When Fundraising Goes Wrong

In an ideal world, all your fundraising campaigns would go off without a hitch. You’d smash your fundraising targets, attract loads of new donors and everything would run seamlessly.

But that’s in an ideal world. In reality, things go wrong.

Unsurprisingly, charities tend not to broadcast when something goes badly. But this is a shame, as mistakes offer great learning opportunities.

With that in mind, here are three examples of fundraising fails, and the lessons you can learn from them.

1. Concern Worldwide’s money mistake

Back in 2016, things were going well for Ireland's largest aid and humanitarian agency, Concern Worldwide. And then, all of a sudden, the amount of money coming in shot up.

You’d think this would be a success story, but the increase was not due to an influx of donations, but a catastrophic financial blunder.

The charity accidentally charged donors 100 times their chosen direct debit amount. i.e., donors that had set up a monthly payment of £5 a month, had £500 taken from their account. Those that committed to £20 a month, were charged £2,000.

ThirdSector reports that this was due to a new Bacs system which “had not been sufficiently tested and staff had not followed the charity’s internal control procedures”.

As a result, the charity not only had to refund all the donors but cover the charges they incurred as a result of the overcharge.

While neither the exact amount of money the fiasco cost them nor the amount of donors who jumped ship because of it was revealed, the charity was no doubt significantly affected on both counts.

What we can learn:

Don’t go live with new software until it has been checked and tested thoroughly with a control group. Then double-check and test it again. You can’t afford not to!

2. Women’s March email fail

In November 2021, the Women’s March USA sent out a call to their supporters, asking them to donate.

This is pretty standard practice, but what stuck out to recipients was the amount they were asked for: $14.92.

To those of us in the UK, the number might not have any significance. But to an American audience, 1492 is the year that Christopher Columbus arrived in America, marking the beginning of the genocide of indigenous people.

The charity received a barrage of complaints from left and right-wing audiences and was forced to put out the following statement in response:

“We apologise deeply for the email that was sent today. $14.92 was our average donation amount this week. It was an oversight on our part to not make the connection to a year of colonisation, conquest, and genocide for Indigenous people, especially just before Thanksgiving.”

The charity didn’t disclose how much was raised as a result of the email campaign, but it goes without saying, criticism and donations don’t generally come hand-in-hand.

What we can learn: Think about the implications of your fundraising campaigns. Could anything be misconstrued or offensive to your audience? Run the campaign past as many people as you can before going live, just to be sure.

3. Garden Bridge Trust’s catastrophic collapse

The Garden Bridge Trust was established as a charitable company in 2013, to deliver Transport for London’s high-profile “Garden Bridge” project (a footbridge and public garden over the River Thames, linking Temple with the South Bank.)

Between government grants and donations, over £50 million was given to the Trust for the project.

But in 2017, London Mayor Sadiq Khan withdrew funding for the project as he was concerned the Trust wouldn’t be able to raise the remaining £185 million needed to complete the project. This would have resulted in a partially constructed bridge in the centre of London or a massive bill on the doorstep of the government.

Either way, it would have hit taxpayers.

Once the Mayor of London withdrew support, the project was cancelled. But the chaos didn’t end there. Around £7 million was donated on a “restricted” basis, on the understanding that it would be paid back if the project wasn’t completed.

By December 2018, donors hadn’t seen a penny. This was particularly frustrating given how much money the Trust had received and how little transparency there was when it came to how they’d spent it.

A spokesperson for the Garden Bridge Trust said: ‘In all cases where the advice confirms funds as returnable under Charity Law, it is the intention and expectation of the trustees that they will be, and funders have been advised accordingly. The process of repayment is certainly taking longer than anticipated, for reasons that are beyond the control of trustees, but we continue to work towards resolution with Transport for London; and in the meantime, thank our funders for their support and continuing patience.’

The whole thing was a sham. The Trust was bailed out by TFL, but still, it cost the public a whopping £43m.

What we can learn: Although this is an extreme example, the lesson is simple: Never over-promise. Exaggeration or overconfidence in your ability to deliver can lead to your funders losing confidence and withdrawing support entirely.

And whatever you do, don’t start a project if you don’t have the funds to complete it.

When it comes to fundraising, you need a competent, capable team who won’t lead you into these kinds of mess-ups. We can help you find them. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get started.

