"ALEXA, WHAT CAN I LEARN FROM MAKING PIZZA & GIVING BLOOD?"

We didn't write any of these blogs and articles, but we definitely recommend that you take a look...

Louisa McLellan: Looking out of the sector: Donor Journey
Published by More Than Bucket Collections
Building a strong connection with your donors, fundraisers and volunteers has never been more vital. With so many competing good causes, and with GDPR and digital fundraising platforms making it harder to build your own supporter database, you need to make the most of the supporters that you do have. And when it comes to creating a fantastic donor journey, sometimes it helps to look beyond the world of fundraising. Over to Louisa to explain all about her experience as a regular blood donor, and why this is so relevant for community fundraising...

Joe Saxton: What can Domino’s pizza teach charities about looking after donors?
Published by nfpSynergy
And while you're taking inspiration from giving blood, why not making pizzas too? Is there some hitherto secret link between mozzarella and fundraising? Well, no - it's all about transparency of course. Domino's Pizza is one of many companies to increase sales and customer satisfaction through increased transparency (in this case, an app showing staff making the pizzas). And Joe thinks that charities could learn a thing or two when it comes to talking to the public about fundraising costs, CEO pay, and whether their money is well spent.

CAF UK Giving 2019
Published by CAF
Keeping abreast of the big picture giving trends is really important, so a big thank you to CAF for compiling this report based on 12,000 individual interviews on who gives to charity, what causes they support and how they like to support them. We'd be lying if we said it was a cheery read though. Spoiler alert: fewer people are donating or participating in charitable activities, and public trust is still decreasing. Thankfully, it's not all bad news, with average donations actually increasing and volunteering rates holding steadily. These headlines really are the tip of the iceberg though, so settle down and delve into the report now.

Louise Corden: What is Voice Tech and why should you care?
Published by 101Fundraising
I've never understood the appeal of Alexa and her voice-operated pals. The non-stop listening is creepy, and I'm actually pretty happy to exercise my legs and smartphone thumb when I need something, thank you very much. I like to pretend Lime Green HQ is a voice tech free zone, provided I completely ignore my phone doing the exact same thing. But plenty of people do seem very excited by voice technology, and it could bring massive opportunities for charities in terms of how they connect with service users and supporters. Here's an excellent summary of the latest developments and what they mean for the voluntary sector.

And finally...a shout-out for the excellent #NonGraduatesWelcome campaign on Twitter!
Many organisations include 'degree level qualifications' in the essential criteria of their job descriptions without considering how this excludes great candidates and discourages diversity in the sector. Many organisations have already made positive changes to their recruitment processes after admitting that degrees are an automatic and unnecessary requirement. This is the perfect example of a grassroots online campaign which challenges people in a constructive way and brings about real change. We'd urge you to take a look and consider whether your own recruitment efforts are as accessible and effective as they could be.