We like to spend time trawling through blogs and articles from the third sector, so we can bring you some unique ideas and perspectives that you might have missed. This month comes with a warning about neglecting the importance of digital communication - but, fortunately, plenty of ideas about how you can avoid doing just that...

Natasha Stone: Is gaming the hot new trend for charities?
Published by JustGiving
On the eve of one of the biggest charity gaming events of the year, Natasha from JustGiving delved into how online gaming could bring untapped potential for charities. Gaming has boomed into a £100 billion industry and some of the stats may surprise you – there are 1.5 billion gamers worldwide, the average age is 35 and an increasing number of women and families are gaming. Could you grab a piece of the potential by teaming up with a gaming influencer or creating a charity gaming event?
 
Austin Clark: Charities can ‘no longer afford to be digitally defiant’
Published by Charity Digital News
This stark warning comes after Tech Trust’s new Digital Charity Survey found that 58% of charities still don’t have a digital strategy. In our experience, many charities dabble with social media with moderate success, but see a digital strategy as ‘something we ought to get around to eventually’. As over 65s increasingly embrace social media, and younger generations grow up having never lived without smart phones, will charities soon be unable to survive unless they put technology at the heart of their comms?
 
Piper Hendricks: How To Avoid Harmful Stereotypes In Your Nonprofit Videos
Published by GlobalGiving
If digital communication is an increasingly important ‘weapon’ in your charity’s arsenal, then video storytelling should arguably be your ammunition of choice. Creating video content is a brilliant way to reach more people and raise awareness about your work, but with great power comes great responsibility. Piper explains why too much charity video content inadvertently perpetuates harmful stereotypes and one-dimension portrayals of helpless beneficiaries, and shares five questions you can ask to avoid falling into this trap.
 
Which fundraising techniques really annoy the public?
Published by nfpSynergy
We recently published a blog about the long-term impact of having so many fundraising methods that interrupt – rather than add value to – people’s everyday lives. They may be profitable, but the long-term impact on public opinion is unsustainable. This in-depth study by nfpSynergy adds some broader context to the same issue – and while it’s not a reason to change your fundraising methods overnight, it provides some fascinating food for thought about how those methods may be perceived by different audience demographics.
 
Karl Wilding: Charities change the world. Why isn't that message getting through?
Published by The Guardian
There’s evidently a widening chasm between what charities think and what the public (and, often, their own supporter bases) think – whether that’s about things like Brexit, or how the sector is run. This article argues that we need to do more ourselves to close that gap, starting by cutting the jargon and relying less on obscure financial information. It’s clearly easier said than done, but could we be more honest and open about the issues we’re facing, and the importance of things like investing in staff and digital tools?

Sophie Hobson: Five New Year’s resolutions for social entrepreneurs
Published by the School for Social Entrepreneurs
You’ve now only got 11 months left to put these into practice, but better late than never hey? Working to bring about social change can be a lonely and relentless rollercoaster ride, but Sophie’s excellent tips for 2018 will help you to maximise productivity, stay strategic amidst the daily grind, and keep developing as a leader.
 
Gillian Murray: Times will be tough for charities in 2018. A solid strategy is more vital than ever
Published by The Guardian
This recent article from the CEO of Pilotlight – who help charities to sharpen their business planning skills – also highlights the need for a more strategic approach in 2018. With resources tighter than ever, three out of five smaller charities feel they do not have the skills required to prosper in the future. But sometimes even identifying the right skills gaps is tricky – so it’s vital to first understand what your biggest strategic challenges are, and how to address them.
 
Fiona Wallace: CSR for the charity sector? We need a system where charities can acknowledge their wider benefits on society
Published by nfpSynergy
This thought-provoking piece explores why Corporate Social Responsibility isn’t just important for companies, but for charities too. How much does your organisation go beyond your core remit to support the broader community? How important is it to encourage workforce diversity and create opportunities for payroll giving and volunteering? Or, in these times of austerity, is the charitable nature of your work enough of a focus?
 
Rebecca Cooney: Small Charities Coalition launches online GDPR tool
Published by Third Sector
It seems like we’ve been talking about GDPR forever, but Data Protection changes are rumbling closer than ever and non-compliance simply isn’t an option. However, for many people this is a minefield of policies, processes and legal jargon. We’re delighted that the Small Charities Coalition has launched an interactive GDPR portal, enabling you to make the necessary changes in an affordable and time-effective way, then display a ‘GDPR compliant’ green tick.
 
