A presentation given at the 2010 International Fundraising Conference on Innovation in direct marketing fundraising

1. Mick Jagger ate my mail pack Mark Phillips Bluefrog Twitter: @markyphillips Blog: www.queerideas.co.uk www.bluefroglondon.com

2. Innovation?

3. How we learn Knowledge Then Now

4. How we learn Knowledge Then Now

5. The process is disrupted Knowledge Then Now

6. Some good, some bad Good disruptors Speed up knowledge growth Bad disruptors Slow down or reverse knowledge growth

7. Bad disruptors

8. When was then?The start of direct marketing in fundraising

9. 1235 EiheiDogen Monk of Kannondori Monastery

10. 1886 Dr. Thomas Barnardo

11. 1910 Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? Legacies have unfortunately fallen Behind to the extent of £24,000 so that their need is great.

12. Disruption point

13. 1916 Those in the middle rank of life who can afford, say £20, give that sum and no less Skilled manual worker earns £2 a week Chief Inspector of Railways earns £23 a week

14. 1919 If you have a dog, you will understand and respond to this Appeal To-day.

15. 1925 400,000 half crowns = £50,000 Please help her by sending your customary gift to the Half-crown Fund. You always give it to the Annual Half-crown Appeal. 1 Half-crown = £0.125 = €0.14 = $0.20

16. 1926 One generous friend has sent 4,432 Half-Crowns to the Fund Will you follow his lead? You always send to the Half-Crown Appeal.

17. 1941 Ten shillings (50 pence) will feed one child for ten days. 2,913 Barnardo Old Boys are serving in the Force: 32 have given their lives.

18. 1950

19. 1951 37 garments for 10,000 people. Ten shillings will send 35 garments for those in greatest need.

20. 1959 Does one child matter? Your gift to Oxfam counts. 200,000 people now give each month to Pledged Gift collectors throughout Britain. Will you start a scheme in your road or office?

21. 1963 (May 24) HELPERS WANTED By collecting 2/6 a month Pledged Gifts from 8 friends you would raise £1 a month – enough to provide 2 children with a daily meal.

22. 1963 (July 21) Words alone can’t describe what it means to go without food day after day. That’s why Oxfam publishes photographs like this. Not to shock but simply to show what hunger is really like.

23. 1963 (October 5) Four days ago we launched the biggest effort in our history – £1,000,000 by Christmas

24. 1963 (October 9) £40,696 raised

25. 1963 (November 16) £305,072 raised

26. 1963 (December 6) £448,129 raised

27. 1964 (January 8) £1,000,000 Raised You want to answer the root of the problem… You want to raise money with vigour and imagination… You want a serious onslaught to a serious problem… You are prepared to be serious in the help you give. Not just once, out of pity for a starving child, but regularly. Because you care.

28. 1964 (March 13) Not Money. Guardian readers already give generously to Oxfam. This is a request to find a few friends, colleagues or neighbours who will give a regular 2/6 a month for Oxfam’s constructive work (and we bet you have a few friends who wouldn’t miss half-a-crown).

29. 1964 (March 21)

30. 1964 (March 21) We lack collectors (we’ve enough for only one road in 50.) News-sheets show how money is used.

31. 1970 (January 16)

32. We are doing pretty good Authentic messages Justified asks Telling stories Focusing on what the donor can do Reporting back Thanking Recruiting committed givers Who recruit their friends and neighbours

33. Disruption point

35. After a summer of love comes a whole winter of pregnancies which moved the British government to do something…

36. 1970

37. 1970 (April 8)

38. 1970 (July 8)

39. 1970 (December 12)

40. 1971 (June 20)

41. 1980 (March 18)

42. 1980 (June 18)

43. 1980 (May 2)

44. 1980 (December 22)

45. 1981 (January 07)

46. 1986 (March 29)

47. 2010 (February 24)

48. 2010 (February 24)

49. 2009 (October 23)

50. 2009 (October 23)

51. But luckily…

52. 1980 (March 10)

53. 1981 (March 3)

54. 1986 (September 4)

55. 1971 (December 3)

56. 1990 (November 10)

57. 1990 (November 10)

58. 2009 (January 17) 200,000 people have expressed outrage. A £20 buys a health kit including basic medicines, bandages and disinfectants. Call Go-online Text Donation form

59. 2010 (July 17) But good work is not a constant

60. 2010 Reality and authenticity works

62. How can we contain disruptions?

63. It’s not about your needs.It’s what the donor needs that counts.

64. What charities are hardest to raise money for?

65. Clip 1 TV Nation

66. “Moving people……into something that they can feel good about.”

