Our World in Data

Poverty, disease, hunger, climate change, war, existential risks, and inequality: The world faces many great and terrifying problems. It is these large problems that our work at Our World in Data focuses on. Thanks to the work of thousands of researchers around the world who dedicate their lives to it, we often have a good […]

4 Ways to Consciously Keep Donors Connected

When people give to you for the first time, often they know very little about you. Perhaps they found you through a link on social media. Or organic search. Or through a friend who emailed them a link to your appeal. They were inspired to give, once, based on whatever they saw or read. What […]

Ask gently

How do we decide whether it’s right to ask for donations right now? Maybe we look to the past…The impact of the economic crash has been cited as evidence that we should keep on asking. But Covid is different. Never have so many people been affected to such an extent, so quickly, across all sectors […]

Love in the time of COVID-19: How empathy can strengthen a business

Often derided as being of little tangible value, with the very term ‘soft skill’ being viewed as laughable, empathy is not always considered vital to business activity. But in reality, empathy packs a punch that few might expect, and can actually help to strengthen a business. Compassion and understanding can help put employees at ease; […]

COVID-19 and annual giving: 7 keys to continuity

In this post, Adrian Salmon conveys how to analyse your regular giving programme to assess whether to continue during a time of crisis. https://www.grenzebachglier.com/2020/03/24/covid-19-and-annual-giving-7-keys-to-continuity/

Top ten development office to do list during lockdown

In a matter of weeks COVID-19 has transformed the way we live and work. But how should Development Offices be responding? In our third article, Simon Lerwill offers ten quick suggestions on what to do next. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-ten-development-office-do-list-during-lockdown-simon-lerwill

Leadership and Advancement in the Current Crisis – I wish we had started earlier!

In this second article on leadership in a crisis, Karen Cairney and Colin McCallum discuss the importance of focusing on external relationships. They discuss if now is too late to start and whether you are ready to launch into an emergency campaign. https://www.cairneyandcompany.com/blog/2020/3/30/leadership-and-advancement-in-the-current-crisis-i-wish-we-had-started-earlier

Do the next right thing: Leading during Coronavirus

Here is the first in a series of useful articles to tackle fundraising during a crisis. This article is written by Shaun Horan, who delves into how you can be resilient during times of change and make the best decisions possible with the limited information available. Shaun identifies three key qualities needed.https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-next-right-thing-leading-during-coronavirus-shaun-horan

How do we know philanthropy helps students succeed?

There is little doubt that philanthropy supports student success. Just don’t ask how many students receive meaningful supports thanks to donors, or how donations correlate to increases in student retention. The way universities usually silo their data, those questions are nearly impossible to answer. We ought to have answers. Reporting income raised is not the […]

The fundraising paradox

If Our Donors Aren’t Listening, Are We Really Communicating? With the relative ease and low-cost of online communication, many nonprofits have more messages directed at prospects and donors than ever before. But it is generally estimated that donors and prospects see more than 5,000 marketing messages a day: “Buy this soft drink. These are the […]