The power tussle between good and evil feel particularly loud in the world right now.

It seems to be true in our sector, too, as we battle our way towards a political T-junction and all its potential ramifications.

But the recent loudness isn't just noise. It's people, groups and communities whose voices have previously been silenced joining forces and demanding better. Better policies, better partnerships, better funding. And not just sticking plaster solutions, but better systems.

In our latest edition of Unconventional Wisdom – our regular round-up of sector news and opinion pieces – Rachel Cross has collected six powerful examples of these voices in action. What makes these articles great is they don't just identify problems. They show and tell of how things can be better, and what we – as individuals and organisations – can do about it...

​Trust lives local: Recognising neighbourhood impact economies 
Written by Daisy Carter & James Somerville and published by ThinkNPC
This article explores the power of resourcing neighbourhoods as we sit on a critical political T-junction. With trust in political institutions and larger decision-making bodies visibly weakened, research reveals the public still place consistently high trust in charities and local civic organisations.

But ‘change moves at the speed of trust’, and Daisy and James argue that, with public trust currently favouring local organisations over the national (as the ones who hold communities together), it has never been more important to recognise and resource local impact economies that have often been over-looked in systems-level change.

What do we really mean by 'partnership' in the 3rd sector?
Written by Dolyanna Mordochai and published by Eastside People
Dolyanna addresses how the word “partnership” has “become something of a Swiss Army knife, multi-purpose, within reach, and frequently over-promised”, but often becomes just “a convenient label for arrangements that are more about fundraising than transformation.”

She explains the difference between third sector partnerships that are conformational (business as usual), reformational (adapting people to meet society’s needs) and transformational (adapting society to meet people’s needs). Crucially, Dolyanna gives sector leaders (both funder and forefront) some key actionable takeaways for moving towards more partnerships that are truly transformational.

What the 1980s Can Teach Philanthropists Confronting Today’s Far Right
Written by Jessica Oddy-Atuona and published by JMB Consulting (Uncharitable Papers)
Reflecting on the UK’s race uprisings, miners' strikes, Section 28, the AIDS epidemic and beginnings of aggressive gentrification of the 1980s, Jessica draws parallels between today’s rise of far-right extremism and asks how funding is responding to this rise. Are funders addressing symptoms, or causes?

Jessica argues that, whilst huge strides have been made towards "trust-based philanthropy", we must go further – towards “truth-based philanthropy": funding that acknowledges uncomfortable realities about how we got here and what it takes to get out. This, in practice, means resourcing political education, community infrastructure and spiritual practice/meaning-making as the drivers of extremism, and not just funding outcomes.

When help hurts: why leaders with disabilities are demanding fairer funding … and showing how it can be done
Written by Vanessa Herringshaw and published by Bond
From an international development focal point, Vanessa explores how a growing movement of sector leaders with disabilities in Africa and Asia are speaking out, not just against ‘helicopter’ aid organisations, but the funders who fuel these approaches which can do more harm than good to communities in need.

The article further highlights some real-world examples of where Participatory Grantmaking is challenging the status quo, achieving more real-world justice for people with disabilities internationally than any top-down funded programme ever could.

Contribution, not attribution: A smarter way to show the impact of advocacy and partnership working
Written by Emma Insley, founder of Insley Consulting
If your organisation operates anywhere within advocacy or policy-change, you’ll relate with how challenging it can be to demonstrate tangible, measurable impact. This is especially true of work that’s part of a wider collaboration between groups and services, where evidencing organisation- or individual-level change is complex and we might worry about over-claiming our involvement.

In this insightful blog, Emma provides a simple step-by-step guide, with examples from advocacy and service delivery, showing that demonstrating your organisation’s contribution towards a higher-level change doesn’t have to be complicated – but nor does it have to be downplayed.

How Raising Twins Taught Me to Build a Stronger Nonprofit
Published by My NonProfit Advisor
“One of the first, and most profound, lessons? Inclusion isn’t optional and it definitely shouldn’t come last.” As the author of this piece observes, some of the best leadership lessons aren’t learned in the boardroom, but at the crumb-covered kitchen table.

This article lays out the importance of starting with inclusivity, not treating it as an add-on, and provides some thorough advice on what this actually looks like in charity settings – covering practical implications for your strategy, communication and leadership. This includes the golden rule of ‘progress over perfection’, something we all need to remember more often.