Simon George: Making the most of charities’ anniversaries
Published by UK Fundraising
Is 2018 a landmark year for your charity? Anniversaries are a great opportunity to raise your profile and generate some much-needed funds. We’ve seen many charities try to do exactly this, only to be hamstrung by a lack of capacity, planning or ability to answer that “so what?” question. This article is a huge help in making sure the big opportunity doesn’t slip through your grasp – so if 2018 marks a key anniversary for your organisation, keep these eight tips in mind.

Joe Saxton: Is fundraising f***ked?
Published on nfpSynergy
Joe Saxton is a real authority on fundraising - his 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' introductory guide is still the first resource we point charities towards. So when he chooses such an eye-catching headline, it's for good reason. Ahead of nfpSynergy's forthcoming report into the political, economic, social and technological factors affecting fundraising, this article provides a quick summary of the situation. It's worrying to hear but important to know - and fortunately, there's a chirpier follow-up piece coming soon on the positive developments and opportunities for charities!

Does it cost £60 to build a toilet?
Published on Toilet Twinning
Great fundraising campaigns can be a brilliant antidote to the concerns currently surrounding fundraising. This Toilet Twinning campaign by Tearfund has drawn plenty of well-deserved praise from fundraisers - here's a charity translating a complex issue into a simple and compelling ask, not hiding away from the true costs of its work, and making donors feel excited about the impact of a relatively modest contribution. Well worth checking out for some inspiration!

Jo Fischl & Tim Harrison: GDPR: The change that charity donors want
Published on nfpSynergy
We know what you're thinking: another report about Data Protection... But this excellent free download looks at GDPR from a different and important angle - what's the current public mood towards charities and data protection? And how are donors likely to respond to the coming changes? While the conclusions are worrying - donors often feel bombarded, and welcome GDPR as a way of taking control - nfpSynergy also provide plenty of constructive advice on how charities can adapt.

Rosie Ifould: 'Would you be willing?': words to turn a conversation around (and those to avoid)
Published on The Guardian
Research shows that we're all far more influenced by the language people use than we'd like to admit. Professors at Loughborough University have analysed thousands of hours of recorded conversations - from customer services calls to police crisis negotiation - to identify certain words and phrases with the power to change the course of a conversation both positively and negatively. While this isn't specific to the sector, it provides plenty of food for thought for charities and fundraisers. So...would you be willing to have a quick read to find out more?

​Claire Axelrad: Key Issues in Effective Nonprofit Board Decision-Making
Published on Clairification
"Many nonprofits are stuck. They’re tethered to their early decisions. Often made by others who came before them." It's a bold opening to an article all about the factors that hold trustee boards back from making complex decisions such as investing in fundraising. These include confirmation bias, emotional attachment and fear of failure - do you recognise any of these? Could this article help your trustees to become more aware of some of the common challenges?

Tereza Litsa: How to bring social media into your fundraising strategy
Published on Hubbub
Charities have known for years that social media is an excellent opportunity to reach new supporters and start meaningful conversations with them. However, turning followers into donors is particularly tricky, making it hard for smaller organisations to decide how much time to dedicate to social media. Tereza's blog provides some handy pointers on this, including some great examples from charities who have got it right.

Sarah Finley: Is 'tap and go' a better way to give to charity?
Published on BBC News
Ten years after contactless payments reached the UK, more than half of all transactions up to £30 are now made made using 'tap and go' technology. Various trials by charities have shown that contactless collection boxes attract higher average donations than traditional tins. Contactless payment ports have even popped up in winter coats, 'smart benches' and a charity car! Sarah explores some of these successful trials, and why 'tap and go' donations are set to grow and grow...

