The buzzword of the past year, AI may seem relatively new but in fact it’s already been around for a long time. It’s there if you use Siri or Alexa, or look at the recommendations served up by everything from Netflix to your Waitrose app. All of these are examples of machine learning algorithms looking for patterns in your past behaviour in order to provide you with something relevant. The real turning point we’re at now is that charities are finally getting solutions built specifically to help them fundraise more effectively. With charities facing an unprecedented number of challenges at the ..read more

Fundraising World is a new publication from UK Fundraising and Dekode, designed to share outstandingly successful fundraising campaigns from around the world. Each week on Fundraising World we interview one successful fundraiser, asking them to share the detail on what they achieved and how, and what lessons other fundraisers might learn. Each week it is a different country, a different sized-organisation, a different cause – and a different challenge. Global skillshare for fundraisers We call it a global skillshare because we’ve designed it to spread examples that fundraisers can be inspired ..read more

Earlier this year my father passed away. This experience and how the workplaces of myself and my siblings responded showed a variety of practices. It also made me reflect more deeply on how the best legacy fundraising often mirrors the best HR. The law Surprisingly there is no legal entitlement to bereavement leave, except for parental bereavement leave when a child dies. Preparation As with any event, particularly major ones, a plan and idea of how managers are expected to support employees is easier thought through in advance rather than on the hoof. Surprisingly few charity HR leads have th ..read more

Many charities are fighting for survival this winter but there are some vital opportunities in early 2024 which could help fundraisers, explains Elise Hunter, Director of Marketing at the Data & Marketing Association. Recent research from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) suggests that the cost-of-living crisis has created a ‘cost of giving’ crisis for charities. Their research suggests this will force one in five (19%) to stop operations completely until the economic outlook has improved. With industry reports showing nearly 170,000 charities operate in the UK, this ..read more

As 2023 draws to a close, it’s a chance to reflect not just on this year for the sector, but also on my four years as Chair at Remember A Charity. I’ve thought a lot about all the challenges we, as a sector, have dealt with through those years – from the pandemic to the cost-of-living crisis, wars and natural disasters… but also the successes we’ve celebrated along the way. Here are some key learnings from that time… The importance of having a strategy and being consistent with it Joining as Chair of Remember A Charity coincided with the Covid pandemic and all the challenges that hit the secto ..read more

In an era where disinformation poses a significant threat to communication and public trust, philanthropic and charity organisations find it harder and harder to land their key messages in a polluted information environment. At a recent event, hosted by ACT Climate Labs, key figures from the philanthropic and charity sector gathered to address the pressing issue of misinformation and its impact on climate-related initiatives. The event emphasised the need for adaptation in communication strategies and the use of advertising to counteract the spread of misinformation, particularly in the contex ..read more

If you’ve ever been thrilled to start a new role but a few months in realised you left money on the table during salary negotiations, it’s a resoundingly defeating feeling. Successfully securing the pay you want begins long before the word “salary” is ever spoken by your future employer. Read on to learn how you can best achieve your target salary next time you take a new job. When you have the most power Many people accept an offer slightly lower than what they desired with the thought, “At my 90-day or six-month review, my employer will see how great my work is and lift my salary to my desir ..read more

Scotland’s newly-crowned Fundraiser of the Year for 2023, Stephanie Shanks from Sight Scotland, says collaboration and building a positive fundraising culture is the key to unlocking success. Stephanie, who joined Sight Scotland just over 15 months ago, has made a huge impact with the charity in just over a year. In this time Sight Scotland has recorded its highest fundraising (excluding legacies) income in five years and has seen a 36.7% increase in trust income. The charity’s corporate income has almost doubled as well. Tackling vision loss together For more than two centuries, Sight Scotlan ..read more

A rare Hobbit book, handwritten letters at scale with ChatGPT (of course), giving despite the cost of living crisis, new grantmaking analysis, and the return of the National Fundraising Awards in 2024. Here’s our latest selection from Twitter of ideas, data, reflections, and humour for fundraisers. Yes, we’re now on Threads too (despite its many limitations and failings) so you can find us there at @ukfundraising and me at @howardlake. Just in case Twitter doesn’t keep going… And you can find @professionalswithpurpose there too. 1. Second breakfasts all round! My precioussss! An eagle-eyed (or ..read more

Sharing might be caring, but when it is sharing fundraising messages via social media and other channels, it can also be giving for free. You’ve seen social sharing buttons and links on fundraising platforms, blogs and news sites like UK Fundraising. Do they actually work? Do they bring tangible results? JustGiving has tracked these functions since 2011 and has publicly shared them from time to time.Indeed, every JustGiving fundraising page has 15 sharing options, both to inspire and make it easy for people to share the page in a moment. JustGiving offers 15 ways to share a fundraising page (2 ..read more