Five of the most successful fundraising campaigns ever

Every fundraising campaign aims to make a difference. But some achieve their fundraising goals - and then some.

Here are five campaigns that made it into the record books.

1. Most money raised in a week: Disasters Emergency Committee

The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), which is made up of fifteen British aid charities, started fundraising to support Ukraine, in March 2022.

The charity promoted the appeal heavily across mainstream media and social media, recruiting high-profile actors such as Kit Harrington and David Tennant to deliver the message.

Donations flooded in, including sizeable ones from the royal family and the UK Government.

The appeal raised a whopping £61,997,547 in seven days - the most money that’s ever been raised for a single cause in a week.

2. Most participants in a charity run: Run for The Pasig River

From the London Marathon to your kid’s school fun run, mass participation events are a great way to rally support for a good cause.

But Run for the Pasig River took mass participation to another level.

In 2010, the Manilla-based event attracted a whopping 116,086 participants.

Although that number hasn’t been topped since, it attracts a huge number of participants each year - united by a desire to make their environment a cleaner, healthier place.

3. Most money raised by a charity livestream: Z Event

Wondering if virtual fundraising is worth the effort? French-born Adrien Nougaret and Alexandre Dachary (better known by their online pseudonyms ZeratoR and Dach) would say so.

The pair have been running ‘Z Event’ (an annual virtual gaming event), on Twitch since 2016. But it hit new heights in 2021.

In an effort to refresh the event, the streamers brought together a series of famous French creators for a fifty-hour+ video game marathon. The influential creators encouraged fans to donate throughout. And by the end of the mammoth gaming session, they’d raised €10,065,480 – that’s £8,498,890 – for Action Against Hunger, making it the most successful live-streamed gaming event in history,

4. Most individual donations of all time: George Floyd Memorial Fund

After a police officer in the United States murdered George Floyd in 2020, a memorial fund was set up on GoFundMe to help his family cover his funeral costs and pursue justice.

The story went viral online, leading people across the globe to speak out and share their support.

More than five hundred thousand individuals donated – the most the platform has ever seen.

5. Most viral fundraiser: The Ice Bucket Challenge

Most of us will remember this viral campaign from 2014, which saw 17 million people pour buckets of ice-cold water over themselves to raise awareness and funds for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The videos received over ten billion views and increased mentions of the disease by 1,000%. And the challenge raised more than $115 million for the ALS Association. And the money raised through the fun, shareable challenge is still making a difference today.

Want your next campaign to be a record-breaker? We’ve got the talent to make it happen. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get started.

Are you targeting millennials with your legacy fundraising?

Millennials (anyone born between 1981 and 1996) are often described as phone-dependent, avocado-obsessed, selfie enthusiasts.

But there’s a lot more to them than that. From climate change and war to animal extinction, they care about what’s happening in the world and want to change things for the better.

A report called ‘The Value of Will Donations from Millennials and Gen X’, conducted by YouGov and published by WPNC found that 44% of millennials and Gen X (people born between 1966 and 1980) are thinking about donating to charity through a gift in their will.

It also found that just 12% of this demographic have chosen a charity to leave their gift to, and 87% haven’t written one at all.

This presents charities with a significant opportunity.

Culture shift

The same survey found that 32% of millennials and 29% of Generation X participants said they’d never seen an advertisement for legacy giving.

This is not surprising as legacy advertising typically focuses on older supporters.

However, there’s been a culture shift since the pandemic. A growing number of young people are thinking about their future and writing a Will.

What does this mean for charities?

If you’re not targeting millennials and Gen X with your legacy marketing, you’re missing out.

Wondering how to entice them? Why not offer them a free (or heavily discounted) Will-writing service? The aforementioned YouGov survey found that 37% of millennials and 24% of Gen X would be receptive to using one. And when pressed further, the majority said they would be happy to make a legacy gift in return for free Will-writing advice.

Some charities are ahead of the game. UNICEF, the British Heart Foundation, and the NSPCC are a few of the 188 UK-based charities that have signed up to the National Free Wills Network – a paid-for programme that offers complementary Will-writing services to their supporters.

Charities pay for the Wills to be written via the network and connect donors with local solicitors to help them document their wishes.

Looking for Inspiration?

Earlier this year, WaterAid launched an effective legacy advert on national television. It formed part of a campaign to attract younger donors and boost legacy income.