Kate Ferguson: How to create a diverse Board of Trustees
Published on NCVO Knowhow Nonprofit
Board diversity has been a hot topic for charities for many years, but creating a truly diverse board - and attracting the right trustees - is easier said than done. It's a task that Kate Ferguson, Chair of The Advocacy Project, has dedicated a lot of time to, so it's well worth reading her seven top tips here - including the importance of transparency, accessible decision-making and consistent feedback from your Chair.
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Caroline Fiennes: Good charities spend more on administration than less good charities spend
Published on Giving Evidence
After so much media scrutiny of their spending, charities have never felt more under pressure to keep their administrative costs to a minimum. However, this can often be really counter-productive - we come across far more charities facing challenges due to under-investment than wasteful organisations. This study of the relationship between 'quality' and admin costs popped up again on social media recently - it was written several years ago, but we feel it's never been more relevant.

Laura Hannan: Christmas is coming for Charities
Published on LinkedIn Pulse
Is it too early to mention the C-word yet? Not for Laura, who thinks that the huge uplift in donations during December means that charities need to get planning for Christmas now. Laura's blog provides some great tips on how to maximise the festive pounds and make best use of a range of digital platforms. Yes, we know it's not even November yet but go on, have a read...

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!

Here's our latest 'recommended reading list' of unique perspectives, innovative ideas and inspiring insights from across the charity sector...

Mags Rivett: 4 lessons for charities as we prepare for GDPR
Published on JustGiving
May 2018 sees a major change for charities, with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming into effect. Most charities we've spoken to are aware this will have an impact, but far from confident about what they can do to prepare. In this short and clear blog, Mags Rivett shares four ways in which charities can get GDPR-ready, as well as some handy links to other material. GDPR is coming - make sure you get up to speed now.

Peter Panepento: Are Virtual Events the Next Big P2P Trend?
Published on PeerToPeer Professional Forum
Fundraising events thrive on a sense of community and togetherness, but there may be plenty of reasons why your supporters can't be in the same place at the same time. This explains the growing trend towards virtual events, fuelled by the increasing popularity of wearable fitness tracking devices. This article features four great examples of virtual events that combine all the benefits of flexibility and organised fun - is it time for you to embrace this?

Leon Ward: Top tips - how to be the best charity trustee
Published by The Guardian
This is a great piece to read if you've recently become a trustee, or work for a charity that would like to do more to build a strong and healthy Board. Leon Ward has been a trustee for several charities as well as an ambassador for Young Charity Trustees, and has written many great articles about being a charity trustee. His five top tips include finding a mentor, getting some training and insisting on being visible to staff. 

Alex Swallow: My First Viral Article Online- How To Have One Too!
Published by The Influence Expert
​Making your content go viral is the holy grail for many small charities, but Alex's story shows that it's possible with a bit of persistence, marketing effort and luck. His recent LinkedIn article is about to top 2,500 likes, including one from LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner - congratulations Alex! All this means that Alex is very well placed to advise how you can make your content go viral, and how to react if it does.

24 Must-Read Fundraising and Social Media Reports for Nonprofits
Published by Nonprofit Tech for Good
Finally, we recently came across this treasure trove of reports about online fundraising and social media that's well worth sharing. There's a huge range of handy insights here for charities across the world, about topics including online giving, digital skills and benchmark data. Bookmark this page now - it's great to dip in and out of!

Here's a quick round-up of our favourite blogs and articles from 2017 so far…
 
Maria Healy: 'Crafternoon': How Mind is crafting its way to fundraising success
Published by Charity Choice
It seems like every charity is searching for that 'next big thing' with their fundraising campaigns, but sometimes success takes longer than you might imagine. Here, Mind's Community Fundraising Manager describes how this perfect combination of fundraising and mindfulness came to fruition. However, there were plenty of lessons to learn along the way, including the value of canvassing your supporters, involving your whole staff team and learning from failure.
 
Elizabeth Chamberlain: The Road Ahead: What Will 2017 Mean For Charities?
Published by NCVO
We're not sure there's ever been a greater period of ongoing uncertainty and change for charities – politically, socially, economically and in countless other ways. We know this something that many small charities struggle to keep abreast of, but fortunately the NCVO have published this very handy summary paper looking at some of the key challenges for 2017, covering the impact of Brexit, regulatory changes, ongoing austerity and even increased automation.
 
Dr Kiki Koutmeridou: The use and abuse of emotions in fundraising: a behavioural science point of view
Published by SOFII
Emotion plays an important and often underestimated part in our everyday decision-making – and that goes for donors' decisions too. Knowing how to elicit the right emotional response makes a proven, quantifiable difference to how much you can raise – but tapping into the 'wrong' emotions such as guilt, or over-stating your case, can backfire. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy this fascinating in-depth article, because it'll give you some brilliant insight for your next fundraising campaign.
 
