Fundraisers love rules. Throughout most of our careers, we are told to analyse the statistics, follow the evidence and learn the right techniques. But to be a great fundraiser, following the rules is not enough. There is some great fundraising literature out there, and most effective fundraisers will have learnt a range of principles and … Continued

The launch of ChangeStar Express At ChangeStar, we speak to lots of charities that are just starting to build individual giving programmes or whose current programmes are too small to make it viable to use an external agency or consultant. We know that our input could make a massive difference to these charities, so we’ve been … Continued

For many charities, the Christmas mailing to supporters is the most successful, and therefore the most important, fundraising appeal of the year. As a result, there can be a sense of pressure on fundraisers to ensure that the Christmas appeal is a real success. This article examines an award-winning Christmas appeal by ChangeStar in detail … Continued

No charity wants to annoy its supporters – in fact most live in perpetual fear of doing so. Yet some still communicate with their supporters in ways that are likely to lead to them feeling alienated and antagonised. This quick guide helps you to avoid some of the common ways of annoying your supporters with … Continued

You don’t see many blog posts these days from the great and the good in the fundraising sector on how to convert cash donors to Direct Debit, and there’s a reason for this – it’s not easy to do. The days are gone where you could send out a Direct Debit conversion mail pack and … Continued

Last week I ran a very interesting and enjoyable* workshop for a wonderful non-profit organisation whose work I have long supported and admired. The aim of the workshop was to show the charity how to write better direct response appeals – whether these are asking for money or encouraging people to take part in a campaign, … Continued