67. Donor needs Source: Donor Need States. Bluefrog / Tangent, 2007

68. Strategic sweet spot

71. 2000 - ?

72. What would make you give more? Source: University of Indiana / Bank of America

74. Feedback appeals 24% response

75. Donor focused newsletters

77. 80%

78. Three weeks Twelve weeks Uplift

79. Adapting to change

80. 1880 Newcastle YMCA

81. 1963 (June 15)

82. 1963 (June 15) C/O bank was a legitimate way to correspond in the 1960s

83. Digital integration 17%

84. Funneled online response to a DM appeal Up to 47%

85. Website homepage showing DM Recall device

86. Website Donation page sharing extra value

87. Adwords page

88. Adwords page

89. Adwords page

90. Adwords page

91. Incentivise email collection

92. Thanking Damian O’Broin Ask Direct Twitter : @Damianobroin www.askdirect.ie

93. “Twelve pennies will give a poor child a day’s treat.” Irish Independent, May 1905

94. The Direct Marketing Dilemma

95. Customers (& donors) in control, forever. “The only things that can’t be replicated are the relationships you have with your customers” – Larry Hochman

96. The Narcissistic Generation. “The upswing in narcissism appears to be accelerating: the increase between 2000 and 2006 was especially steep.” – The Narcissism Epidemic, Jean Twenge & Keith Campbell “a need to want a consistent "pat on the back" to know we are doing a good thing and we are good people for doing it.” – Comment on Andrew McAfee’s blog (blogs.hbr.org)

97. First time donors who receivea personal thank you within 48 hours are Four times more likely to give again – McConkey Johnston International UK

98. 38% sent personalised email thank you within 48 hours 28% sent thank you letter within 2 working days Only50%managed to send a personalised thank you within 48 hours – Ask Direct Mystery Shopping Research

99. Almost 1 in 5failed to acknowledgethe gift in any way.Ever. – Ask Direct Mystery Shopping Research

101. So, is this the most importantbook in fundraising?

102. Old-fashioned Good Manners #1: Say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank You’

104. Arrive promptly The 3 things your THANK YOUneeds to do Make your donor feel special Show the impact of their gift

105. Clip 2 New Zealand Blood Transfusion Service

108. Clip 3 Concern Worldwide

109. Clip 3 ActionAid

110. Old-fashioned Good Manners #2: Be considerate of others

112. Old-fashioned Good Manners #3: Don’t talk about yourself the whole time

114. Old-fashioned Good Manners #3: Be entertaining company

117. Money in the bank Sandra Cnossen-Albers WSPA NL Salbers@wspa.nl www.wspa.nl

118. The Dutch experience Earlyadoptors in the Seventies: The Bible Society SalvationArmy Astma Foundation Heart Foundation Novib Cordaid Direct mail responsibleforgrowthfrom 30.000 to 135.000 donors

119. Doctors without Borders 1980s

120. WSPA Holland mid 1990’s

121. Television

122. Personalised, prompted and DD /online banking.

123. Personalised and pre-filled

124. Personalisedfor upgrading & conversion

125. Personalisedfor upgrading & conversion

126. The practise of direct marketing for fundraising: guidelines Be honest and realistic Show humaninvolvement Concentrateon the positiveemotions Avoidbeing over emotional Write and speak in individualterms Giveexampleswherepossible Bring the problem to the people Offer a solution. Show that support is useful Usesimpleeverydaylanguage Be current Be precise Avoidreligious, politicalorideology Never start with a money ask Be clearonwhatyouask Askfor help now and offer a simplemethod to respond Whenaskingfor money don’t stress whatyou have alreadyachievedbutwhatstillneeds to bedone. Fundraising, Handbook Direct Marketing C. Roelofs 1978 (?)

127. One last thought

129. Truth is the good stuff Topical Relevant Unusual Tension Human Interest

130. Sandra Cnossen-Alberswww.wspa.nlDamian O’Broin@damianobroinwww.askdirect.ieMark Phillips@markyphillipswww.bluefroglondon.comwww.queerideas.co.uk