This article was first published on 7 December, 2018 We’ve been teaching fundraisers for 30 or so years to tell stories in their fundraising, but is this always the best approach? If it is, what kinds of stories should we be telling? The first rule is to focus the storytelling on someone who the donor can feel connected with and a degree of empathy towards. Empathy is important in fundraising because it is the channel through which we experience emotion. If we want people to give or take another action on our behalf, we have to make them feel something. This is particularly true in the context of new donor…
The keys to an effective partnership Earlier this year the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) and Philanthropy Australia released the Leading Practice in Community and Philanthropy Partnerships report. The report documents lessons and insights from grant recipients and their partners about effective partnerships. They include: Trust and mutual respect are critical to success and a common vision is the start and end-point. Aspirations need to be shared and partners need to be in it for the right reasons. Partners need to be open to providing support for whatever the community groups need. Be open with your definition of partnership – big, small, cash, in-kind, time and connections are…
“The Royal Flying Doctor Service is as Australian as the $20 note…” That’s what the media release said and it is true. The RFDS is an iconic Aussie organisation, its story venerated on our $20 note; the face of its founder, the Reverend John Flynn, in millions of wallets and purses across Australia since 1994. But the RFDS had its origins more than 70 years ago when two events deeply affected Flynn. In the winter of 1917, the story of an injured stockman, Jimmy Darcy, clinging to life in remote Western Australia, gripped the nation. With medical assistance thousands of kilometres away, a local postmaster performed surgery on Jimmy –…
The Next Generation of Australian and New Zealander Giving is the latest report from the Blackbaud Institute for Philanthropic Impact, and examines the giving habits of Gen Zers, Millennials, Gen Xers, Baby Boomers and Matures. With Millennials and Gen Zers labelled as ‘the future of philanthropic giving’, it’s easy to see how other generational groups may be overlooked. Although they have a shared love of social activism and a desire to make an impact on social good, Blackbaud’s latest research reveals that it’s Gen Xers (those born between 1965 and 1980) that nonprofits should have their sights set on. According to this latest research, Gen Xers are currently the most…
Over the years I’ve had the privilege of meeting hundreds of mums and dads whose lives have been forever changed by their child’s cancer diagnosis. They woke up one morning, expecting their day to be like any other, and by the end of that day found themselves sitting in a hospital feeling shocked and devastated with an uncertain journey ahead. Knowing how critical it is for these families to have meaningful and professional support available from that first moment, and for the years ahead, is what motivates and inspires me every day. STEPPING OUT Historically you could describe Redkite as a ‘quiet achiever’ – a lesser-known organisation working behind the…
Louise Baxter with two Captain Starlights. Photo by George Gittany Photography A very long time ago, when I was under the age of three, I had to spend sometime in hospital for surgery. I can still recall the fear within me, and the sterility of the ward – vivid in my memory are stark brick walls and nothing friendly at all. The only thing I had back then for distraction was my Noddy Fuzzy Felt. Thankfully, for seriously ill and hospitalised children today, every paediatric hospital in Australia has a Starlight Express Room where our superheroes from Planet Starlight, known on Earth as Captain Starlights, are the catalyst for fun…
There’s no doubt that charitable giving can be disrupted by external events, such as federal elections. And I don’t think we should ever ignore the impact an election could potentially have on fundraising revenue. But, in my fundraising experience, there’s actually little to be wary of. Yes, donors can sometimes defer their giving pre-election because their focus is on candidates not causes. But I’ve also found that their generosity tends to bounce back once election day is over. And in the long term, there’s little, if any, adverse effect on direct-response revenue. In fact, for some Pareto clients whose issues have been in the political spotlight – both in election…
