From face to face to regular giving and from high value to reporting back, the roots of our favourite fundraising techniques go back many, many years. It's astounding that the ideas and tactics our fundraising forebears developed still boost income when we use them in the technologically advanced environment of today. As a result, when I consider a fundraising problem I always look to the past and use that understanding to create a solution for today. As part of my personal fundraising journey I've been spending time with the fundraisers who were involved in some of the most amazing campaigns from the second half of the 20th century to see what what I can learn from them. And I thought it would be a good idea to share their thoughts and stories so everyone can benefit - so I recorded them. This series of podcasts is the result.
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19 recent
January 27, 2025Episode 111 hr 1 min
The one where we discuss what donors tell us about why they give with Amber Nathan
Have you ever wondered what really makes people give to charity – and why they sometimes stop? Well, we’ve got the answers for you in today’s episode of Two Ps on a Pod!Together with Giles Pegram CBE, I’m interviewing Bluefrog’s Head of Research, Amber Nathan who has spent much of the last twenty years interviewing thousands of donors worldwide. This conversation is packed full of insights that will transform your fundraising strategy.Here’s what you’ll learn:• The real emotional drivers that move the most valuable donors to give. • Why donors stop supporting charities – and what you can do to prevent it.• The most common fundraising mistakes that could be costing you money.• What donors really think of rebranding.• Practical strategies to deepen donor relationships and grow a sustainable IG programme.If you want to understand what’s driving giving, how you can strengthen donor connections, boost retention, and make every penny of your budget count, this podcast is for you!
January 15, 2025Episode 1055 min
The second part of our Regular Giving discussion
If you’re looking for deeper insights into what’s working (and what’s not) in regular giving, Giles Pegram and I are back with Part Two of our deep dive into all things RG on this new episode of Two Ps on a Pod.Here’s what we’re covering today:Stewardship & Upgrades – How and when to upgrade regular givers, and by how much.Mid-Value Giving & Membership Programmes – The pros, cons, and how to build RG portfolios effectively.1% Attrition Challenge – Can we realistically achieve this? What about face-to-face recruitment?Mystery Giving & Cancellation Processes – We’ve uncovered some surprising truths!Just like in Part One, we’re also sharing tactical ideas to improve recruitment and retention strategies.And don’t miss our giveaway!We’re offering two incredible books:Ken Burnett’s Relationship Fundraising - the brand new updated third edition.Lisa Sargent’s ThankologyTo win, simply drop a question or debate topic in the comments below. Whether it’s on LinkedIn or YouTube, if we use your suggestion, one of these books will be winging its way to you as soon as next week.
January 8, 2025Episode 91 hr 5 min
The one where we discuss Regular Giving
🎙️ In Today's Episode: A Deep Dive into Regular GivingJoin us as we explore the fascinating subject of Regular Giving (RG) – from its origins in religious tithing to products like child sponsorship and RoomSponsor. Discover how RG has become a cornerstone for driving sustained, long-term impact.We tackle pressing challenges, such as the overuse of low-value asks and the pitfalls of traditional "urgent" messaging, which can dilute donor engagement. Plus, we delve into the dynamics of donor behaviour, including how portfolios are capped and managed.From recruitment strategies to donor stewardship, we discuss how to foster trust and a strong sense of belonging among supporters. Explore various recruitment channels, including TV, telephone, and digital, and learn why credibility and alignment in messaging are critical for success.Finally, we highlight the importance of testing and adaptability in crafting campaigns that resonate.🎁 Special Bonus: Share this podcast on LinkedIn, and you’ll get a chance to win a free copy of Lisa Sargent's brilliant new book, Thankology!Don’t miss this insightful episode packed with strategies to elevate your Regular Giving campaigns.#Fundraising #RegularGiving #DonorEngagement #NonprofitInnovation
October 2, 2024Episode 848 min
Why rebranding for the wrong reasons can cause more harm than good
Charity rebranding "is the easy way to fix the problem, rather than the real way to fix the problem…maybe the brand is its own worst enemy in that particular regard.” That's one of the points made by Michael Birkin, our Guest on Two Ps on a Pod this weekMichael is CEO of KYU, a global collective of creative companies that are focused on tackling some of the world’s most complex problems by harnessing innovation to drive societal and economic change.But it’s very much his time as CEO at Interbrand and Vice-Chair of Omnicom Group that we are focussing on today. Google Michael, and you’ll find that he is one of the world’s global authorities on branding – he actually invented brand valuation. With his help and direction, we are looking at charity branding and rebranding, considering what branding can do for charities and what it can’t and when a rebrand should happen and when it shouldn’t.We discuss what branding means, why rebranding as a quick fix to tackle deeper structural problems is a mistake, why the new broom rebrand by the new arrival rarely stands up to scrutiny and how there are other more effective ways to re-energise a struggling charity than embarking on a rebrand.Michael's perspective is very different from those that we usually hear in the charity sector, and I think it is an essential one to consider in the face of the charity rebrands that can serve as a hinderance to growth rather than a driver.As ever, if you disagree or have any thoughts to share, why not make a comment on LinkedIN or send them to Giles at Giles@gilespegram.com or me at hello@bluefroglondon.com. Happy fundraising.
