Each month, the Critical Fundraising blog presents a digest of the best fundraising-related blogs and articles that have adopted a critical fundraising mode of thought.
See You Next #GivingTuesday?
Was there any point to #GivingTuesday? Simon Scriver’s not so sure. And he provides links to blogs by Michael Rosen, Claire Axelrad, Sheena Greer and Joe Garecht, who aren’t convinced either.
Choice quote:
“Ask yourself, is the fact that it’s Tuesday your most compelling ‘ask’?”
Better Than ‘Fundraising’
The Agitator (paywall)
Roger Craver argues that many organisations still don’t realise the detrimental effect of bad customer service
Choice quote:
“While many organizations claim to be ‘donor-centric’, most merely concentrate their ‘donor centricity’ on the transactional and mechanical dimensions of the appeals or collection process itself.”
Is It Immoral for Charities to Push ‘Amazon Smile’?
Alan Cantor raises some ethical issues about partnering with Amazon Smile.
Choice quote:
“The nonprofit [that was] suggesting buying from Amazon was an organization whose mission was to promote community economic development – and it seemed to me that Amazon would be more of a natural adversary than a collaborator.”
If Facebook isn’t the future of social marketing, what is?
Bluefrog MD and Rogare advisory panel member Mark Phillips questions the value of Facebook and Twitter to fundraising.
Choice quote:
“Facebook and Twitter…might help us start a campaign or get a message out, but trying to build a relationship with donors via a system where even a large charity is going to be a tiny cog in a huge wheel is not going to be sustainable.”
Can you get Facebook to work for you, or is it all a waste of time and money?
Norwegian digital fundraising expert Beate Sørum takes up the cudgels against Mark Philips in defence of Facebook.
Choice quote:
“I’m fairly certain that if you sent out a piece of direct mail that was a first draft, with a return form made of toilet paper, without a return envelope, where half the text was hidden behind another piece of paper – to people who do not know a single thing about what you do – that wouldn’t work so well either.”
Time for action on challenging fundraising myths
Rogare’s Ian MacQuillin is frustrated that the same calls to action are being made time and time again.
Choice quote:
“Perhaps if Alan Gosschalk had delivered his ImpACT Coalition messages in an American accent like Dan Pallota’s, more people would have taken notice of him.”
Critical Fundraising 