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Articles by Richard Sved
If we build it, they will come (and fundraise)! - Directory of Social Change
How many times have you come back from a training course, or been inspired by some reading, and wanted to build your learning into your fundraising work but not been able to do so easily, if at all? How many times have you thought a chart might be useful to you, but then had to spend ages reproducing it in an accessible format so you can type into it and apply it to your work?
Charity Fundraising Templates - Directory of Social Change
The main aim behind this resource is to gather a wide variety of fundraising tools into one place so that you do not have to spend time building resources and can instead devote that time to developing your own unique fundraising approach. The templates are contained in an Excel workbook and Word file (in a Zip folder), and are intended to be adapted and tailored to your organisation and its specific circumstances. There is an introduction, and explanatory notes have been added where appropriate.
Building blocks before tactics! My notes from #IFCOnline
I was delighted to attend lots of the excellent IFC Online sessions over three days last week. As ever, my notes as well as those of other attendees can be found by clicking through on the Twitter thread below.
Christmas Festivities!
Park Carols with Ukes and Brass St Albans Brass Band and The Pluckwits Ukulele Band will be entertaining park-goers with Carols and Festive songs on Sunday 12th December from 2:00pm till 3:00pm at the Pavilion in Clarence Park. The music is provided free and the Pavilion will be selling mulled wine, mince pies and hot chocolate.
Welcome to St Albans City Band
We are a friendly and community focused brass band who have been making a contribution to local musical life for over 120 years. A busy schedule of concerts and engagements finds the band performing throughout Hertfordshire and beyond.
3rd Sector Mission Control
It was great to attend Fundraising Everywhere’s Small Charity Legends conference last week, devoted to small charities. Here’s @NikkiLeah_ of @FundEverywhere & @ambershotton of @TheFSI introducing the Small Charity Legends conference. Great line-up. I’m going to watch more than I tweet, probably, but will tweet on this thread if I do.
Fundraising Strategy - Directory of Social Change
Buy now In association with the Centre for Philanthropy at the University of Kent and with the Chartered Institute of Fundraising The way you approach fundraising can make all the difference to your charity’s success and its ultimate survival. The prudent fundraiser has to have a strategy in place that is both robust and dynamic, and this book will set you on the path to achieving that.
Why The Repair Shop can teach you everything you need to know about fundraising
There’s a show that I’ve unexpectedly really got into since the start of lockdown. It regularly moves me to tears. I’ll tell you all about it and why I think it can teach us everything we need to know about fundraising in a moment. But first, if you haven’t seen the show before, please bear with me and watch either or both of the little clips embedded in this blog to get an idea about the programme. I bet those of you who have seen the show will be watching the clips again in any case.
3rd Sector Mission Control
It was a strange experience “checking in” to the first online Institute of Fundraising Convention. No lovely volunteers in orange T-shirts helping me find Frobisher, six floors away; no mingling and networking at break time; no low level chatter or thunderous applause. Checking into #IoFFC but no lanyard and most of all no smiley volunteers in orange shirts! Sill looking forward to it though. Catch up in the break?
From Clippy to chatbots – why I’m still optimistic about the future of fundraising - 3rd Sector Mission Control
It’s all about the here and now, isn’t it? Let me give you a moment’s respite. We as fundraisers and most of us working in and with charities have necessarily been focused on the short term in recent months, but in this blog I’d like to take you out of that head space, and think about the future of fundraising, if I may.
3rd Sector Mission Control
Last Friday, I was moved to donate to Epilepsy Society by a Twitter thread written by someone I don’t know (“H” or maybe Hari) talking about someone she had never met, called Amelia. You can read the whole thing if you click through on the link below. This is a short piece on why it connected with me, why I think it reached so many others, and what charities can learn from the power of Hari’s words. I inherited a desk and drawers in my new job but didn’t have the key until today.
Why charities need to think about The Magic Roundabout
Today, I want to talk to you about The Magic Roundabout, and what it should mean to charities, when thinking about fundraising in particular. Yes, I know that lots of my blog posts refer to 1970s and 1980s popular culture, but in this case I’m actually not talking about Florence, Dougal and Zebedee and their psychadelically colourful friends. No, instead, through the magic of my writing and your imagination, dear reader, let me drive you to Hemel Hempstead (in Hertfordshire, UK).
3rd Sector Mission Control
Second verse, same as the first. A little bit louder and… just as good! This blog summarises the second six hours of my live-tweeting coverage of last week’s brilliant Fundraising Everywhere virtual fundraising conference. See my write up of the first six hours here.
This blog is brought to you by the colour pink
“Have you put it in the pinks?” This was the question we asked each other pretty much daily in one of the first charities I worked for, back in the mists of time (OK, the mid-1990s). I know what you’re thinking: “What did this mean? What were the pinks? I hope it’s nothing rude. Dare I read on?” There’s nothing to worry about, of course, but thanks for sticking with it.
