THINK helps British Waterways debate its future

Administrator

THINK Consulting Solutions has been working with British Waterways (BW) to launch a debate about whether a more socially, environmentally and economically sustainable future for the waterways could be achieved by moving the organisation from the public sector to the third sector.
Setting a new course, prepared by Think Consulting, Bates Wells and Braithwaite and Compass Partnership was [...]

Charities, Strategy

State of the Sector survey results published

Matt Ide

Third Sector has started publishing the results of nfpSynergy’s State of the Sector survey, and according the authors there’s some interesting and unexpected findings to be had amongst the data, including:

What effect has the recession had on charities? – 67% say that income has fallen.
How well do charities work with their stakeholders? – just 25% say [...]

Charities, Charity Trends, General Fundraising, Recession

Are we doing enough to grow trust?

Simon Burne

While we all know that trust can take years to build up and a moment to destroy, it’s not clear that we take the risk seriously enough.  With the onset of Web 2.0, the risks of a scandal achieving a fatal momentum of its own (almost regardless of whether it is true or not) accelerate [...]

Charities, General Fundraising, Top Tips

Free e-book: What Matters Now

Think Intelligence

What Matters Now is a free e-book produced by Seth Godin, a well-known marketing specialist and author who is popular with our very own Tony Elischer. The book is for anyone seeking inspiration or a different way of thinking, which as Seth argues, is needed now more than ever regardless of the sector you’re in.
The [...]

Charities, Strategy

Video: Interview with Margaret Bennett on Fundraising in a Recession

Margaret Bennett

At the 29th International Fundraising Congress in The Netherlands last month a series of Masterclasses were offered to attendees to provide insights into the latest thinking in fundraising from around the world.
With the effects of the recession still very much a big issue in the not for profit sector, Howard Lake from UK Fundraising interviewed [...]

Charities, Community Fundraising, Recession, Top Tips

Fundraising in an Unpredictable Market

Margaret Bennett

During a recession the one thing we can be sure of is that we will be fundraising in an unpredictable market. In the 1980s and 1990s, fundraisers had few reference points to enable them to look back at and learn from the past, but today we have a wealth of quite recent experience to draw [...]

Charities, Charity Trends, Community Fundraising, Recession

Recession fatigue

Fiona Duncan

According to the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, and despite many economists’ predictions, the UK economy did not grow in the third quarter of 2009 so we have not yet seen the signal that officially ends the UK recession. The third quarter gross domestic product figures (to be released on 23 [...]

Charities, Recession

Fundraisers add huge value to organisational planning

Margaret Bennett

Even in today’s enlightened sector, I still hear people outside fundraising saying ‘fundraising is easy’ and ‘we don’t really need fundraisers, people just give to us anyway’. Perceptions of fundraising have certainly improved in recent years, but sadly there are still organisations that continue to view fundraisers as a ‘necessary evil’ and do their best [...]

Charities, Strategy

Opening the door to outside influence

Della Weight

I’ve often wondered why there’s so little exchange between the for profit and not for profit world? As an industry we are often good at exchanging ideas and sometimes even results – at national and international fundraising conferences, in seminars, training courses and other get-togethers of fundraisers and marketers.  But its fairly rare that you’ll see [...]

Charities, Charity Trends, Corporate Fundraising, Digital, Higher Education, Individual Giving, Recession

Diaspora – Jargon or Opportunity?

Tony Elischer

For several years now fundraisers have been talking about ‘diaspora’, the broad term used to describe people giving to programmes back in their country of origin or culture. Many people believe this to be an Indian word or concept, but they are just one of the many cultures who actively practice this discipline and need.
The [...]

Charities, Charity Trends, Individual Giving