There’s no shortage of poignant articles, research pieces and blogs which highlight the many problems both within and around the third sector.

But it’s one thing to identify problems, and another to come up with informed actions that seek to rectify them. This selection of pieces, pulled together by Rachel Cross, aims to do just that.

Covering some of the hottest topics right now – stopping fundraisers from leaving their job, community-led co-design, funding scarcity and – of course – the uglies of AI – we hope this diverse yet enlightening range of reads will have you nodding and ‘hmming’ optimistically to yourself.
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So, grab a cuppa, and enjoy!

Passing on the essence: research findings on succession in small charities
Written by Laura Treener and published by Action Planning
No not-for-profit founder gets very far without passion. But, too often, the people responsible for an organisation’s early success can unintentionally become those responsible for its demise – by overcompensating on passion at the expense of planning for the long-haul. We’ve all heard of founder syndrome. This insightful article explores Sandra Hastings’ research on the ingredients of successful – and unsuccessful – leadership transitions from founders to second-generation leaders. Effective succession isn't simply about procedures – but it is deeply tied to passing on purpose, values and leadership identity.
 
It’s about more than just ‘doing good’: Why do fundraisers change jobs, and what will motivate them to stay?​
Written by Hannah Kowszun and published by Rogare
Now, from founders staying too long to fundraisers not staying long enough! Our sector has a problem with fundraiser retention: many fundraisers move on quickly, whether to another organisation, or another sector entirely. Hannah Kowszun’s Masters research discovered that variety and autonomy are the two key factors contributing to fundraisers’ intentions to stay in their jobs. In practice, this means having sufficient freedom and independence within their role, a voice in important decision-making, and the ability to execute and grow in wide variety of skills and tasks. Here, Hannah explains her research and provides some key insights for holding on to fundraising talent.

Hannah is also hosting a free online session on 18th September, which you can sign up to here.
 
AI hallucinations can’t be stopped — but these techniques can limit their damage
Written by Nicola Jones and published by Nature
Would it be 2025 if we didn’t mention something about AI?! Don’t glaze over though, because this article featured in Nature features a scientifically-tested leaderboard of ‘The Biggest Bullshitters’ – that is, the AI tools which are most and least likely to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Even with model improvements, and better training with perfectly accurate data sets, large language models are still partial to the odd white lie – or worse. An interesting read on why AI models are still ‘hallucinating’ and giving false information, as well as helpful practical pointers for working with your chosen AI to improve its reliability.
 
Can communities redesign development? Inside the Aga Khan Foundation’s new toolkit for shifting power
Written by Ellen Agnew and published by Bond
Marginalised communities have long known what it means to do more with less. Amid fundraising challenges persist, shrinking aid budgets and growing systemic issues, the future of our sector depends on doing more with less – and on putting community participation firmly at the heart of design. Recognising this, the Accelerate Impact team at Aga Khan Foundation spent five years developing an accessible toolkit for putting community-centred design into practice in a way that is actionable, locally relevant and easy to customise. The toolkit has ethical co-design at its core and aims to give organisations the step-by-step tools to not only collect feedback and insights from their community, but design programmes which are actually driven by them.
 
Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task
Academic Paper Review by Eleventh Hour Enthusiast and published on Medium
Okay, perhaps this piece isn’t so optimistic or solution-focused as the rest…but you may be keen to know that scientists now have some empirical evidence demonstrating that using AI is actually changing our brain structure. Researchers led by MIT Media Lab conducted the first comprehensive study examining what happens to human brains when people use AI writing assistants, like ChatGPT. They used advanced brain monitoring technology as participants wrote essays using either AI tools, search engines, or with no external help. Their findings reveal some concerning changes in brain connectivity patterns and cognitive performance…changes which persist even after AI use stops. Good to know.
 
Leaning Into Abundance: What If Philanthropy’s Potential Wasn’t Limited by Manufactured Scarcity?
Written by Zaineb Mohammed and published by Funders Collaborative Hub
And finally…do you remember the loo roll hoarding phenomenon in the early COVID-19 days?! Well, that was just one example of a “scarcity mindset”. A rifer and more chronic example is the driving force behind the majority of funding practices. But this mindset undermines everything we’re trying to achieve as a sector and in society. Here, Zaineb Mohammed shares how the Kataly Foundation have pushed back on this mindset and designed their grant-making from a place of abundance: spending more quickly, making larger grants, and funding the whole infrastructure around an issue, not just one organisation. As a result, their funding seeks to support a robust social movement ecosystem – and, ultimately, systems-level change for good.