Lizzi Hollis: It's time for charities to focus on their staff as well as beneficiaries
Published by Flight of the Fundraiser
Do you look after your employees as well as your beneficiaries? With dwindling funding and charitable expenditure under scrutiny, it can be too easy to neglect the people who make your organisation tick. But, as Lizzi argues, failing to provide things like staff development opportunities and maternity pay can cost you more in the long run and – depending on your cause – leave you open to accusations of not practising what you preach. Her excellent blog also contains some handy tips about finding your own development opportunities.
 
Austin Clark: Charities miss out on more than £80m a year by only accepting cash donations
Published by Charity Digital News
Do you collect cash donations only at your events? You probably won't be surprised to know that 42% of people carry less cash than they used to, but you may be more alarmed to hear that 15% of people admit to walking away from at least one donation opportunity in the past year because they were unable to donate by flashing the plastic. Last time we wrote about contactless donation boxes, they were furry and four-legged – but with or without the dog, you need to embrace the future!

Here's our latest selection of blogs and articles written by others that we really enjoyed - featuring 'tap dogs', a celebrity returning from the dead to lead a fundraising campaign, and a unique and powerful way to re-imagine charity overhead costs...

Curtis Klotz: A Graphic Re-visioning of Nonprofit Overhead
Published by Nonprofits Assistance Fund
We've previously shared our frustration about the focus on charity overheads, and Thomas Muirhead's excellent TEDx talk highlights how harmful it can be. So we were delighted to read this article encouraging charities to take a different and powerful visual approach to articulating how and why they spend their money. Operating efficiently is important, but it's time to stop apologising for investing in the core and the quality of our organisations...

Aimee Meade: Tap dogs: four-legged charity fundraisers with a difference
Published by The Guardian
This week we made our annual trip to SOFII's sold-out IWITOT event and returned with some inspiring new fundraising ideas. We'll be blogging on this soon but, in the meantime, here's our favourite idea of the day, which saw the Blue Cross turn two dogs into irresistible walking donation magnets! Contactless donations are the future and, with handsets costing less than £100, even smaller charities can start thinking creatively about how to make this part of their fundraising efforts.

Rob Hayter: Five ways your brain stops you choosing the right candidate
Published by LinkedIn Pulse
You know all those rational, impartial decisions you make? Well they're not actually so impartial after all. Courtesy of the charity recruitment agency TPP, here's how cognitive bias can make us jump to decisions too quickly, defend our decisions over-zealously and unconsciously ignore any evidence to the contrary. This particular article explains how cognitive bias can harm a staff recruitment process, but it's a thought-provoking read with much wider implications.

Tom Ahern: 20 Questions: Free downloadable test re: best practices in donor communications
Published by Ahern Donor Communications
How long will an average donor give to a specific charity? What’s the best length for a fundraising letter? What works best for fundraising - stats or stories? This invaluable guide answers these questions plus 17 more, backed up by evidence and the views of top fundraisers from around the world. Kudos to Tom Ahern - and everyone who contributed - for making this freely available to all. Now fill your boots.

Emma Halls: Prostate Cancer Research Fund: fundraising from beyond the grave
Published by SOFII
Inspired by IWITOT, we were taking a cheeky look through SOFII's archive of fundraising campaigns and came across this innovative gem. Check out how Prostate Cancer Research Fund brought back Bob Monkhouse from the dead to raise a huge amount of awareness and support for their cause. This is a really innovative combination of the celebrity factor, humour and technology - enjoy the video!

Charity fundraising has been under the microscope lately and we've written plenty about the challenges. So this month's selection of thought-provoking blogs and articles is all about good news and celebrating the potential and power of fundraising...

Laura Croudace: Humans of New York - the power of storytelling for social fundraising
Published by SOFII
Laura is a rising fundraising star and an ever-inspiring blogger. Here she shows how building an engaged online community can produce unbelievable fundraising results, inspired by Brandon Stanton's famous photoblog. This blog is based on Laura's talk at SOFII's IWITOT event last year. IWITOT is always full of amazing fundraising ideas and will come to London again on 30 November 2016 - we recommend saving the date!

