Fundraising and communications professional, Tom Ahern, explains the technique he uses to get fundraisers really thinking about the essence of their pitch.

With close to 150 years of fundraising history, The Salvation Army’s archive is a gift that keeps on giving. In this new piece we track one campaign across two centuries and see that whilst each new generation likes to think they’ve reinvented the fundraising wheel, there’s not much that fundraisers in the 1860’s hadn’t thought of first. 

In this helpful breakdown of how to set out a legacy fundraising strategy, Fiona insists that it is not just the big brand charities that have the potential to develop a significant legacy income and provides step-by-step advice on how to increase legacy-gifts for your organisation. 

SOFII is all about celebrating and sharing great fundraising ideas so that we can all become a little more successful ourselves. But here Andrew Papworth, author of fundraising newsletter, Harvest, suggests that an Oxfam advert unveiled for International Women’s Day isn’t exactly top of the list to take fundraising notes from. What do you think? 

This presentation from Tim Bete, fundraising director at St. Mary Development Corporation USA, will get you thinking about how you use social media and offers some great advice on how to make the most of this free marketing tool. 

Are your in-memoriam donation thank-you letters destined for donor oblivion?

This copywriting clinic looks to help you rescue them from a fate worse than, well… death.

In this, the fourth of a series of interviews with leading fundraising writers, Sean Triner talks with Fergal Byrne about a fundraising appeal letter he wrote on spec for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, Australia, in 2009. In this conversation Sean tells Fergal how he wrote the letter and what really matters in making sure this kind of letter is a success.

In his first post Mark examines a letter written by legendary copywriter and the ‘father of advertising’, David Ogilvy. In this letter he impressively demonstrates how to build an effective relationship between the reader and the cause and uses an unusual delivery mechanism…a train.

Clare McDowall, one of SOFII’s ambassadors, explains why this book changed her outlook and attitude to fundraising. Following Jon’s advice, she recommends throwing out the rule book and making the most of the huge opportunities (and challenges) that are facing the nonprofit sector today. 

In her instructive and practical article, Frances Hurst, shares her lessons in how to create a positive attitude and how to find more reasons to make you happy.