4 ways to promote your fundraising events for free

You’ve seen the news. The cost of living is soaring, and money is tight for everyone, including charities.

More than ever, you need to be smart about how you spend your money.

With this in mind, here are four ways to promote your fundraising events without spending a penny.

Get free ads from Google for charities

With 2.9 billion unique monthly visitors and 5 billion daily interactions, Google is a fantastic place to promote your fundraising events and reach potential donors. And Google Ads is a great way to do it. But it’s a costly business - unless you qualify for a Google Ad Grant.

Through the Google Ads Grant initiative, eligible charities can get over £7,500 of free Google ads each month.

To find out if your charity qualifies, check out the eligibility criteria and application process on the Google for Non-profits page.

Use the power of social media

Social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn have millions of users who go online every day. Being part of the groups and communities your target audience frequent can be a great way to market your events to a captive audience.

Just remember that there’s a difference between promoting and spamming. If all you do on social media is ask for donations, people will unfollow you.

Offer interesting, unique and/or valuable content and drip feed exciting details about your events online and you’ll soon see engagement rates soar.

Get media attention

Local newspapers are often hunting for stories. A community fundraising event can be a great page-filler. Depending on your cause or the type of event you’re running, there may also be specialist blogs or magazines that would be interested in promoting it.

Do your homework. Find relevant media outlets to approach, write an engaging press release and send them out in advance of your event.

Just bear in mind that free promotion isn’t guaranteed!

Don’t forget about email marketing

Did you know that email marketing, when applied correctly, is still one of the most effective ways to reach your audience and keep them engaged?

It’s an effective strategy for event promotion as its targeted, personalised and has a high ROI.

There are lots of free/low-cost email marketing tools that can help you create personalised, attention-grabbing emails to promote your events.

Want some recommendations? Mailchimp, HubSpot and Sender are three low cost, effective and user friendly options.

Tip: If you go down this route, be sure to keep on top of your mailing list. Make sure the data is accurate, up-to-date and It may be tedious, but it’s worth it.

No matter how much promotional work you do, your fundraising events will only be successful if you have the right team running them.

This is where we come in. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 or email info@bamboofundraising.co.uk to get started.

The Power of Pro Bono

The current cost of living crisis has everybody feeling the pinch and tightening the purse strings. It’s affecting charities in two ways.

1. The need for the services provided by charities is growing

2. The number of donations are dropping as people look to reduce spending

How can charities overcome these challenges and continue to provide vital services to those who need them?

By the power of pro bono.

In times like these, it makes sense for charitable organisations to build relationships with corporates that can offer the skills needed to continue doing good.

In this post we're going to look at some examples of charities and companies that work together as a force for good and tell you how you can find a pro bono partner.

But first…

What does pro bono mean?

As well as being an affectionate term used to describe fans of international rock band, U2, pro bono is short for ‘pro bono publico’ – a Latin phrase that means “for the common good”.

It’s used to describe the services provided to by professionals for free to benefit a charitable or social cause.

Law firms often provide pro bono services to charities and not-for-profit organisations, as do financial, media, marketing, and consultancy companies.

Let’s look at some examples.

JP Morgan’s Force For Good programme

Each year, global financial services provider, J.P Morgan, connects its digital experts to charities in need of support. Their tech teams ideate, develop, and implement digital solutions that charities need to improve functionality.

One such charity is the Make a Wish Foundation. J.P Morgan worked with them to develop an app to improve the user experience and streamline their ‘wish’ granting process.

Salesforce’s Power of Us programme

Customer relationship management solution Salesforce helps charities by offering ten free subscriptions and up to 20 hours of support on a pro bono basis.

With their support, Age UK Hythe & Lyminge gained a centralised digital system that helped them stay connected with their community and provide vital services during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

KPMG and NSPCC

KPMG (one of the big four accounting organisations), offers philanthropic, volunteering and pro bono services to a chosen charity for a three year period.

Before partnering with Marie Curie, they supported the NSPCC from 2018 - 2021.

During this time, the company helped build organisational capacity and deliver priority projects to the tune of £500,000. The support amounted to 3,119 hours from 195 colleagues.

How to find a pro bono partner

After reading about these examples of successful corporate-charity partnerships, you may be thinking about seeking out pro bono support for your organisation.

But where do you start?

How do you find a pro bono partner?

Here’s what to do.

Work out what support you need

Before you approach businesses requesting pro bono support, make sure you’re clear about exactly the type of support you’re looking for. This will help you focus your search and develop your pitch.

Do you need legal advice? An audit of your accounts? Tech or marketing support? Is it a short-term or long-term need?