Joe Sutton: Thanking – my goodness it really works
Published by 101Fundraising
So much has been written lately about how to thank your donors, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Here's Joe's story about how Hope and Homes for Children decided to do it by handwriting 1,500 thank you notes. It cost £2,000 and took 14 days to do it, but the results were well worth it - and Joe has the proof to back this up.

16 Must-Know Stats About Online Fundraising and Social Media
Published by Nonprofit Tech for Good
Online fundraising is huge already and it's going to keep growing. Return on investment figures are steadily climbing and the global internet population is forecast to triple in the next four years. But social media is constantly changing, with Facebook in decline, Twitter facing uncertainty and Instagram and Snapchat on the up. This article provides a snapshot for charities - you won't want to miss these 16 fascinating stats.

Eifron Hopper: ‘Behind the clock’ legacy marketing – if you aren’t doing it, perhaps you should be
Published by SOFII
Many smaller charities don't know where to start with legacy fundraising, or are put off because it takes so long to yield results. However, it has statistically the best return of any type of fundraising and there are a few easy things you can do now that could produce an income windfall later. We love Eifron Hopper's concept of "behind the clock marketing", as he explains how charities used to get legacy fundraising wrong and what they're doing now to inspire their supporters to leave a gift.

Ice Bucket Challenge funds gene discovery in ALS (MND) research
​Published by BBC News
Finally, the ALS Association has recently announced the discovery of an important gene as a result of the much talked-about Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised £87.7million in summer 2014. This could enable scientists to develop a new therapy for ALS, helping thousands of people. Ice Bucket Challenge attracted plenty of scepticism so, at a time when charities and fundraising are facing so much scrutiny, it's nice to share a good news story about what the money raised can achieve.

Our latest selection of unique perspectives, innovative ideas and inspiring insights from across the charity sector has a real digital theme...
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Beate Sørum: How to DIY a digital strategy that actually works
Published on 101 Fundraising
Social media and digital technology offer great opportunities to charities, but knowing how to use your resources effectively is tricky. It seems like there's a new channel popping up every month and it's hard to measure success. We love this blog from Beate, who's a real digital expert, on how to develop a digital strategy to start raising money and awareness online. It's ideal for smaller charities.

Thomas Muirhead: Beyond Giving (TEDx talk)
Published on YouTube
The world has just committed to achieving 17 very ambitious Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. To do this, the UK will need to spend the equivalent of 5% of gross national income every year, yet charitable giving is static at 0.8%. How on earth can we do this? Thomas Muirhead, Managing Director of the innovative charity Child.org, argues that we need to go "beyond giving" and rid ourselves of "the overhead myth" that's paralysing the growth of our charities. This brilliant talk is well worth watching. It's a compelling argument that we'll be looking at more in the coming months.

Richard Sved: Ten reasons your charity should consider crowdfunding
Published on LinkedIn Pulse
More and more charities are talking about crowdfunding, inspired by some brilliant and creative campaigns that have really succeeded. With more than three billion people online, and average online donations increasing, the potential is clear but the challenge is standing out from the crowd. Richard gives ten reasons why it's worth considering a crowdfunding campaign now. Convinced? Then we also recommend checking out this guide to crowdfunding by Funding Central.

Rory Green: Don’t let 1,835 Cats KILL Your Fundraising
Published on 101 Fundraising
Cats. We love them. Then Rory popped up and told us that they might be killing our fundraising?! It's ok though, because we know exactly what she means. Rory argues that while some charities view thank you letters as an afterthought or a necessary bit of admin, a great thank you letter that a supporter can really wrap their mind - and heart - around can make all the difference. Turns out that Rory does love cats after all, just not 1,835 of them at once.

Mike Zywina: Launch of eSolidar Provides an Opportunity for Smaller Charities
Published on Good News Shared
Ok we're cheating a bit as we wrote this one, but it's not about us. Our founder Mike Zywina recently went along to the launch of eSolidar, a platform that enables people to raise money for smaller charities by buying, selling and bidding on items online. eSolidar is worth checking out if you're looking to tap into new audiences and the launch event got us thinking about how to really disrupt online fundraising. Thanks to our friends at Good News Shared for publishing this!