Ken Burnett | the essential foundations of fundraising.

Which, from the all-time best fundraising wisdom and experience ever, are the most precious gems, the absolutely topmost important things every fundraiser everywhere really should know, from his or her first day? Of all the nuggets of essential knowledge buried within all the lists, books and articles ever written, which would be the one list, if room for only one was all there was, that you’d choose to hang directly above your space, your workplace?

This is that list.

These handpicked treasures are the essence of what matters most for fundraisers. Taken together the fundraising fundamentals that follow are a very full meal, nutritious and satisfying though, if consumed in a single sitting all at once, perhaps a bit hard to digest. Taken individually, one at a time, they’re tasty, manageable morsels, inspirational food for thought well worth savouring and taking time over. Often challenging, they might even at times be life-changing.

Now this durable, time-tested menu has been expanded and brought fresh up to the minute for fundraisers everywhere.

Much of the substance and inspiration for what follows comes from the wise sayings of my friend and mentor Harold Sumption, architect of Oxfam’s advertising and founder of the International Fundraising Congress in the Netherlands. This list first appeared in the section dedicated to his memory in my 1992 book Relationship Fundraising. It was later expanded in SOFII (see original list here), plus now, with some help from the people at the Commission on the Donor Experience, we’ve added in a few more observations along the way. SOFII has recently published two special features on the life and work of Harold Sumption, which are linked here.

Starting point: there are no absolute rules in fundraising and slavish adherence to formulae will win no donors, but whoever you are and in whatever cause you work you’ll find some basic principles consistent and helpful in virtually every fundraising endeavour. What follows, in no particular order, is the essence of our craft, the basics of fundraising, key principles that no advances in technology or development will change.

Pure gold – 34 fabulous fundraising foundations

1. People give to people. Not to organisations, mission statements, or strategies.

2. Fundraising isn’t something we do to people, it’s something we do with people. Friend-making comes before fundraising. Fundraising is not selling. Fundraisers and donors are on the same side.

3. Fundraising is not about money. It’s about necessary work that urgently needs doing. Money is the means to an end, not the end itself.

4. Fundraisers need to be able to see things through their donors’ eyes. And to put themselves in their donors’ shoes.

5. Fundraisers have to really understand their donors. If they are to understand you, you must first understand them. Fundraisers have to learn to talk to their donors where they are, not where the fundraiser might want them to be.

6. It helps if you are a donor yourself. No one should be a fundraiser without first being a donor.

7. Donor led, not target led. Involve donors, listen to donors and give your donors choices. The donor should decide what she or he gets and whether or not she or he gives. Whatever he or she gives, it’s OK with the fundraiser.

8. No pressure, ever. To the question how much pressure to give is acceptable the only possible answer is, none. No pressure should ever be applied to persuade a donor to make a gift he or she would not give freely, otherwise.

9. First open their hearts, then their minds. Then they will open their wallets. All three are important, in that order.

10. Fundraising is about needs as well as achievements. People applaud achievement, but will give to meet a need.

11. Harness the simple power of emotion. Fundraisers need to learn how to do this in their stories and solutions. Fundraising has to appeal first to the emotions. Logic can then reinforce the appeal, but be aware that emotion is many times more powerful.

12. Don’t just ask people to give. Inspire them to give. Fundraising is the inspiration business.

13. Offer a clear, direct proposition people can relate to. For example, ‘make a blind man see. £20.00’.

14. Prompt, appropriate feedback is essential to reassure the donor and show the difference his or her gift has made. Fundraisers should practice the five Fs – to be famous for fast, frequent, fabulous feedback.

15. Share your problems as well as your successes with your donors. Honesty and openness are usually prized more highly than expert opinion and apparent infallibility.

16. Bring the need close to the donor. To help this idea stick I was taught the adage ‘One needy old person next door equals ten needy old people in Manchester equals 100 needy old people in Maharashtra.’ (Of course I was living in London at the time. If you live in India, then it would be the other way round).

17. You don’t get if you don’t ask – usually. Know whom to ask, how much to ask for, when and how. Sometimes though your ask can be so subtle as to be almost unnoticeable, or better still, in the light of every charity’s implicit need for funds you can simply stand back and let the donor’s natural enthusiasm supply ‘the ask’.

18. ‘Brand’ is a lot less important to donors than it is to you. So don’t obsess about brand with its perceived high cost and rigid rules, but rather aspire to present your organisation’s image, beliefs, values, character and distinctiveness clearly, simply and consistently (which is the essence of what a charity’s brand should be). It’ll pay if your donors can readily distinguish your cause from all the others, without feeling you are a slave to brand guidelines.

The point here is that our publics have made it very clear that they don’t like charities adopting the clothes of big business, so fundraisers should take care to present their own distinctive version of brand.

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