Fundraising Bright Spots

If you’d like ideas to help you be resilient; or ideas to improve the way you inspire your supporters through stories…then this episode is for you. This time I talk again to Max Newton, Head of community fundraising at Shelter. Earlier this year, Max completed the Tunnel Ultra, running for 200 miles non-stop, back and forth through a dark tunnel in a single weekend. As I write this, Max is ‘Runnin...

I’ve now been making this podcast for just over year. Not least because 2020 has created so many new fundraising challenges for charities, I’m so grateful to have got the show started well before the pandemic hit, so that I could keep creating content to help fundraisers as the crisis has unfolded. To celebrate the amazing way the show has grown in its first 12 months, I wanted to reflect on four...

Its human nature to get tempted to focus too much attention on the big shiny prize, such as the game-changing major gift. But after interviewing very successful fundraisers for nearly two decades, I’ve found these wonderful results rarely come from one extraordinary move or piece of good fortune. Rather, they are the result of the discipline to do lots of relatively ordinary things (that most peop...

If you’re looking for sound principles and real examples to help you deliver successful fundraising during the pandemic, I hope you’re going to find this episode really helpful. Because this time I’m sharing the first part of an interview with a hugely experienced fundraiser named Richard Turner, who shares his highlights from an inspiring new piece of research carried out by the Chartered Institu...

If you’d like ideas to help you more confidently embrace very difficult, or even impossible-seeming challenges in this gruelling year, I hope you’re going to love this episode! Because this time I talk to Max Newton, who is Head of community fundraising at Shelter. Earlier this year, Max completed the Tunnel Ultra, running for 200 miles non-stop (yes, you read that right!), back and forth through...

As more charities are struggling financially, you may find yourself having to look for a new job when you really hadn’t planned to. And you may feel under more pressure at interview than normal. How do you succeed in the job market in these turbulent times? So I recently organised a live Group Coaching for the Bright Spot Members Club to help members win in today’s (and tomorrow’s) job market. Our...

Major donor income is incredibly important to most charities looking to make up for the continuing COVID-induced shortfall in other areas in 2020 and 2021. So today we’re looking at an approach to major gift fundraising that solves some all too common pitfalls that frequently hamper success. This is the first part of my recent interview with a brilliant fundraiser named Louise Morris, Director at...

If you work in development in the Higher Education sector, or in major donor fundraising in any charity, I hope you will find this episode helpful. It’s the second half of my recent interview with a very successful fundraiser named Jamal Iqbal. Jamal is Head of Development at the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial College London, and his team have been getting consistently great fundraising result...

As other income streams are decimated by the effects of the pandemic and varying levels of lockdown, fundraising income from individual donors is more important than ever for many charities. And clearly there are both pitfalls to beware and opportunities to make the most of. So in this episode, I was delighted to talk to the wise and ever-practical Craig Linton (aka The Fundraising Detective). In...

Aristotle observed that excellence is less about one-off events and more about habits. If you broadly agree with this idea, then what are the habits that move the needle for improved RESULTS in your field of fundraising? If you work in development in the Higher Education sector, or in major donor fundraising in any charity, I hope you will find this episode instructive, because I share the first h...

For many years, the orthodox way to secure a charitable partnership has been to apply through a formal process to the biggest companies. It usually involves several stages, is time-consuming, and only has one winner. Though there are upsides to this model, (especially for the lucky few charities whose brand is popular enough to win the staff vote that is often the final hurdle), there are many dow...

I recorded this interview with Dr Claire Routley, an expert in expert legacy fundraising, in early March 2020, when the world felt very different. Nevertheless, our subjects of culture change and breaking down barriers within your charity, are as relevant as ever. We talk about a piece of research Claire carried out on behalf of the National Trust, all about how to increase interest in promoting l...

