy-In for Successful Projects

Getting buy-in is imperative to doing our jobs properly, regardless of the function. Buy-in comes in different shapes and sizes, from donors, but also colleagues, senior leadership and the board. In this blog, Lizzi Hollis looks at some of the techniques you can use for gaining buy-in. https://hub.blackbaud.co.uk/blackbaud-europe/go-fast-go-alone-go-far-go-together-tools-and-thoughts-to-gaining-buy-in-for-successful-projects-by-lizzi-hollis

Background investigations – Don’t skip the media report

Due diligence background investigations come in all flavors. They’re generally customised according to industry, level of risk, and time constraints. There’s one component, though, that should be included in all background checks on people and companies – the media report. It’s the section of a background investigation that covers news and social media. The media […]

What Donors Want When It Comes to Communication

The fine art of donor communications is a constant topic of study and analysis. But while nonprofits don’t always know what type of communications donors want, common sense would dictate that donors are looking for some kind of feedback about how their money is used. But what kind of contact do they want and how […]

Lessons in leadership from Greta Thunberg

How many leaders really lead by example? How many go above and beyond to model the behaviours and values they espouse? People won’t believe or trust in someone who says one thing and then behaves in another way. And if they don’t trust you how can you lead? How can you create psychological safety if […]

Three steps for Boosting your Fundraising Confidence

Stephanie Harvey, fundraising manager from Little Village, shares her thoughts on this year’s Status of UK Fundraising 2019 Benchmark Report. One outcome is the decreased confidence in charities. Stephanie elaborates: “We have all seen the negative news with various stories being uncovered of late, and like others we were disappointed and angry about what was […]

Why is the cost of raising funds rising so fast?

The cost of acquiring a pound of charitable income has grown swiftly since the start of the century. The latest edition of the UK Civil Society almanac contains a section on the cost of generating funds, which shows that in the year to March 2001, adjusted for inflation, the charity sector spent a total of […]

Creating and leading a Great Fundraising Organisation

Do you work for a Great Fundraising Organisation? Not any great fundraising organisation… but a Great Fundraising Organisation. For the purpose of the academic study, “The Great Fundraising Report,” Profs. Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang from the Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy at the University of Plymouth, defined Great Fundraising Organisations as those charities, NGOs and […]

Fundraising Directors – Why is your job so hard?

The majority of Development Directors are hired to grow income. In keeping with the ads and job descriptions, the charities are poised for growth and keen to hire an experienced fundraiser to lead the charge. The job interviews focus on a DD’s ability to raise funds, lead a team and be a senior team player […]

Data compliance officer: the next big role in fundraising?

Fundraising charities rely on information about their supporters to survive; such as names and addresses, financial information and other private data. Information such as this will always be integral to the fundraising process, and the storage and safety of this information will be too. GDPR’s rules around proving consent necessitate new processes at the back […]