Ken Burnett

#InspiringFundraising: Meet Ken Burnett

Fundraising pioneer and legend, Ken Burnett, author of one of the biggest-selling fundraising books of all time “Relationship Fundraising”, which changed forever the way we viewed our relationship with donors, speaks to Daryl Upsall. Ken talks about his long career, how the sector has changed along with the current opportunities and challenges for fundraisers today.

“I wish I’d realised sooner that good fundraising will succeed, certainly, for sure, if it is done properly. Those five words are so important.”

Click here to watch the full deep-dive video (30 minutes)

Daryl:

Many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed for the Daryl Upsall International #InspiringFundraising section on our website.

We have known each other for more than a few decades but please introduce yourself to those readers in the international nonprofit sector that may not yet know you.

Ken:

I’m Ken Burnett, author of Relationship Fundraising and other books, including the new and final book on fundraising, The Essence of Campaigning Fundraising in 52 exhibits and 199 weblinks, to be published June 2021 (and known as Campaigning Fundraising, for short). My websites are: www.whitelionpress.com and www.kenburnett.com . You’ll also find a lot of my stuff on www.sofii.org.  

Daryl:

When and how did your career start in the nonprofit sector? Please tell us more about those early years.

Ken:

It all began in 1977. I joined ActionAid before it even had its current name. It was a different world. I was recruited by the businessman who nearly 40 years earlier had been responsible for starting Oxfam. As Action in Distress (as it was known then) was a charity for young people he felt it should be run by young people, so I was appointed as joint chief executive at the grand old age of 26.

Specifically, I was charged with responsibility for fundraising and communication, and given a target of massive growth.  There was no professional association for fundraisers in the UK (so no Chartered Institute of Fundraising), no good books, very few seminars, no international conferences, no internet, podcasts or social media, no mobile phones. And no SOFII.

Daryl:

What was the biggest challenge you faced when you began working in the sector and started with fundraising?

Ken:

Fundraising was considered a grubby business. Charities suffered from a stuffy, old-fashioned, conservative culture – the leadership was mainly elderly, upper crust white males. It was a blank slate.

Charities were very risk-averse and investment in fundraising was almost unheard of. So, hasn’t changed much. (OK, of course that’s a lot less true now than it was back then, particularly in those charities that have been most successful. But it is still way too true).

Daryl:

Who and what causes inspired you in those early years? Did you have a mentor or someone you turned to for support and advice in those days?

Ken:

I was very lucky. Initially I had two great mentors, Harold Sumption and Sir Leslie Kirkley, both as trustees, both ex Oxfam. After two years in which we built ActionAid very considerably, these two great men introduced me to Guy Stringer, former director of Oxfam and George Smith, who was running an advertising services company and became my business partner.

In 1982 we opened Burnett Associates, the first advertising, marketing and communications company specifically working with charities – not -for-profit organisations. In my formative years I read lots, particularly the books of David Ogilvy. I set out to master direct response fundraising and the communication of great causes, and to do that, I had to really understand individual donors.

Daryl:

Is there one piece of advice you wish you had been given at the beginning of your career in the sector?

Ken:

Charge more. No, seriously, it should probably be, learn from history. In those days we thought we were pioneering; that we had to invent it all. We somehow survived and even prospered, though it would have been much easier and quicker if we could have learned from what had gone before and didn’t have to reinvent the wheel every time.

The other thing I wish I’d realised sooner is that good fundraising will succeed, certainly, for sure, if it is done properly. Those five words are so important. So many charities don’t do it properly and don’t succeed. It’s not the fundraising that was wrong, just how they did it – mostly by false economies, aiming too low and losing their nerve.

Daryl:

Who or what inspires you in your work today, and why?

Daryl:

You of course Daryl. Actually, that’s not a joke or mere sycophancy. You were a very entrepreneurial client, great at managing supplier relationships. As a result, you were very successful. We should run a course on how to be an effective client.

That said, I’m constantly inspired by the passion and commitment of young fundraisers. In particular I love to see them taking the stage fearlessly to describe in seven minutes or less a great campaign or idea they wish they’d thought of. You’ll have realised by now I’m describing IWITOT – I Wish I’d Thought Of That.

Fundraising is like opera. It’s about life, death, love, hate, loss, fear, passion, drama, desire, success, failure, sacrifice, high ideals, achievement… What could be more inspirational?

Daryl:

It is hard to believe that it is nearly 30 years since you published “Relationship Fundraising: A Donor-Based Approach to the Business of Raising Money” and 20 years since the second edition.