Get to grips with your aims and objectives first and the search for the perfect partner will be much easier.

Know where to look.

Like our earlier examples of pro bono partnerships, many businesses run official pro bono programmes.

Start by checking out the websites of some of the big companies in the sector you need help in. You can also find similar schemes by doing a search on Google and keep an eye on charity publications such as Charity Digital and Third Sector for advertisements.

If you’re a smaller charity, there’s a helpful list of resources here.

Social media can be useful too. Especially LinkedIn, as it's a business-centred platform.

Start a discussion on your charity’s business page. Ask your staff to share the ask on their personal profiles and join relevant LinkedIn groups. You never know what might come your way.

Communicate your needs clearly

Once you’ve found a potential pro bono partner and you’re formulating your ask, be clear that you’re asking for pro bono help, and clarify exactly what, when and why you need it. It’ll save your time and theirs if everyone is on the same page and knows exactly what is expected.

Know the limits

Although businesses are more than happy to provide free services to charities, there’s a limit to the amount of time and resources they can offer.

Be patient and appreciative of the work they do and be sure to let them know if there is a budget for the work, even if it’s a small one.

Final word

That’s the power of pro bono. Have you found our dive into the topic helpful?

If you’re looking for the best charity professionals to join your team, give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to find out how we can help.

How to recruit and retain fundraising talent

It’s no secret that charities are struggling to recruit and retain fundraisers.

In a recent article, Third Sector claimed that as many as 53% of charities are trying to find staff for “hard-to-fill vacancies”.

But what’s causing the problem and what can you do to ensure you find (and hold onto) fundraising talent?

Let’s take a deep dive.

The problem

One reason why the charity sector is struggling comes down to maths. Quite simply, it can’t compete with public and private sector salaries. As attractive as charity work may be, the lower salaries make the work unfeasible for some – particularly in the wake of the cost-of-living crisis.

But aside from salary, another major factor in the current recruitment crisis is the impact of the pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19

The charity sector was one of the hardest hit during the pandemic. For almost two years, face-to-face fundraising was a no-go, events were put on hold, but demand was higher than ever.

The result? According to a report from the Charity Commission, 60% of charities saw a loss of income, 32% experienced a shortage of volunteers and over 90% experienced some negative impact, whether in their service delivery, finances, or staff morale, resulting from months of frustration and uncertainty.

To put it in context, between them, Cancer research and the National Trust reported a shortfall of more than £300m, according to a report released in October 2021.

Those are two of the biggest players in the charity sector, so what about smaller organisations?

According to Small Charities Data, the Covid-19 crisis ‘radically reshaped the work of small charities. Around half have had to adapt or reduce the way their services are delivered, and many unfunded charities have been unable to continue delivering services’.

The Great Resignation

The uncertainty, stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic (and multiple lockdowns) caused many people to re-evaluate their priorities, leading to staff quitting jobs en-masse in what has been dubbed ‘The Great Resignation’. Data suggests that as many as 391,000 UK workers resigned from jobs across all industries between July and September 2021, citing burnout, pandemic stress, low-pay, and poor management as reasons (amongst others).

As a result, people have become choosier about the jobs they apply for and the employers they work for.

What effect is this having on employers?

According to HR News, the Great Resignation affected 85% of UK businesses. 32% of employers said they’d struggled to attract new talent, whilst 31% have struggled to retain staff.

It’s not just the charity sector that has been affected, but increased competition is driving up salaries, and unlike corporate organisations, many charities can’t afford to throw another £10k on top of the advertised salary to boost appeal.

Volunteers Down

And it’s not only paid staff that are hard to come by. Volunteer levels have dropped by 24% in the last three years, with charity shop volunteers falling from over 100,000 in 2019, to around 76,000.

What’s the solution?

It’s not all doom and gloom. Sure, the statistics don’t paint a rosy picture but there are things you can do to turn it around.

Here are a few pointers.

Be flexible

At the top of many candidates' list of wants from an employer is flexibility. They want to be able to attend family get-togethers and watch their children in the school play. They don’t want to be constricted by 9-5 hours.

Allow your employees to take time out for important moments and they’ll be more willing to go above and beyond when needed. And be open to remote/hybrid working if the role allows. If you aren’t, you’ll lose high-calibre candidates to those employers who are.

Include all the perks in your job ads

Some of our clients offer great benefits, such as 10% non-contributory pensions, automatic annual salary increases, and various other perks that they don’t publicise.

What they don’t realise is these benefits could swing it for some candidates, who might otherwise dismiss the role out of hand.

Shout about all the perks on offer. It could make all the difference.

