Critical Fundraising

KNOWLEDGE: Current threats and opportunities in global philanthropy and fundraising

The Critical Fundraising blog is rounding up blogs and news items detailing the threats and opportunities facing fundraising and philanthropy around the world. We will keep this blog refreshed, so please let us know in the comments section any blogs that should be included.

NEW IDEAS: The fundraiser’s duty to ask – a philosophical rationale

It’s often heard that fundraisers have a ‘duty’ to ask for donations. Cherian Koshy argues that duty is grounded in the ethics of the specific role of the fundraiser.

NEW IDEAS: Never ending story – postmodern storytelling for postmodern donors

Common wisdom in fundraising is that you need to use ‘storytelling’ to connect donors to causes. But, asks Ashley Scott, are fundraisers talking in the right language to a generation that is fluent in postmodern storytelling techniques?

KNOWLEDGE: Blog digest December 2016

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.

OPINION: You have nothing to fear from asking – or being asked – the right questions

Fundraisers are being called on to make changes but they’re also being told not to think too much about how they do it. Ian MacQuillin wonders if there’s an anti-intellectual undercurrent in fundraising.

NEW IDEAS: The philosophical dispute between fundraising and data protection

Fundraisers and data protection experts appear to have very little common ground on which to talk about ICO’s recent enforcement action. Ian MacQuillin suggests the gulf between the two could be down to different philosophical approaches.

KNOWLEDGE/OPINION: ICO and enforcement action against charities

In December 2016, the Information Commissioner’s Office took enforcement action against the British Heart Foundation and RSPCA for breaching data protection legislation. This page collects the ICO statements and blogs responding to ICO’s action, both critical and in support of ICO, as well as any best practice advice. We’ll add to this as and when blogs are published.