Rebrands, class analysis of boards and spotting major donors

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 ⬇️