It was a total game-changer for how the fundraising sector looked at and communicated with its donors. Were you surprised by its success and is the core message still relevant and needed today?

Ken:

Yes, and yes. At the outset I just wanted to sell 50 copies – one each to the 50 fundraising leaders that I wanted to be clients of my agency. Relationship Fundraising has sold getting on for 30,000 copies in hardback – It still sells, though a lot less now. Which is a shame because it’s more relevant than ever.

Daryl:

Over the years you have published many books with your imprint White Lion Press such as Friends for Life: Relationship Fundraising in Practice; The Zen of Fundraising; the excellent Tiny Essentials… series, Storytelling can change the world and then you founded the website, blog, IWITOT events and of course SOFII. Tell me why you are so enthusiastic and committed to getting the message of great fundraising out there?

Ken:

I’ve had a great life. A superb 48 years with my wife Marie, my two fine sons, my pals around the world and a few other things. Other than these, the best bits are all thanks to a long and stimulating career in fundraising. It’s given me a great mission, taken me all over the world, allowed me to meet truly surprising and inspirational people and showed me what really matters in life.

So, having been moderately successful I feel an imperative to give back, and have done since I sold my agency more than 20 years ago. Since then, I’ve consistently found the more I give back, the better it gets, for me.

Our sector has huge potential. Giving can become mainstream. In a world where political figures have decided to go for populist, unprincipled, fake news policies and puffery, there’s a moral high-ground that ‘for-change’ organisations can occupy.  But only if we quickly change how we do fundraising. We need to position ourselves as campaigning fundraisers.

Daryl:

For you what are the most important positive trends in the nonprofit sector and in particular in fundraising? Also, where are we getting it wrong?

Ken:

I’ll start this answer with the most negative tendency.

It’s this: Sector leaders persistently underestimating the lessons from the Olive Cooke affair. Much fundraising practice is still inappropriate, intrusive, over-persistent and unwelcome. We could do so much better. And having driven down the quality of the supporter experience simply to generate ever more money – which largely failed, and did damage – it’s clear we’ll never thrive as a sector until we make that experience significantly better.

Our sector needs and can make significant culture change. We need to change to the for-change sector, not not-for-profit.

We need to recognise that giving is good for you and elevate its importance, so we can vigorously and effectively convey the many benefits that a personal philosophy of giving brings. We need to get much smarter in our use of science and technology.

Study ‘thankology’ (courtesy of Lisa Sargent). Her new book of that name will be inspirational and catalytic. It’s one crucial key to improved donor relationships. There are a few more in my upcoming new book, The Essence of Campaigning Fundraising in 52 Exhibits and 199 web links (Campaigning Fundraising for short), to be published this June.

It sets out an approach to recruiting, inducting and training new fundraisers that might help this sector to transform itself.

Daryl:

What for you are the greatest challenges the sector currently faces?

Ken:

Maintaining sound investment. Creating a climate of respect for fundraisers. Fake news, small ‘c’ conservatism and lack of integrity from for-change sector leaders. We need to become campaigning fundraisers. To be known for the tangible differences we encourage and enable.

To be known as donors’ great friend.

Daryl:

In your opinion, has COVID 19 damaged the sector, been a positive force for change or both?

Ken:

I think it has been a bit of both. Some causes have suffered hugely. It’s been very good for those charities that have built up a robust, viable core of committed individual regular donors. As that’s the area I’ve specialised in and advocated so strongly for most of my life, I find that really encouraging, particularly when I hear some of the recent success stories from around the world of the results being achieved by those organisations who are committed to delivering a consistently great donor experience.

Daryl:

Finally, is there one piece of advice you would like to share with colleagues that are just embarking in their career as a professional fundraiser?

Ken:

Master the basics. Look for what you will love.
Find creative ways to let your donors see that you recognise, respect and value them
.”

As a shortcut, attend my seminar called, ‘Campaigning fundraisers can change the world: how should they be doing it, so they have most fun, gain most satisfaction and raise the most money for their cause?’.

Daryl:

Thank you very much for taking the time to read and respond to these questions and I am very much looking forward to talking with you over Zoom shortly.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers?

Ken:

‘If it is to be, it is up to me’.  

Daily, fundraisers everywhere should now be saying to themselves, ‘I am the future of fundraising and I will help shape the new era of responsible fundraising. I’ll be well paid for doing it and well looked after and so will deliver truly great results for my organisation and my cause.

Thank you, Daryl, I’ve enjoyed this.

Click here to watch the full deep-dive video (30 minutes)