​Tell you what, the charity sector doesn't half boast some brilliant writers and blogs.

One of the joys of publishing this feature is getting to read and reflect on such an eclectic range of fascinating ideas, unusual takes, and deep-dives on niche topics. It's nice to be able to provide a platform for these, while drawing your attention to some of the articles that may have passed you by.

This new selection is as varied as ever, taking in sector collaboration, DEI, retaining fundraisers, reducing internal pressure, and testing out AI images...

We're taking a break from some of our heavier writing topics to bring you another edition of Unconventional Wisdom: our round-up of the more unusual and outside-the-box recent thinking from other brilliant fundraisers.

Huge thanks as always to our Trusts Fundraising Consultant, Rachel Cross, for putting together this selection. Let's dive in...

Legacies through the lens of faith 
Written by Naomi Collinson and published by SOFII
As we’re in the midst of Ramadan, and heading towards Passover, Easter and Sikh New Year (Vaisakhi) in April, faith and philanthropy feels like an important topic to cover. The UK is increasingly multicultural, and faiths of many kinds continue to play a huge role in the identities and worldviews of many.

Philanthropy is a key part of many religions, but it’s important to understand the nuances – both across belief systems, but within them too. As this sensitive article highlights, regardless of religion, no two people are the same. When it comes to legacy giving, relationships are pivotal, and there’s a lot we can all learn.

Do rebrands tend to suppress fundraising success?
Written by Mark Phillips and published by Queer Ideas
You may have seen several major charities undergo a brand refresh in recent years, sometimes with eye-watering budgets! But, if rebranding helps to boost your reach and income, surely it’s money well spent, right? This article looks at what the data actually says, tracking the voluntary income via individual giving for six charities for two years following their rebrand. The result – five out of six saw a drop in income, with a combined fall of over £10 million!

Mark highlights some of the donor-informed reasons why this may be the case – rebrands are distracting, expensive, and often reek of a corporate odour. This is just a small sample in a challenging funding climate, but it’s certainly food for thought.

Elite Status-Seeking and Class Reproduction in Civil Society: An Analysis of Corporate Elite Appointments to Charity Boards
Written by Tom Mills and Narzanin Massoumi and published by The British Journal of Sociology
This analysis of the governance of 31,000 charitable organisations in England & Wales shows that the UK’s corporate elite are more likely to join the boards of high-status charities that support traditional upper-class cultural and political ideals, and much less likely to get involved with smaller organisations providing frontline welfare and social services.

For many, this won’t be a huge surprise – but it’s not all doom and gloom. Increasingly, major funders are recognising the need for people with lived experience serving as board members, and seeking explicit evidence of co-designed services and active user involvement. With this increased scrutiny, having a corporate elite on your board could actually end up harming your chances of securing funding in future!

How to spot a major donor in disguise
Written by Caroline Danks and published by The Nest Egg
This golden nugget of wisdom from the wonderful Caroline Danks is for any fundraisers that often find themselves trawling through the Charity Commission’s records, wondering how some charitable trusts can get away with being governed solely by what appears to be a husband and wife. Learning to spot when a major donor might be masquerading as a trust might seriously help you refine your approach to prospecting and targeting potential funders for your charity.

Thank you, Caroline, for doing a detective deep-dive into this often overlooked phenomenon and for sharing these useful tips.

Do charity CEOs need to be more vocal?
Written by Naomi Croft and published by NFP Research
Now for some empowerment. As mentioned in our recent blog post, we need to start talking about what’s going on in the world. Charities don’t exist in a political vacuum, and can’t afford to pretend to. With the harrowing rise of far-right narratives asserting dominance across the West, our sector needs to speak up. CEOs, be encouraged – your voice is more powerful that you think it is.

CEOs of charitable organisations play a fundamental role in thought leadership – for their cause, the values they stand by, and the issues facing civil society. As Naomi’s piece clarifies, we not saying there aren’t risks involved that you should be aware of. But, it’s just as important to be aware of the opportunities here.

Is Social Media Worth the Time and Investment for Small Charities
Published by Third Sector Network
Last but not least, we work with a lot of small charities, and we know many of our readers do too. And one thing small charities have very little of? Time. You may feel pressure to be on social media, but with such restricted capacity, it often feels like an add-on, with posts going out ad-hoc and given little thought.

