Donor acquisition has never been more important to charities across the globe and face-to-face fundraising remains one of the most effective ways of recruiting committed supporters. Daryl Upsall, Chief executive of Daryl Upsall & Associates and Daryl Upsall Consulting International SL, explores in this article the need for a global debate to shape the future of the channel.
With a totally full room and with the same number being turned away Daryl Upsall and Anne Aslett, EJAF CEO share with a captivated audience the challenges and opportunities in the world of fundraising. Daryl urged fundraising leaders to take a long hard and analytical look at the changing world around them by using such tools as PESTEL and to look at every aspect of their fundraising programme, with no “sacred cows”.
Anne shared clear and strong insights on the benefits and misunderstandings of what it means with celebrities and how so many non-profits often miss the real dynamics of charity/celebrity relationships. She emphasised that the relationship should not be purely financially transactional; the value of the celebrity being fully immersed and knowledgeable about the cause, such as Elton John with HIV/AIDS and Angelina Jolie with UNHCR and refugees and the power of convening and system change via advocacy that they can have that can dwarf any amount of money celebrities can raise for charity.
At the end of May I had the great pleasure and honour of speaking at the 2019 Dallas/Fort Worth – AFP Philanthropy in Action Conference, along with such great fundraising friends and colleagues as Dr Adrian Sargeant, Anna Barber, Simone P. Joyaux ACFRE, Tim Kachuriak, and Marcy Heim.
I spoke on the theme of “Fundraising Trends, Opportunities, and Challenges in a Changing World” to a packed room of 250 fundraising from region. Indeed the room was packed for both my sessions until half-way through my afternoon session the Irving Convention Center staff walked into the room to calmly announce that we all had to immediately evacuate and follow them to the immense ground floor, concrete reinforced storm shelter as a massive tornado was heading in our direction. I rarely get stopped in my tracks after some 35 years of presenting at fundraising events, this time the was no question of my carrying on whist the rood was being ripped off.
Thankfully, the tornado, one of many raging across the USA during that week along with all the accompanying damage left in their violent paths, whilst torrential rains and floods hit many other parts of the country. Of course, there is no such thing as climate change…according to the present incumbent of the White House!
What impressed me enormously about the Dallas/Fort Worth Philanthropy in Action Conference was that the 2019 DFW Conference Chair, my good friend and colleague Paul Dunne CFRE, had deliberately and consciously intended to create a storm at this year’s event. He not only ripped up the rule book of how a conference should be structured by only having 4 sessions that repeated but he brought in international speakers from the UK, Spain and the USA that he knew would deliberately challenge the local fundraising community into rethinking, the “how, why and what” of their daily fundraising norms. He consciously wanted a wakeup call to be sent, loud and clear that “business as usual” simply was not good enough.
It worked.
From the challenging and inspiring opening breakfast plenary from Dr Adrian Sergeant; the fiery tirades against complacency, racism, bigotry and ignorance from Simone Joyaux, under full license to shock in her “UNCENSORED & UNPLUGGED” session; the amazing story by Anna Barber of “From Zero to $300M: Raising the Private Philanthropic Support to Build the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture”; Tim Kachuriak opening our eyes with What We Learned About What Works (and What Doesn’t) From Over 1,400 Online Experiments and a highly entertaining and musical lunchtime plenary from the unique Marcy Heim combining her professional all singing/all dancing stagecraft combined with PowerPoint with her performance of “Invest in JOY! — Unleashing a Lifestyle of Generosity.”
For myself I enjoyed the enthusiasm of the audience and the thoughtful and challenging questions that they posed to me in my sessions as I introduced them to some of the pioneering fundraising innovations and developments in fundraising from Austria, to China, via South Korea. They say that “Everything is BIG in Texas” …. except automated monthly giving, face to face, SMS, integrated social/media telephone that is.
BUT IT WILL BE SOON.
As Roger Craver informs us in his Agitator article (see link below) and in the various comments that follow from fundraising folks from around the world, that we have lost a dear colleague and friend in Marie Burnett, who lost the fight against cancer this weekend. Daryl Upsall, comments that “Marie will be missed dearly. Having known her for well over 20 years I will miss the joy and humour she always brought to very occasion.”
