Love the intention – but let’s make sure you get it right. These days, the word ‘participation’ – or rather, its sophisticated cousin ‘participatory‘ – is tossed around the social impact space like the word ‘organic’ in a hipster grocery store. Everyone wants to do a participatory process because they understand why it’s a smart and equitable idea. That said, organisations often don’t do them well. As consultants, we are constantly asked to shoe-horn participation into …

Like many activities, the onset of the pandemic abruptly put an end to in-person fundraising. Now in our new normal, while some in-person events have returned, the majority of nonprofit organizations and other fundraising groups have been forced to significantly pivot their efforts in order to reach new donors through the chaos, with many expanding to virtual or hybrid events.  In its first annual report on fundraising best practices, the virtual fundraising platform RallyUp revealed trends …

Ten years ago, nonprofit fundraisers waited for the postal service to make their daily delivery of mail at the office in order to gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns and appeals. Now, they get real-time alerts as donations arrive online. As more donors move their giving online, it requires organisations to optimise the online donation experience. Over the past year, Roundtree conducted research in order to learn from the practices of others. We donated to …

INGOs prefer unrestricted funds, often for good reasons. For funders this can feel like: ‘Just give us the money and go away .’ Yet many funders like me want to be part of the process and to offer time and expertise too – based on our experience as strategic philanthropists. There is growing support today, even among funders in the Global North, for reducing restrictions on funding by shifting power to the front line – …