We think this article is a really helpful and balanced approach to understanding the pros and cons of investing in social media for small charities and deciding what the right approach is for your organisation’s needs and current level of resource. Remember, nothing that takes time is free!
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Have you seen or written an article that you think we should include next time? Comment below and let us know ⬇️

Welcome to Unconventional Wisdom - where we trawl the Internet for some of the more unusual, challenging and progressive articles out there, and serve them up in a periodic digest for charity leaders and fundraisers. With the odd podcast link thrown in for when you need a screen break.

If you'd like to receive this regularly, along with our monthly fundraising and strategy blog, click here to subscribe.

Navigating the guilt of finding joy when the world feels like crap 
Written by Vu Le and published by Nonprofit AF
As the post-Christmas blues hit and we’re thrust back into the oppressive realities of the world in which live and work, this darkly comical yet poignant piece feels like a relevant place to start. Vu Le is based in the US, but gives all of us working in the non-profit sector a timely reminder that being grounded in joy, love, hope and laughter is a vital tool for driving systems change. If you’re feeling particularly guilt-ridden this month, Vu reminds us that the tension between the joy we experience and the injustices in the world can provide us with the fuel we need to keep fighting for a more equitable world. 

Reimagining Impact: Afrofuturism, Imagination, and Traditional MERL Practices
Written by Jessica Oddy and published by Design for Social Impact (DSFI)
Monitoring and Evaluation are words that rarely fill us fundraisers with joy and inspiration, but they really ought to. This article is the latest in a series by DSFI on challenging the inherent inequities built into normalised practices in the social impact sector. We love Jessica’s observations from Afrofuturism, applied with radical insight into the limiting tick-box nature of the traditional monitoring, evaluation and research practices we tend to rely on. She demonstrates the immense value of imagination in designing projects which truly support community-driven solutions and transformative change. We hope this piece challenges and inspires you as much as it did us.  

What’s in store for the sector in 2025?
Written by Tamsin Anderson and published by Mills & Reeve
From imagination and innovation, to an area of charity operation where it’s crucial not to use a creative license. Mills & Reeve Charity Law specialists provide a helpful roundup here of the important changes and predictions which will legally affect charities in the year ahead. For many this won’t be the most exciting topic, but remaining on top of regulations and ensuring you are operating responsibly is crucial for the sustainability of your organisation. This article also gives us some important movements to look out for, such as the new Civil Society Covenant and a revised Charity Governance code. 

Do White Saviour perceptions reduce charitable giving? Evidence from five online studies
Written by Swee-Hoon Chuah et al. and published by Kyklos International Review for Social Sciences
Next up, after Band Aid 40 contentiously hit our headlines last month, this recently published empirical study investigated what impact appeal photos that depict typical White Saviour perceptions have on donations to international aid charities. The ‘White Saviour’ narrative (i.e. Caucasians helping those in the Global South) has been increasingly called out for being problematic and exploitative. Putting its use to the test, Chuah et al. found that charities using images of poverty porn not only do not raise more donations, but can actually lower someone’s likelihood of donating. The study concludes that there is “no case for international NGOs to use such imagery.”

The Future is "AND" - not "OR"
Interview with Richard Watson by Alex Andreou, featured on the Quiet Riot podcast
Lastly, we’re giving your eyes a break and sharing something compelling to listen to. This recent episode of the excellent politics podcast Quiet Riot features Richard Watson, a futurologist (what a job title!) who helps organisations create better strategies by anticipating and responding to big societal trends. In just 35 minutes, this fascinating interview unpacks the art of making predictions in such a volatile landscape, the big trends we ought to be paying attention to, and why we should spend more time thinking about how to shape our "preferred future", rather than just assuming things are set in stone. It’s given us plenty of food for thought for our strategy work in 2025, and we think you'll enjoy it too.

A big welcome to Rachel Cross, our new Trusts Fundraising Consultant, who has written this latest edition of Unconventional Wisdom: our periodic round-up of the most interesting perspectives and ideas published recently by charity specialists, fundraisers and other experts.

