This week Facebook and Twitter feeds have been filled with people raising mugs in #solidaritea with Helen in The Archers. The court room climax of the domestic abuse storyline has gripped listeners of the soap and captured the nation’s imagination.

The storyline, which has been building over many months, has revealed the psychological grip of emotional abuse, as Helen struggled under Rob’s increasing controlling behaviour. The storyline was devised in association with domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid and shines a light on the issues faced by many people experiencing domestic abuse. The slow build up has helped shake off many common assumptions and judgements made about people experiencing domestic abuse, as listeners were able to put themselves in Helen’s shoes.

What’s remarkable is how this increased understanding has manifested itself on social media, breaking down the taboos around domestic abuse. By taking a quick selfie with a cuppa on social media and using the hashtag #solidaritea, you are joining an army of Helen supporters and reaching out in support of women like Helen in real life.

It’s not just raising awareness via social media either. An avid listener launched a JustGiving campaign in February 2016 in support of Refuge, a charity helping real-life Helens, which has so-far raised £169,000 and still counting. It’s a powerful message. Unlocking empathy via a radio drama has prompted a huge surge in awareness and support for domestic abuse charities.

But is this #FreeHelen viral campaign a one-off? Are there lessons here that charities can learn and apply to their cause? Awareness around ‘issues’ have been raised in dramas and soaps before, such as AIDS awareness, addiction etc, but these haven’t been harnessed effectively with a social media and fundraising campaigns. The slow-burn of the […]

With Christmas fast approaching (only 95 days to go!), it’s time to start thinking of how you can maximise fundraising during the season of goodwill. This time of year sees people embracing the festive spirit and offering their support to charities in many different ways, much more so than at other times of the year. December is the  month that fundraisers can expect to generate a higher amount of income through individual giving than any other month of the year.

If as a fundraiser, you are finding yourself thinking “Oh no, Christmas! I don’t want to dress up as Santa and stand in the town centre freezing with a bucket again!”, fear not! For here we have some alternative methods to fundraising at Christmas. While Christmas Markets and Carol Services are very effective and festive, there are other ways to maximise the Christmas spirit in terms of fundraising. Here are 5 Christmas tips for alternative fundraising methods:

1. Corporate Partners – I know from my own experience in the Corporate Sector that December is often the month of ‘festive fun’ at work. This month see’s fundraising days and events such as ‘Christmas Jumper Day’. Having a relationship with a Corporate Partner can be very useful to charities at Christmas time. There are many ways they can help with fundraising, from fundraising events to asking their employees to donate their last hour of pay for the year. You could even ask that they have donating buckets at their Christmas parties, as we all know people are more charitable after a few drinks!

2. Search Engines – The technology era is upon us, and we are spending more and more time online to do our shopping than we […]
   

Many of our clients are small charities (with an annual income of under £1m) and when it comes to Individual Giving fundraising we know that there is often a feeling that there is no point in competing with the ‘big boy’ household name charities. With their bigger budgets, bigger teams, better marketing they are able to reach infinitely more people and generate millions every year through Individual Giving. This reluctance sounds reasonable when you look at it like that – all of those facts are true.

However, research has shown that donors prefer to give to smaller local charities.

Smaller charities feel that they can’t be successful with individual donors as they can’t afford direct marketing, telephone agencies, face-to-face fundraisers. The reality is that donors are sick of these methods – they find them intrusive and often view them as an example of a charity wasting money.

Many small charities support local causes and this again is an advantage, as people like to see the benefit of their donation within their local community. However, a community can go beyond a geographical area and can be a shared interest, action, practice or circumstance.

One study found that donors preferred to support local charities through workplace giving, social media, local media partnerships and events that encourage community participation and connectedness. They preferred raising funds for specific items and stressed the importance of regular communication with donors regarding positive achievements. Social media is a useful tool for small charities as it enables regular communication and allows for responsive interactions.

We know that trust in charities is at an all-time low and that donors are looking to see that their support is having an impact. If you know a donor […]

After the events of last year, it’s not news to anyone that public trust in charities is at an all time low. Last month the Charity Commission published a blog covering key areas that charities need to work on to get the message across to the public that their time and money does make a difference. Of course, the focus is firmly rooted on engaging with the Charity Commission but they make some useful points:

1) Be clear about what you are aiming to do and how you make an impact – This is all about public benefit reporting. While you may be clear on what you aim to do, are you telling the story about what you have done and the difference it has made (the impact)?

2) What will you do with money you raise from the public or with the time and energy of volunteers? – What are your plans for the next year? Include these on your website and in your annual report so donors are clear what their money is needed for.

3) Clear, simple accounting that explains your support/ administration and fundraising costs – Accounts should be easy to read (believe us, sometimes they require an accountant to decipher the information).

4) File your accounts on time – Late accounts show up on the charity commission website as ‘overdue’ and may raise alarm bells.

5) Keep up to date with Charity Commission guidance – Ensure trustee emails are registered with the commission so they can send them updates directly.

For the full blog from the Charity Commission look here.

The Commission are also consulting with charities on what they can do to help build trust in charities. Let us know if you have any ideas – […]

Today more than ever charities need to be able to meet the pressures of maintaining sufficient levels of income from a number of streams and remain agile, adapting strategies and introducing new income streams when needed. This is where a strong fundraising strategy is key.

When we are approached by organisations for support to develop a fundraising strategy they are usually looking to achieve one or more of the following aims:
• To continue current work
• To expand services into new areas of work
• To reduce the risk of over-reliance on a single source of income
• To build up reserves
• To raise more regular long-term funding

A well-developed fundraising strategy will help to provide clarity about your organisation’s aims and priorities while also providing a ‘reality check’ to ensure  these priorities are realistic and achievable. Through the careful research and scoping of opportunities, the strategy will introduce a more targeted approach, increasing the likelihood of success and most effective use of time.

Another, often overlooked benefit of the fundraising strategy is that it encourages a shared responsibility for fundraising across the organisation. This is increasingly important as the new CC20 guidelines from the Charity Commission emphasises that trustees have responsibility for fundraising and should be aware of the strategy and activities taking place.

The scope and depth of a fundraising strategy depends very much on the activity. For example, a three-year fundraising strategy aligned to a business plan will look quite different to fundraising for a one-off occurrence, such as a Capital appeal or a big event. It’s important to remember that while the strategy is a ‘road map’ it should be subject to change as external factors require.

If your organisation is thinking of producing a strategy in-house then […]

Of course the big news at the moment is the EU referendum, the outcome of which has left many reeling and wondering “what does Brexit mean for charities”? what the sector can expect and how we’ll deal with the implications of what many see as a drastic, unnecessary and ill-informed decision.

It’s very early days (at the time of writing, less than a week has passed) but the rallying cry seems to be that as a sector we have dealt with some ‘difficult times’ so we will be able to ride this storm. As the practical and financial implications will take time to unfold (MP’s are resigning, the pound is falling in value) what is already evident is that racial and class tensions are high and this is where heads of the sector have focused first.

Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the NCVO, wrote in a blog:

“The referendum has thrown into sharper contrast than ever previously a division in the United Kingdom. Questions of social mobility will rightly now come to the fore again. And we can hope that the racial tensions stoked so crudely and cruelly during the campaigning do not linger, but the risk of this is clear. We must now play our role in healing these divisions. We can and must help people in the communities we work with to understand, respect and cherish each other.”

His views were echoed by Neil Cleevely of Navca who said:

“The ability of local charities and community groups to bring together people from different backgrounds and experiences for the common good is more vital than ever. I am sure that our members will do what they always do and unite people to tackle the economic and […]