3rd Sector Mission Control
“It’s just like looking at fish in a tank” is how a friend once described watching football on television. It’s fair to say she didn’t share my love of the beautiful game. And you don’t have to either, to get some value from this blog. You could even be a little bit like Moss from the IT Crowd. But stay with me, please, footballing non-enthusiast, because I do have an important point or two to make here.
Bots, squats and the kindness of strangers - day 2 at #IoFFC Fundraising Conventions
Day 2 at the Fundraising Convention was once again for me all about getting out of my bubble and trying to see people I hadn’t seen recently if at all, and who (gasp!) I might not even know from Twitter. How did I get on? Dear blog-reader, please continue to find out. First up, featured extensively in the twitter thread below, was a real hobby horse of mine: a good panel debating how to attract and retain great fundraising staff.
3rd Sector Mission Control
You had me at pizza. I’d been looking forward to Pizza for Losers, a new charity sector event at which speakers reveal lessons from their failures, for a while. It didn’t disappoint. That’s even before I sampled the lovely pizza in the break! You can read my “live tweeting” thread below, with highlights from the eight excellent speakers. Hi I’m Nikki, and I’m a massive loser” I’m here at #PizzaForLosers a new event hosted by @CharityNikki sharing and learning from our charity sector failures.
3rd Sector Mission Control
Good grief! I can’t believe I’ve been writing this blog for six years now, without yet mentioning my very first love, my very first obsession. Yes, it was Peanuts, and Snoopy in particular. I loved that beagle. I cherished my cute Snoopy cuddly toy. My first ever watch featured Snoopy playing tennis with the “big hand” being the one holding the racket, and the ball round the outside marking the seconds.
3rd Sector Mission Control
This wasn’t the first, the second or even the third time I’d been to an #IWITOT session. They’re always inspiring events – talented fundraisers showcasing the inspiring efforts of others they wish they’d thought of.
Charities, Top Trumps, and Big Joe
Anybody who knows me in real life will agree that I’m not the tallest person around. But let me take you back to a time when I was almost literally knee-high to a grasshopper. It was in my primary school days – a few decades ago now – and the game I used to love playing was Top Trumps. It’s simple: each card has some numerical data, and you can win your opponents’ cards if the value you have chosen from your card trumps the one on theirs. Simple, right?
’What will happen if we DON’T do it?’ - Day 2 at #IFCHolland
Second verse… same as the first! So, if you read my blog from yesterday covering day 1 of the International Fundraising Congress in Holland, welcome back! If you didn’t, then welcome anyway! Today, I was back for more of the same, and here’s a sneak preview of this write up: it was very good. There was so much to chew on and sage advice to keep in mind in the first session I attended, presented by Maeve Strathy and Rachel Hunnybun. How can we ensure we are resilient, so that we can effect change?
Fundraisers: you need to consider the Boston Matrix!
I was once told that fundraisers always think in pyramids. Reader, I blogged about it. Then I heard that they also think in circles. I’ve blogged on occasion about that too. But nowadays, there’s another diagram that I find even more useful: the humble matrix. OK, so this isn’t the first or even the second time I’ve blogged about matrices either (Who knew? I didn’t.) but this matrix is such a useful one when considering your fundraising strategy.
Why fountain pen gift boxes scare me
So it’s September. When we see all those “Back to School” photos and another batch of teens head to “Freshers Week” at university. But September always makes me shudder just a little bit. You see, I didn’t handle the transition to ‘big school’ very well. I was shocked to be a small fish in a big pond. For me, this manifested itself in an astonishing ability to lose things. Basically, if it wasn’t attached to me, I’d lose it.
"Doom & gloom, boom & zoom... or get a room?"
Day 2 of the Institute of Fundraising’s Fundraising Convention was a scorcher, both in terms of temperature and content. The five seminars I chose to attend were, without exception, excellent, and almost took my mind off the upcoming England World Cup game. Here’s my report: Helen Trenchard chaired an important and timely session on the difficulties of recruiting and retaining relationship fundraisers. Are we facing a looming crisis, and either way, what can we do about it?
Graffiti on oak - when a fundraising idea catches fire - by @richardsved
I’m going to tell you about a simple, but brilliant and well executed idea. It wasn’t my idea, so I can’t claim any credit, though I have been involved in the later stages, and funnily enough in the earliest stages as a donor myself. When it was launched, it was hoped it might raise £50,000, but we’re now on nearly £400,000 and counting. I’m talking about the honours boards for the brand new St Albans Museum + Gallery. But don’t switch off.
"We talk about BK and AK"
Last week I went on a trip to Oxford to watch four small charities pitch for funding at Oxford Gives (more about that later). I want to tell you about a few things that I reflected upon that evening. What is your origin story? Bathed in early evening May sunshine, the dreaming spires were looking… dreamy. And as I turned into Broad Street, I noticed this small sign. I don’t suppose many people think about the “Ox” origins of Oxfam, but here they are. Their pioneering origins. A sense of place.