Sleep quality and sleep duration are associated with charitable donations
Written by Allison E. Nickel and Michael K. Scullin and published by Science Direct

We’re hearing more and more about the health benefits of good night’s sleep, with a number of popular science books, TV and radio shows dedicated to giving us advice on improving our sack time. It turns out that we might also want to be sharing shuteye advice with our donors, as a national study released in Sleep Medicine online just this month reveals positive correlations between sleep quality and charitable donations.

Across two national surveys of a total of 2837 responders, they found that better sleep quality was associated with a greater likelihood of donating to local charitable organisations and places of worship. However, they also discovered something interesting about a happy medium when it comes to sleep duration. Sleeping for too long or too short a time actually reduced respondents’ likelihood of giving charitably.

The Future of Gift Aid project
Published by Charity Tax Group

Untapped funding, is there even such a thing in the current climate?! It turns out that there is! The Future of Gift Aid Project is a cross-sector project, led by Charity Tax Group, that is working towards automating the Gift Aid process in the UK, helping to unlock over £500m for UK charities each year.

The collaborative project spans stakeholders in the legal, financial, government and charity sectors to help reduce what goes unclaimed, reduce the £180 million claimed in error, and help over 126,000 charities that currently do not benefit from Gift Aid finally take advantage of the valuable tax relief, all whilst operating within the current Gift Aid policy. We sincerely hope this hard work quite literally pays off! 

Fundraising Regulator invites sector to have its say on the new draft Code of Fundraising Practice
Published by the Fundraising Regulator

In more regulatory news, the Fundraising Regulator is currently in the process of updating its Code of Fundraising Practice and is inviting fundraising professionals to have their say. The Code of Fundraising Practice is the Holy Grail when it comes to carrying out public fundraising ethically and responsibly.

Informed by a first public consultation last autumn, fundraisers are now being given the opportunity to review and give feedback on the new draft code before the launch of the final publication next year. This is an important step in making sure the new code not only responds to the needs of donors and the public, but works to support the needs of charities, too. But you’ll need to act quickly if you’d like to respond to the consultation, as it will only remain open until 1st November 2024.  

Harnessing the power of age diversity
Written by Maya Bhose and published by ACEVO

Diversity is a hot-topic in every sector right now, and we applaud it when organisations seek to engage with integrity and flexibility in their approach to racial, gender and socio-economic diversity. But one variable we hear less about within the diversity conversation is age, often only raised in HR incidents where it’s clear someone has been discriminated against due to their age. This issue is highly intersectional and like all questions of diversity, highly intertwined with power imbalance.

In the non-profit sector, sadly it’s not uncommon for the average age of a board of trustees to be two decades (or more) above that of its staff members. However, a recent guest blog for ACEVO by Maya Bhose explores the immense value of age diversity on every level of a charity’s operations, enabling organisations to strategically marry fresh thinking with experienced leadership and make more balanced and informed decisions.

Boost Gift-Giving with These 5 Donation Page Improvements
Published by Clairification

I’m sure we’ve all had experience of trying to make an online donation to a charity we care about, only to find ourselves frustrated over a fiddly process that is disproportionately time-consuming and inefficient. A recent blog post by Clarification provides some solid tips on improving the accessibility of your online donation page, making the process easier and hassle -free for donors and hopefully encouraging them to give larger gifts, more often.

Is there a UK non-profit meltdown?
Written by Alex Evans and published by Barely Civil Society

We can’t possibly end this without mentioning the dire state of financial affairs we’re currently facing in the charity sector. We particularly loved this extended article, which delves honestly into the messy and multi-stringed web of the funding crisis we find ourselves in.

In one swoop, Alex wittily takes on charity closures, pausing grants programmes, power dynamics, the Victorian model of charity governance, voluntarism, the Tories and ultimate accountability, recognising that “the situation is far more nuanced than an us vs them dynamic can capture”. We thoroughly recommend sitting down with a nice cuppa to properly appreciate this piece – we guarantee it’ll have you laughing and crying at the same time.

If you'd like to receive this regularly, along with our monthly fundraising and strategy blog, click here to subscribe.

Welcome to Unconventional Wisdom: our periodic round-up of the most interesting perspectives and ideas published recently by charity specialists, fundraisers and other experts. If you'd like to receive this regularly, along with our monthly fundraising and strategy blog, click here to subscribe.