Marie ran White Lion Press http://www.whitelionpress.com/ ,which published the works of her husband Ken Burnett including the classics “Relationship Fundraising” and Friends for Life” as well as George Smith’s “Asking Properly” and more recently Roger Craver’s “Retention Fundraising” and “Donor’s for Life” by Craig Linton and Paul Stein.
Marie was also key to the success of the popular website SOFII http://sofii.org/ “the showcase of fundraising innovation and inspiration” and its spin-off event and roadshow “I Wish I’d Have Thought Of That” (ITWOT) http://sofii.org/iwitot/i-wish-id-thought-of-that which Daryl Upsall states, “I twice had the honour to be in invited to share my 5 minutes of fame under the fundraising spotlight at ITWOT to present others innovation in fundraising that has inspired me.”
For more on Marie and comments on her contributions to the sector please visit the Agitator by clicking on the link here:
http://agitator.thedonorvoice.com/the-loss-of-an-exceptional-friend-of-fundraising/
Daryl Upsall, CEO of both Daryl Upsall Consulting International and Daryl Upsall & Associates, has published an amazing article on 101fundraising blog about one of the fastest growing markets for mass and high value philanthropy in the world: China. Click here to read.
“To know and know that you know, not to know and know that you don’t know, that is to know.” – Chinese Proverb
The Spanish market is ready to look for quality in individual giving and Emily Bracken’s session will address the why and how to achieve this. If high volumes are no longer the answer for your organisation’s growth strategy (as surely they shouldn´t any longer be!), then come see Emily’s session on measuring results and a look to how different metrics are being used across the sector!
Session link: https://www.congresofundraising.org/ponentes/emily-bracken-1/
Conference link: https://www.congresofundraising.org/
Daryl Upsall joins the “Stars of Fundraising” at the Dallas/Fort Worth Philanthropy in Action Conference – May 28-29, 2019
The DFW Philanthropy in Action Conference will bring international stars of fundraising to the Lone Star State Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29 at the Irving Convention Center.
The 2019 conference theme “The Stars are Big and Bright Deep in the Heart of Texas”—is a tribute to talent showcased in keynotes and workshops planned in a new conference format that spans two days of intensive professional development. The DFW Philanthropy in Action Conference brings more than 500 fundraising professionals annually to the heart of Dallas/Fort Worth, USA.
Daryl Upsall’s conference presentations will focus upon the fact that the world is changing faster than that of fundraising, so we better take some action now!
Our traditional fundraising tools and channels look tired and no longer appeal to new generations of philanthropists; the cost of recruiting and retaining new channels are increasing, and new channels are failing bring in sufficient volumes of new high volume/high quality donors.
However, during the last 20 years fundraising has seen explosive growth around the world. Increasingly, growth is occurring in Asia and Latin America as some of the mature markets in Europe and North America are stagnating and face crisis, whist fundraising in China is beginning to take off big time.
In Europe media attacks, public concerns and government scrutiny is leading to tougher rules governing data management and how we communicate with donors. Meanwhile, the non-profit sector struggles to compete for attention in 24-7 high speed, rolling news world.
So how do we as a sector adapt, change and, therefore, invest for future success?
About the conference
In-depth pre-conference workshops bring focus to fundraising fundamentals, grant writing, capital campaigns, and planned giving Tuesday, May 28. The all-day CFRE Refresher Course also is part of the pre-conference schedule.
Stars of fundraising follow Wednesday, May 29, when one of the deans of fundraising opens the formal conference schedule.
Dr. Adrian Sargeant, chief executive of the Philanthropy Centre Ltd, delivers the breakfast keynote address, entitled Relationship Fundraising 3.0: Using Philanthropic Psychology to Double Giving. It is the first in a showcase of stars presenting in sessions offered both morning and afternoon. They are:
Marcy Heim, a 20-year veteran of major giving at the University of Wisconsin, delivers the lunch keynote address entitled Invest in JOY! — Unleashing a Lifestyle of Generosity.