What can fundraisers learn from the Wenger Years?
I’m delighted to introduce my first co-written blog – with fellow charity sector blogger and Arsenal fan, Lizzi Hollis Butcher. These are the opening words of Fever Pitch, Nick Hornby’s account of his own obsession with Arsenal. I attended my first game in 1979, and, like Hornby, thoughts about my team are also in my head much of the time. So why is it that so few of the 100+ blogs I’ve written here are about the dynamite team who play in red and white?
Things that make you go OOO!
Megan has received an Out Of Office email from Becky that’s taken her aback. “Today I am helping an organisation that creates brilliant health and social care services tell the world about the difference they make for people like you and me” she was told by Becky. What a lovely, surprising and delightful message to receive! It strikes me immediately that Becky loves her job, is proud of doing what she is doing, and her workload is very varied – because this is only “today”.
Love is... a tribute to charities on #ValentinesDay by @richardsved #charitylove
Way back in the mists of time, when I was a little lad, there was a cartoon. Kitsch and cute, the Love Is… series illustrated aspects of love, as demonstrated by the male and female characters depicted. The pair were inexplicably naked in most of the images, but that didn’t seem to matter. Those were simpler times, I suppose. I hadn’t thought about those cartoons for a good 35 years or so, but they came to mind when I began thinking about writing this post, for Valentine’s Day.
Why be a mentor? Here's 10 good reasons, by @richardsved
I’ve been a mentor in various guises for almost a decade now, and trained to be a fundraising mentor with the Institute of Fundraising London Region’s mentoring programme last year. Here are 10 reasons why it’s a brilliant thing to do: 1. It teaches you to take a step back from your own workload Gone are the days when it’s easy to ‘clock off’ from your workload when you leave the office. We can all get emails or take calls on our phone.
Oh no! FOMO in slo-mo! - The IFC workshops, part 1
“It’s going on right now and I’m missing it!” cries Homer in the cute gif shared by Joe Jenkins, who sadly wasn’t able to attend the International Fundraising Congress (IFC) this year. Well, it may not be any consolation, Joe, but I felt the feeling of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) even more acutely as an attending delegate at IFC. There’s just so much going on, so many high-quality sessions, you can’t possibly attend them all. Decisions, decisions.
Fundraiser, heal thyself!
Dear reader, I’ve now been awake for 20 hours, as I begin to type these words. But I’m buzzing. My first ever day of IFC has been an uplifting, motivating experience. All round the conference hotel, there are powerful slogans stencilled into the wall in capitals, attesting to the power and importance of fundraisers and fundraising, such as “Between us we change the world”. And it’s true. I’m sure it’s why I’m feeling energised, having practically got up before I went to bed.
What can charities learn from the Holborn escalator?
So, by now, I’m sure you’re used to these blogs taking you on a tangential journey. But this time, I want you to join me at the foot of the escalator at London’s Holborn Underground station. It’s Monday morning, at a quarter to nine. Rush hour. People everywhere. You look up. And you wait to get on the escalator due to the sheer numbers, because you know that London Underground commuters stand on the right.
What can fundraisers learn from diving judges?
I’m writing this in early June. It’s always the same. Around about this time, when it gets a little hotter at night, each year I have the same recurring semi-nightmare: I’m about to go into the exam hall for my maths A level. But I’ve done very little revision. Next to nothing. How will it go? I never get to find out, because I tend to wake up, sweating a little. This is strange, because I actually like maths, and some 27 years ago, I did OK when I went into that exam hall in real life.
Charities! Love is about the distanced travelled! Blog by @richardsved
OK, so today, for Valentine’s Day, I want to talk about love, and what I think it should mean for charities. No, don’t go away, I’m not going to get soppy or corny. Well, not much, anyway. A couple of weeks ago, I was on holiday in Madeira. No, that’s not the romantic part, though the sunsets were pretty lovely. No, while I was there I read a beautiful book, Stoner by John Williams, the bittersweet life story of a downtrodden but dignified and almost heroic literature professor.
Are we getting it right? And who is? I Wish I’d Thought of That 2015
You don’t need me to tell you that charities, and fundraisers in particular, have been getting quite a kicking in the media this summer. And while a period of sober reflection and introspection is important, an event like IWITOT was a brilliant tonic to remind us of the brilliant fundraising ideas both old and new that can inspire us. It reminds us of why what we do is so important, and why we need to celebrate and learn from the excellence around us.
Doing the Hokey Cokey with Archbishop Tutu by @richardsved
I know that most of these blogs are built around metaphors, but… …I really did once do the Hokey Cokey with Archbishop Desmond Tutu. I’d like to tell you about why this particular song and dance is important to me, and what I learned from doing it with him, in particular. It was late 1994 and I was the only employee running a fantastic charity called KEEN, who provide social and recreational activities for young people with special needs, pairing them up with a huge army of student volunteers.
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