British Mus­lims are the most gen­er­ous group in the UK – how can fundrais­ers engage them?
Written by Jasmine Miah and published by SOFII
A recent report showed that last year, UK Mus­lims gave FOUR times more to charity than the aver­age British per­son - a staggering average of £708 per person, compared to £165 for the UK population as a whole. That's an incredible level of generosity - but how many organisations are thinking tactically about how to engage Muslim donors and meet them where they are? When planning our fundraising strategies, we all get excited about finding untapped fundraising opportunities - this might be one that is all too often overlooked.

Impact of the gut microbiome composition on social decision-making
Study by Marie Falkenstein, Marie-Christine Simon, Aakash Mantri, Bernd Weber, Leonie Koban & Hilke Plassmann, published in the PNAS Nexus journal
Now for the type of niche scientific study that we created this feature for! Human decision-making is incredibly complex - what we think and decide to do in different situations often seems irrational, because it's influenced by countless factors that we still scarcely understand. Well, here's a fascinating new factor to consider: the mix of bacteria in our gut microbiome. This study shows how changing people's diets influenced their decisions when given a social dilemma, with fairness becoming more important when deciding to accept or reject monetary payoffs. Unless you're deciding what your donors have for breakfast, this might not be an easy lesson to put into action, but it's an illuminating reminder of how complex our decision-making is.

The Impact of Large, Unrestricted Grants on Nonprofits: A Five-Year View
Written by Kathleen Fleming, Anthony Michael Abril & Jeff Bradach and published by The Center for Effective Philanthropy
We've long been huge advocates of the need for more core funding in our sector - but what actually happens when organisations receive large, unrestricted grants? Perhaps unsurprisingly for those of you who know the frustrating limitations of restricted project funding only too well, this recent report found that the five-year impact of long-term unrestricted funding was "dramatically and profoundly positive" - with organisations investing in strengthening their infrastructure and resilience, and leaders becoming less fearful and more strategic in their thinking. It's so important to see this kind of thing measured and documented - here's hoping that more funders take note.

The Bezos Earth fund has pumped billions into climate and nature projects. So why are experts uneasy?
Written by Patrick Greenfield and published by The Guardian
Now for a less positive aspect of philanthropy. Ultra wealthy donors have long been scrutinised for their motives - what does their version of social change really look like, and are they in it to improve the world or impose their own priorities? While Jeff Bezos has attracted praise and accolades for his $10bn climate and biodiversity fund, there's also growing concern, especially around his focus on carbon offsets. This is a textbook example of a growing issue: “Bezos Earth Fund’s enormous presence in the climate and conservation space [looks] less philanthropical, and more like an attempt to take over the corporate governance system for its own interests and agenda. The projects of the Bezos fund do not address the key issues of the fundamental climate crisis we are facing."

Treading on eggshells or a bull in a china shop? A primer for how to respond to news about organisational closures
Written by Iona Lawrence & Zoe Stanton and published by The Decelerator
With the voluntary sector in crisis, it feels like every day brings news of another charity closure. So often, these are framed as defeats or failure - and while the impact can often be disastrous for people who depend on that organisation's services, it's also important to see the alternative perspective. Closures also provide an opportunity to celebrate achievements, learn lessons and embrace new beginnings. While much has been written about how to be a good friend to people who have lost a loved one, this blog explores how to have better conversations with people who are facing, navigating or processing the end of an organisation’s life.

Welcome to Unconventional Wisdom: our periodic round-up of the most interesting perspectives and ideas published recently by other charity sector experts and fundraisers. If you'd like to receive this regularly, along with our monthly fundraising and strategy blog, click here to subscribe.

Charities losing their radical identities, foundation chief warns
Written by Emily Burt (quoting Paul Streets) and published by Third Sector
First up, here's a brilliant rallying call from Paul Streets, outgoing Chief Exec of Lloyds Bank Foundation, who warns that charities have lost their "radical identities" due to over-dependence on state funding and contradictory guidance from the Charity Commission. If, like many organisations, you don't have time to properly weigh up when to speak out and what the risks are, or make sense of the ever-changing regulatory guidance, it's easy to end up staying too quiet and too cautious about the big issues that really matter. So here's Paul's moving plea: "Go forth, advocate, be stroppy, be proud and be proud of being woke. The country needs this sector more than any of you could possibly believe."