September 17, 2024Episode 71 hr 0 min
Why has Relationship Fundraising Failed? With Ken Burnett
I'm back with another episode of Two Ps on a Pod with Giles Pegram CBE, and one of my favourite fundraisers, Ken Burnett. In today's episode you'll hear that we chat about the brand-new edition of Ken’s fantastic book on donor-centred fundraising, Relationship Fundraising.You'll hear that we don't tell Ken how brilliant the book is (it is brilliant). Instead, we look critically at why Relationship Fundraising has failed! After all, there are very few significant charities that practice it today.Despite evidence supporting Relationship Fundraising as the sole long-term strategy guaranteed to boost lifetime and legacy giving, its widespread adoption seems to have been hindered by the delayed realisation of its benefits.This means that the new broom or innovation FOMO (fear of missing out) syndrome can easily destroy its impact, way before the rewards are felt.But I can vouch for Relationship Fundraising. Over Bluefrog’s history, we have seen the benefits of implementing it for many of our long-term clients. Even at times of crisis (pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine and economic downturns) we have been able to grow income for charities that follow its guidelines.I have also seen what happens when innovations or rebrands are introduced without giving thought to donors' needs. That’s when we see income stagnate and go into decline – even in the face of increased spending.The fact is it takes about two years for a “new creative or strategic direction” to have a significant negative impact on a previously well-run relationship fundraising programme. Donors are, after all, pretty forgiving. That’s enough time for the collective memory in the charity to grow dim and fuzzy, loosening the ties to the original strategy as decline is now accepted as the ‘new normal’. What usually follows is a series of lurches from one new creative solution to another as a charity tries to regain the growth that was once taken for granted.If you’ve read the first or second edition of Relationship Fundraising, there is plenty of new insight in the new volume. Ken focuses on the donor experience and covers my favourite area of fundraising – thanking. He also takes a deeper strategic view, as you’ll hear in our conversation, where he considers the importance of developing a strong and supportive organisational culture.You can buy a copy of Relationship Fundraising through Ken’s website – kenburnett.com or you can get a free copy by answering Giles' question, which you’ll find towards the end of the podcast which is, What is the most interesting thing you can do with Two Ps? Make of that what you will!Answer in the comments on Youtube or email Giles at giles@gilespegram.com or me at hello@bluefroglondon.com. We’ll announce the winner at the end of September.Happy listening!
August 27, 2024Episode 61 hr 0 min
Interview with Paul Amadi MBE, Chief Supporter Officer at the British Red Cross
In today’s episode of Two Ps on a Pod, Giles and Mark meet up with Paul Amadi MBE, Chief Supporter Officer at the British Red Cross.In a wide-ranging discussion, we consider the rights and (mainly) wrongs of transactional fundraising, we look at where the Red Cross is looking to innovate and what the future of successful fundraising might look like.Paul shares his thoughts on how a charity can encourage people who give at times of emergency to continue their support when the news media moves on to other concerns. And we consider how the Red Cross brand is managed and whether it is important that the promotional focus of the charity should cover all aspects of the charity’s operations. If you'd like to speak to Giles, you can email him at giles@gilespegram.com. Mark can be found at hello@bluefroglondon.com. Agree? disagree? Why not make a comment and let us know. And if you've got an opinion you'd like to share, tell us why you'd like to join us on the sofas!
August 5, 2024Episode 552 min
How do you learn what's the best thing to do in fundraising?
