DIGITAL MARKETING, CORPORATE FUNDRAISING AND HOLIDAYS: ARE YOU GETTING THINGS WRONG?

Smaller charities do an amazing job, working with limited resources and under more pressure than ever. However, inevitably there'll be some things further down your priority list that could benefit from a fresh approach. That's this month's theme for Unconventional Wisdom - our feature rounding up some of the best charity blogs and articles we've read recently...

Fran Swaine: Five easy ways small charities can improve their email marketing
Published on LinkedIn SlideShare
Regular readers will remember us blogging about why small charities need to improve their email marketing, so we were delighted to come across this easily digestible slide deck from Fran Swaine. Fran's top five tips include choosing the right tools, cutting your content in half and coming up with killer subject lines. Emails consistently get better reach and engagement than social media updates - so are you putting enough time into your email newsletters?

Madeleine Sugden: Say no to giant cheque pictures
Published on madlinsudn blog
Madeleine isn't a fan of using giant cheques to celebrate fundraising achievements - they're overused and not engaging enough for social media. Fortunately, she's also on hand to demonstrate a better way of doing things, courtesy of some great promotional images used by a number of savvy charities. Next time you want to say thank you, here's how to do it with a splash.

Beate Sørum: There is no "average conversion rate"
Published on Beate In English
Another blog, another opportunity to re-think how you do things. Beate thinks our obsession with the (donation) conversion rate of charity websites is wrong, and could lead you to spend money in the wrong area. Here's what to do instead, and why lower conversion rates can sometimes be a good thing.

How to become a data-driven charity
Published on NCVO Knowhow Nonprofit
We live in a world where high quality data is more readily available than ever, and charities have the opportunity to harness this to measure their effectiveness and design innovative new services. However, this is only possible if you can reach a higher level of 'data maturity' - which involves getting buy-in from leadership, developing skills in-house and investing in the right tools.

Rodger Holden: Why are CSR departments getting fed up with charities?
Published on Civil Society
We've worked with several charities who were keen to focus on corporate fundraising, and our message is always the same: it's a difficult and competitive area that's not for everyone. Maybe that's because too many charities are getting it wrong - Rodger Holden from Crimestoppers says a lot of corporate fundraising isn't working, and charities must take a more commercial approach. It's time to focus on sustainability and employee engagement, not CSR agendas and Big Ideas...

Emma Beeston: Charity workers: We need you…to go on holiday
Published on LinkedIn Pulse
And finally, a timely reminder before the summer is over: if you're feeling jaded, take a break so you can come back 'excited and hopeful'. Emma explains that burnout is a major issue, not just for charity staff but for the sector as a whole. Lime Green Consulting was actually born out of a much-needed holiday and we wholeheartedly agree with this - so be kind to yourself and swap your laptop for a bucket and spade!