Should charities be civil? Why?
Written by Andrew Purkis and published by Directory for Social Change
On a similar note, and echoing something we've been talking about a lot this year, this two-part blog explores how charities should go about approaching their public statements and campaigning, and whether there's really a need to be respectful and civil, as the Chair of the Charity Commission suggested. Particularly interesting is Andrew's reflection that the concept of civility may be rooted in elitism - the idea that there's a "correct", respectable and educated way to respond to injustice, and that you'll achieve more if you meet people halfway - whereas in reality there's little evidence that this is true.

Intergenerational wealth transfer - a golden fundraising opportunity
Post & video by Mark Phillips and published on LinkedIn
There's plenty of turbulence and scarcity in our sector at the moment, so it's very refreshing to see the phrase "a long, golden period for fundraising" being used! Here's the good news: over the next two decades, an estimated £5.5 trillion of inheritance is expected to pass from older Boomers to people in their fifties and sixties who have already paid off their mortgages and put children through university. Your current supporters and mid-value donors may be about to become significantly wealthier - Mark's video is worth a listen so you can start thinking about how to prepare for this.

Paused, Closing, Under Review - how funders are changing their giving
Post & video by Jo Jeffery and published on LinkedIn
While it's encouraging to see funders reflecting on contemporary issues such as racial justice and wealth-hoarding, it means that an increasing number are taking a strategic pause or spending out - limiting the funding options of an already squeezed sector. There's not much we can do about this, but knowing which funders are out of action is vital if we want to avoid wasting time and energy on lost causes. Huge thanks to freelance fundraiser Jo Jeffery for creating and sharing this free collaborative spreadsheet that tracks the current status of nearly 100 funders - if you haven't seen it yet, it's a fab tool for any trusts fundraiser.

Philanthropy and benchmarking reports and more
Written by Richard Sved and published on 3rd Sector Mission Control
Over to someone else who has been very generous with their time - Richard Sved has kindly compiled this list of over 30 recent reports that explore the current state of UK philanthropy and provide benchmarking data that you can use for your own work. If you're currently working on your fundraising strategy or financial forecasting, there's some brilliant research and data here to take advantage of, including recent publications from the likes of NCVO, CAF and Justgiving.

The Sand­cas­tle Trust: Christ­mas appeal and fundrais­ing film
Written by Danielle Singleton and published on SOFII
When you're a small charity with just two part-time staff, creating a fundraising appeal that makes a splash can feel like a daunting task. So it's brilliant to see examples of small charities not only succeeding, but sharing their process with others. SOFII's website contains hundreds of brilliant fundraising case studies and this recent addition caught our eye - Danielle Singleton, Founder of The Sandcastle Trust, shares how she developed a number of new skills, including co-creating a fundraising film and designing a landing page, to pull off this campaign that smashed its fundraising target.

With so much going on, it's easy to miss many of the brilliant resources out there that provide information, inspiration and help make your work easier. Unconventional Wisdom is our periodic round-up of the best blogs, articles and guides that we've seen published by other fundraisers and experts.

We share many of these on LinkedIn as we find them, so connect with us there to stay fully up to speed.

Why your voice is important in 2024, and how NCVO can help
Written by Sarah Vibert and published by NCVO
We're gearing up for a pretty massive year in 2024, with a General Election and a potential change of Government on the horizon. Our recent blog explained why we think this is crucial for the charity sector, and how everyone can play a role in bringing about change. One of our rallying calls was "Add your voice to those championing the sector." So it's great to see this guide explaining what NCVO will be focusing on in 2024 - including small charities, sustainable workforces, volunteers and a greener future - and how the sector can work together to campaign for change and amplify our voices.

Labour leader outlines ‘society of service’ in major speech on civil society
Written by Jay Kennedy and published by the Directory of Social Change
That said, a common reason why people feel disengaged and unenthusiastic about a General Election is a belief that a Labour Government will change very little, at the least in the short term. Again, check out our blog for some thoughts on this. While we're unlikely to see much new money flooding into the sector quickly, it seems encouraging at least that Keir Starmer is actively engaging with civil society and setting out a vision for how a Labour Government would work with charities. This appears to have been cautiously welcomed by charities so far - and this article provides a helpful summary of the current state of play.

Will you give like BP this year?
Written by Marina Jones and published on www.marinajones.uk
Our favourite articles are those which encourage us to think differently about something - but we didn't have "be more like BP" on our list for 2024! However, there's a fascinating comparison here between the ask we make to individual donors (focused on a small amount each month) and the way that big corporates frame their giving (a headline amount donated over several years, even decades). We often deliberately minimise the financial value of a donation by equating it to "just the price of a coffee." What if, instead of asking someone to give £10 per month, we asked them to pledge £1,000 over 10 years? How might that enable us to inspire them more about the transformational impact of their support, then later celebrate what they have achieved?