Though some funders keep relationships with charities very formal, many of them really appreciate it when charities go the extra mile to create a deeper relationship. But how do you go about building these relationships, both with existing funders, and indeed, with ones that are not yet supporting you? This is the second half of my recent interview with Andy Watts, Head of Trusts and Foundations F...

Many charities have had to change their strategy or focus since the pandemic began, in order to adapt to the new challenges the world is facing. These changes have many implications for how you measure the difference your charity is making. In this episode, I was delighted to talk to The Queen of Impact, Emma Insley, an experienced fundraiser who has spent many years developing tools and strategie...

What can you do to build relationships, warm, generous relationships with major donor supporters, even during the pandemic? If you are a high value fundraiser, or you manage one, I hope you will find this episode helpful and encouraging as I talk to someone whose fundraising practice, confidence and RESULTS have soared over the last six months. Paul is Head of Communications and Development for th...

Charities sometimes treat trusts in a more distant, formal way compared to the way they treat other donors. This is often a missed opportunity, given that every trust is run by people who care and would enjoy a warmer relationship. In this episode I share an interview with Andy Watts, a very successful fundraiser who is Head of Trusts and Foundations Fundraising at Sue Ryder. In his first year at...

What do you do to succeed when your charity is in a very clear niche that is not universally popular? Many charities get demoralised or waste energy trying to appeal to everybody. The best strategy is to embrace the situation and find a way to turn it to your advantage. In this episode I talk to Damian Chapman, a very experienced fundraiser who has been fundraising director at several small charit...

Given the events of 2020, most charities are now thinking more radically about their strategies than ever before. And one option to consider for certain projects is partnering with another charity. In this episode I share an interview I conducted in the summer of 2019 with Lucy Squance, Director of supporter-led fundraising at Alzheimer’s Research UK (ARUK). The subject of our discussion is Dement...

Too often, charities encourage their fundraisers to focus primarily on money, rather than building great relationships with the kinds of people who care about their cause. But even if you agree that relationship-focus rather than money-focus makes sense in theory, how do you do it in practice? In major donor, trust and corporate fundraising, a great way is to deliberately spend more energy in seek...

I recorded this interview with Dr Claire Routley, an expert in expert legacy fundraising, in early March 2020. The subject of our conversation was legacies. In particular, we explored some of the reasons people choose to leave a gift in their will; why many charities fail to talk about this subject to their closest supporters; and tips to help you talk to your own supporters about this fantastic w...

If you’ve realised how crucial digital fundraising is during the pandemic, and you’re searching for ideas or just reassurance about what to do, I hope you will find this episode really helpful. In it, you will hear the second half of my recent interview with the brilliant (and award-winning) Emily Casson, digital marketing manager at Cats Protection. In today’s episode Emily talks about practical...

There are many factors that make it hard for your team to keep positive and proactive at the moment. In many charities, being separated geographically from colleagues for such a long time is having a serious effect on morale, confidence and problem solving. In this episode of the Fundraising Bright Spots podcast, I was delighted to talk to Stevie Nicholson, an Area Fundraising Manager at Diabetes...

As most people have spent more time looking at their phones and tablets than ever before in recent months, digital fundraising has become more important than ever. If you’re a regular listener to this podcast, you’re probably already aware of the phenomenal track record achieved by Cats Protection in digital fundraising over the last few years, and Emily Casson’s down to earth approach which has h...

In spite of all the pressures on your team, and even when you’re separated physically, is it still possible to nurture and achieve a positive team culture? If you are the leader of a fundraising team, I think you’re going to find this episode really interesting. It’s the second half of my interview with Paul McKenzie, a fabulous fundraiser and an experienced fundraising leader, and the Executive D...

The pressure on fundraising leaders is greater than ever at the moment, not least, to secure funding to help our charities continue to serve our communities. If you are the leader of a fundraising team, I think you’re going to find this episode insightful and encouraging. It’s an interview with Paul McKenzie, an experienced fundraising leader, and the Executive Director of Fundraising and Communic...