In our latest podcast, I’m back with Giles to look at how we – as a fundraisers – learn what we should be doing to engage donors and raise more money.One of the problems that we face in the sector is the huge amount of information that’s available advising us on what we should be doing when developing our fundraising plans. Much of it is contradictory and a fair amount of it is downright dangerous!This creates a huge dilemma when trying to work out what’s good advice and what’s bad. So In the podcast, we try and work out how we should tackle the thorny subject of learning, covering the following points:The Balance Between Excitement and EffectivenessWhy do we strive to make fundraising exciting? We consider the balance of sticking to proven and effective methods compared to copying that new idea that’s getting loads of likes on social media.The Role of Conferences and Content CurationFundraising conferences often grapple with choosing between showcasing best practice and presenting exciting new ideas (that sell most tickets). We explore this dilemma and emphasise the importance of learning from experience, insight, and wisdom rather than just chasing innovation for its own sake.Learning from HistoryWe look at how historical knowledge can inform modern fundraising strategies and consider the fact that by studying past successes and failures, fundraisers can avoid repeating mistakes and build on what has been proven to work.The Challenge of Sharing Best PracticesWe ask who should be responsible for defining and sharing best practice? We don’t think it should be the responsibility of individual fundraisers, but discuss the need for a more structured approach to disseminating knowledge led by sector bodies or perhaps even through collaborative efforts among larger charities.Practical TakeawaysFinally, as ever, we also include some practical advice and suggest that sometimes the best way to innovate is to stop trying to do everything differently. Instead, focus on what has been shown to work and adapt it to current circumstances. Or as we say…' Perhaps what we should start doing differently, is stop doing things differently.'There’s plenty more shared in the podcast, with links to watch and listen below…
July 1, 2024Episode 41 hr 2 min
Interview with Sir Peter Wanless, CEO of NSPCC
I’m pleased to be able to share Episode 2 of 'Two Ps on a Pod' with Giles Pegram CBE, where we had an incredible conversation with Sir Peter Wanless of NSPCC. We dug deep into the world of fundraising from the unique perspective of a CEO.🎙️ This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking for insider tips on engaging your CEO with your fundraising mission. Did you know Sir Peter dedicates about 40% of his time to fundraising? He’s even sold some of his favorite shirts and abseiled down buildings for the cause!Key topics include:- Growth areas in Individual Giving (IG)- Aligning fundraising strategy with overall charity strategy- Avoiding the pitfalls of ‘shrinking to success’- Advice for new fundraisersEpisode 3 is already recorded, where we’ll discuss how fundraisers learn and the dangers of misinformation in the sector. That will be released in about two weeks. Until then, I hope you enjoy this hour with Sir Peter.🔗 Watch the latest episode on Youtube. https://youtu.be/2ElHlVEabnM?si=Vzb1HfRlHfbPx8O_.We’re publishing new episodes every two weeks. Share your thoughts and ideas for future shows here, on YouTube, or via email at hello@bluefroglondon.com or giles@gilespegram.com.
June 17, 2024Episode 31 hr 1 min
The introduction to Two Ps on a Pod
I've got something special for you today!Over the past few years, I've recorded several Why Do People Give? podcasts with Giles Pegram CBE, which have always been well recieved. We've typically discussed specific issues affecting the sector, such as COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, providing insights and recommendations for fundraisers.However, we both had thoughts about bringing other voices to your attention, both within and outside the sector. So, we've created a new video podcast on YouTube – but you can also listen to the audio here.It's called Two Ps on a Pod, with the first episode launching today. In this episode, we discuss some of the statistics and findings from my recent LinkedIn videos and share our plans for the coming months.You'll learn more about the £5.5 billion wealth transfer in the UK that will transform fundraising over the next decade, the importance of responding to donors' needs, reasons why donors lapse, how giving attitudes change with age, and the necessity of integrating appeals over time instead of having everything look the same.But it’s the next episodes that are particularly exciting as we’ve got some great guests lined up:A CEO of a major UK charity discussing their views on the fundraising function and its integration into the charity's strategy.A senior regulator offering insights on the future of fundraising and potential considerations for the next government.A branding specialist talking about what charities get right and wrong about branding, and sharing stories about famous UK TV ad campaigns.Donors sharing their giving experiences, ranging from those giving hundreds to millions each year, providing fascinating perspectives on decision making.That's just the beginning! In the following months, we plan to speak with people from Supporter Services departments, a patron on two, a head of a significant foundation, a psychologist, market researchers, academics, and a journalist. We'll also have a few fundraisers coming on to share some background into some significant fundraising campaigns. You'll find out what worked and what didn't.There will also be plenty of episodes where Giles and I discuss current sector happenings and topics that should be of interest. Hopefully everything we share will help you become a more informed fundraiser.We are planning to publish new episodes every two weeks moving forward so if you'd like to share thoughts and ideas for future shows, please let us know in the comments!
March 7, 2024Episode 254 min
The missing £5 billion one with Giles Pegram
Over the last month, I've shared a series of videos on LinkedIn looking at the reasons behind the fact that since 2005 we've seen individual giving income shrink – in real terms – by £5 billion. I'm joined today by fundraising consultant, Giles Pegram where we dig into the reasons behind this decline and make a few suggestions about what we have to do as a sector if we want to turn things around.
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