Which verb tense in appeals do you think contributes to increased giving?
Written by Cherian Koshy and published on LinkedIn
More intrigue and inspiration here about how to ask for money - this time focused on language, rather than the amount. Which tense do you use - past ("Your gift made a difference"), present ("Your gift is making a difference") or future tense ("Your gift will make a difference") - when asking for a donation? Do you make a conscious choice? Scientific research seems to show that there's a clear best option, and it might not be the one you expect. Click the link above to see Cherian's summary of the findings, or click here to dive into the study itself.

The truth about Andrew Tate’s charity work
Written by Steve Boggan and published by UnHerd
In April 2023, shortly after his release from a Romanian prison, Andrew Tate announced his intention to give away $25million per year via a new foundation - becoming the latest in a long line of people to turn to philanthropy as a way of rehabilitating their image. This report investigates what has happened since, and unsurprisingly finds plenty of problems - lack of transparency, unevidenced claims about impact, reluctant recipients of funds, and use of imagery that perpetuates harmful stereotypes. More than just a case study in how not to be a philanthropist, this is a reminder of how cynical and disingenuous philanthropy can sometimes be, why we are right to query donor motives, and of course the importance of having a robust donation acceptance policy.

A series of innovative charity campaigns
Written by Henry Rowling and published on LinkedIn
2023 hasn't been the easiest year for charities, with the cost-of-living crisis and seemingly non-stop bad news stifling our ability to be creative and innovative. But Henry Rowling, Founder of Flying Cars Innovation, has come up with the perfect antidote. Every day in December, Henry has been sharing one brilliant and eye-catching charity campaign from 2023, starting with the "1,071 Bad Apples" campaign by Refuge linked above. Henry's daily posts have been a much-needed reminder of the power and creativity of campaigning - and much more wholesome than a chocolate advent calendar.

Oblivian starring Oblivia Coalmine
Created by Make My Money Matter and published on YouTube
Speaking of brilliant charity campaigning, we LOVED this video published a few weeks ago, highlighting the serious issue that £88 billion of UK pension savers' money is invested in fossil fuels. If you haven't seen it yet (and let's face it, it's been everywhere), the video features the brilliant Olivia Colman as a smug, latex-clad oil exec who has made her fortune from your pension contributions. Satire is an under-used technique in charity campaigning, but this proves how effective it is - a campaign destined to go viral, but with a very serious message. While we're at it, here's a handy guide from NCVO for charities looking to divest from fossil fuels.

Beyond words – how thank­ing can trans­form your rela­tion­ship with your charity’s supporters
Written by Mark Phillips and published by SOFII
Back on more conventional ground here - the topic of thanking your donors well feels as old as time, but that doesn't mean there's not room for improvement for a lot of organisations. Writing thank yous is still often seen as an admin task, but - done well - it's arguably your number one tactic for securing more donations and building better relationships with your supporters. So over to Mark for some interesting stats about the power of thanking donors, and some great tips for upping your thanking game.

​How National Lottery funding has changed
Written by Joe Lepper and published by Charity Digital
2023 saw a big development in the UK grantmaking landscape, with National Lottery Community Fund announcing a new strategy and a major overhaul of its funding. The headline news is a new set of funding priorities, increased support for small charities, and a 100% increase to the Awards For All maximum funding amount. But there are lots of changes to get your head around, and this handy article from Joe Lepper provides a fab overview.

What Donors Want - The Legacy of MacKenzie Scott With FRIDA, SAGE & Panorama Global
Created by Rachel Stephenson Sheff and Emily Collins-Ellis and published by IG Advisors
And finally...imagine getting a call out of the blue to offer your organisation a totally unrestricted, no-strings grant of $10 million, and having only two days to decide whether to accept? That's the position that two not-for-profits found themselves in when MacKenzie Scott came calling, and this podcast tells the story of their experience. The unusual case of MacKenzie Scott's donation to FRIDA - and FRIDA's brilliant response - features heavily in our regular talks about ethical fundraising and problematic philanthropy, so it's no surprise that this podcast is firmly on our Christmas listening list.