For more inspiration, check out this blog post by American marketing company Data Axle. It shares six top tips for engaging with young donors.

Want to lead the way with legacy fundraising? We can help you find the right fundraiser for the job. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to find out how.

Four top job-hunting hacks

Job hunting. No one enjoys it.

In addition to tweaking your CV, writing endless cover letters, and filling out multi-page application forms, you have to remember what jobs you’ve applied for, who the recruiters are, and whether you’ve had a response.

The process can be long-winded, stressful, and disheartening. Unless you’re equipped with some handy Bamboo hacks …

1. Keep track of where you’re applying

There’s nothing more embarrassing than being invited to an interview, with no idea what the job is or what it entails.

Don’t rely on your memory to keep track of your applications. Keep a list of the jobs you apply for on a spreadsheet, including the name of the charity, the job title, and job spec. Make a note of the date you applied and any other useful information that’ll help you stay on track.

2. Proofread and fix up your CV

Typos in your cover letter are not going to create a good first impression.

Don’t press send until you’ve spell and grammar-checked every word!

3. Manage your mailbox

You don’t want to miss out on a top opportunity because it got buried in your inbox. Unsubscribe from mailing lists and make a conscious effort to keep your unread emails down to zero.

And don’t forget to check your spam.

4. Let us handle it

You can always make the whole thing easy and let us manage the job hunt for you. We have loads of connections, a thorough understanding of the third sector, and we’ll support you every step of the way.

Give us a call on 02037 503 111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

Seven Ways to get Your job application noticed

Fundraising jobs are highly sought after. And it’s no surprise. We all want to feel like we’re making a tangible difference during the 40 hours we spend at work each week.

So, how can you make sure your application stands out and above the rest?

Here are a few tips.

1. Include a video

In addition to your CV and supporting documents, why not attach a short video introducing yourself? This is a sure-fire way to stand out.

Keep it to 60 seconds max and include the following;

• Why you’re applying for the job

• Why the charity appeals to you

• The experience/skills/value you can bring to the role

When you’re finished, upload it as an “unlisted” video on YouTube. That way, nobody will find it unless you share the link with them.

Want to take it up a notch? Get creative like Zapier Platform Engineer Regan Starr. When applying for a job at piano company, Steinway & Sons he wrote a song as his job application and filmed himself singing it while playing the piano. Check it out here.

2. Tailor your CV to EVERY role

We say it all the time, but taking the time to tailor your CV to the role is important.

Recruiters/hiring managers will spend an average of 5-7 seconds looking at your CV. Sure, they’ll read it in more detail if you’re shortlisted, but you’ll have seconds to capture their interest initially.

If they don’t see words and skills that are relevant to the role, they’ll move on.

Read the job and person spec and make sure your CV clearly demonstrates you have the relevant experience and skills at a glance.

It goes without saying, if you’re not qualified, don’t lie, regardless of how much you want the job.

3. Make it visual

Make your application pop with colour and images. Also, infographics, videos, and interactive elements will stand out against hundreds of black-and-white, text-only documents.

4. Get a website

Want to go the extra mile? Get a domain name and build a basic website. Add your CV, personal profile, links to fundraising campaigns you’ve run, and any press coverage gained as a result.

This will give recruiters a place to find all your relevant information without having to do too much digging.

5. Network

Don’t underestimate the importance of networking.

If you can bag a personal introduction to a recruiter/hiring manager, it puts you at an advantage. If they like you, you may be able to bypass the application process.

If there’s a charity you’re dying to work for, reach out to your network and see if anyone has any contacts they can introduce you to.

6. Be proactive

Another way to stand out is to add value, in advance. For example, you could put a proposal together for a unique fundraising event that’s tailored to the charity. For extra brownie points, include costs and projections.

This is a great way to show them you know what you’re doing and that you’re passionate about the cause.

7. Find a great recruiter to work with

You should never rely on recruiters for your entire job hunt as they don’t find jobs for people; they find qualified people for jobs. 

However, finding a reliable recruiter who knows the market can help you get your application seen by the people that matter.

Final word

You aren’t going to stand out and get noticed by doing the same thing as everyone else.

While the above tips might create more work for you, they’re worth it.

Employers love candidates who demonstrate that they’re willing to go above and beyond.

If you’re looking for a fundraising role, we’re well placed to help. Call us on 0203 750 3111 to find out how.