TAPPING CARDS, WEAVING WREATHS & PLUCKING HEARTSTRINGS

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!