Register now at www.dfwphilanthropyconference.com
How to activate generosity in young generations? Interview with Daryl Upsall by Marcelo Iñarra Iraegui for the Club de Fundraising at the IFC 2018 (part 2)
Daryl shares his opinions on camera in an interview with Marcelo on how to activate generosity in young generations:
You can watch Part 1 here: What is the key factor for success in an NGO?
¿Cómo conseguir que las nuevas generaciones se conviertan en donantes regulares? Marcelo Iñarra Iraegui entrevista a Daryl Upsall para el Club de Fundraising durante el IFC 2018. Pincha aquí para ver la entrevista y aquí para leer y ver completa la primera parte, que trata sobre liderazgo y recursos humanos.
What is the key factor for success in an NGO? Interview with Daryl Upsall by Marcelo Iñarra Iraegui for the Club de Fundraising at the IFC 2018
Daryl shares his opinions on camera in an interview with Marcelo on what makes for great leadership in fundraising:
Daryl PARTE 1 from Chaxcha on Vimeo.
¿Qué factor es clave para lograr tener éxito en una ONG? Marcelo Iñarra Iraegui entrevista a Daryl Upsall para el Club de Fundraising durante el IFC 2018
Daryl comparte sus opiniones a cámara en una entrevista con Marcelo en la que tratan sobre cómo se alcanza un gran liderazgo en recaudación de fondos y las competencias que deben buscar en recursos humanos para contratar a los principales recaudadores de fondos.
Compartimos con vosotros esta entrevista imprescindible. La hemos divido en dos partes. En esta nota encuentras la Parte 1:
Daryl Upsall Parte 1 – Liderazgo & Recursos humanos. Pincha aquí para leerla y verla completa.
La próxima semana publicaremos la Parte 2:
Daryl Upsall Parte 2 -¿Cómo detectar tendencias?
China Fundraising Conference, Shanghai, 6 December 2018
“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” – Chinese proverb.
Daryl Upsall FInstF, Chief Executive is proud to be speaking on “Fundraising: Trends and Challenges in the Changing World and China” at the 2018 Chinese national fundraising conference, the CAFP Annual Forum in Shanghai on the 6th December. Organised by the China Association of Fundraising Professionals this year’s theme is “Chinese Fundraising, where to go”.
China is one of the fastest growing markets for mass and high value philanthropy in the world and market where the full power of the digital age has been put work to inspire the Chinese public to donate to worthy causes via their cell phones on a scale that is unseen in the rest of the world. In 2017 the total measured value of donations was in the region of 149.9 billion yuan, a staggering $21,605,300,000 USD.
To give an example of the scale of opportunity of digital based micro-donation fundraising in China on the Tencent Charity Foundation platform the 99 Charity Day, is the most significant charity fundraising day in the country. During the 99 Charity Day in 2017, the total amount raised from the public in 3 days reached over 829.9 million yuan, approximately $119m USD from 12.68 million donors. This year the total amount is raised was 830 million yuan, around $119.1M USD Dollar from some 28 million participations. What does this mean as individual donation amounts have gone down whilst participation rates have more than doubled?
Among the many new challenges, the fundraising and philanthropic sector face in China is how to move the somewhat random nature of the public to donate to causes and build a better long term understanding of the issues they care about and the organisations that they give to. The transition from simply giving to engagement has not really begun so far in China…but it needs to if there is to be a strong and healthy non-profit sector that is strong and sustainable in the long term.
In addition, and as noted by the rapid development of “internet philanthropy platforms” by the major online commercial players in China “makes the border between commerce and philanthropy much vaguer”, and commercial interests “will continue to strike the values and ethical boundaries of the philanthropy industry in China.”
It is going to a fascinating and exciting experience to debate these themes in the conference in Shanghai and contribute to the debate on “Chinese Fundraising, where to go”.
“To know and know that you know, not to know and know that you don’t know, that is to know.”
– Chinese Proverb