Consider the salary

Are you promoting a role at £39,500 and not attracting the calibre of candidates you want? Consider increasing it to £40k.

Milestones like £30k, £40k and £50k are important to jobseekers. If you’re struggling and the budget allows, round the salary up and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised.

Change the job title

Job titles are important to people. For many, a job title is an important part of their identity - it’s a way to signal to their network and potential employers what they’ve done, what they know and how far they’ve come.

When it comes to career progression, the right job title can mean the difference between the candidate feeling valued.

If you don’t have the budget to increase their salary, can you improve their job title? Make a Trust Fundraiser a Senior Trust Fundraiser? This can be as meaningful as extra pennies in the bank at the end of the month.

Recognise achievements

Employees want to feel valued, respected and supported at work. So be sure to thank them for a job well done. You can take this a step further by acknowledging individual achievements publicly, in team meetings, on the intranet, or on your social media pages.

A little appreciation costs nothing but goes a long way.

Reward success

A lack of opportunities to progress is a common reason why people quit their jobs.

Ensure your team (and new recruits) know that there’s room to grow within your organisation, and that promotions are there for those willing to put in the work.

It’ll give them something to strive for, and a reason to stick around.

Health and wellbeing

A supportive working environment is one of the most important things you can provide, especially post-pandemic. Being there to listen to your staff and support their physical and mental wellbeing will keep morale and motivation high.

If you don’t have a health and wellbeing strategy in place, make it a priority.

Final Word

These are just a few ways charities can retain and recruit talented fundraisers in the current candidate-driven market.

Remember, we’re here to support your recruitment needs. Give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to get the conversation started.

5 ways to make your board more diverse

Let’s start with a question. How diverse is your charity’s board? Is it:

· Best in the un(d)iverse

· Board-erline diverse

· Diversi-teetotal

We love a good pun.

But seriously, have you considered the level of diversity on your board? How would you score it on a scale of one to ten?

A board with a mix of individuals from different social and cultural backgrounds is one with its finger on the pulse of the issues its service users face.

As stated in a 2021 Forbes article: “Diversity is closely related to community perceptions of a non-profit organisation’s equality image and the ideals of fairness. When non-profit boards do not reflect the diverse communities they serve, it creates a disconnect and can sew mistrust.”

With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of ways to make your board more diverse.

But first…

What is a board of directors?

A board of directors (or Trustees) is the governing body responsible for key decision-making within a charitable organisation. The board focuses on high-level strategy, insight, and accountability, to build and sustain long-term viability. Five ways to make your board more diverse That’s the definition. Now onto five things you can do to make your board more diverse. There are the practical steps, such as:

· Run a diversity audit

· Make a commitment to improve diversity · Put a policy in writing to ensure accountability

· Adapt your recruitment processes

These are important steps, but let’s dig a little deeper by looking at the groups currently underrepresented on charity boards, and why you should consider recruiting individuals from these communities.

1. Champion disability

According to government statistics, 22% of the UK population (14.6m people) have a disability. If charity boards were truly representative, the number of disabled trustees would be at a similar level. But this isn’t the case.

At Bamboo, we champion disability in the workplace, so this statistic is disheartening - especially considering that the mission of many charities is to support those with disabilities.

As an example, a charity that supports blind and visually impaired individuals would benefit from having at least one member of the board with lived experience.

Why? Because they’ll be able to provide a first-hand account of the challenges faced by service users.

It makes perfect sense, so why don’t more charities do this?

One charity that does this is our client, Sutton Vision, whose Chair and Trustee Champion for equality and access, Michael Parsons, frequently attends Sutton Vision events with his guide-dog.

2. Embrace the modern age

Technology has provided new fundraising opportunities and the ability to reach more people than ever before. But reaching them is only part of the journey. Engaging users with your charity’s mission is where the real work lies.

Did you know that 18-34’s are the largest active age group on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter? Did you also know that those in the 55-64 age bracket are 80% more likely to be appointed to a charity board than the aforementioned 18-34’s?

Being able to effectively communicate and engage with a range of demographics is nothing but beneficial to your organisation. An inter-generational board provides varied perspectives, skills and approaches that will help you reach a wider audience and increase donations.

3. Defy gender norms

Women account for 36% of charity trustees. I’m sure you’ll agree that this needs to be closer to 50% if charities are to truly represent the people they exist to serve.

Gender equality is a hot topic. Without sufficient female representation on your board, you lack the ability to authentically connect with more than half the UK population.

Our client, Population Matters, is a shining example of a gender-diverse board that possesses the skills and experience needed to run the charity successfully.

4. Be a class act

Social class and education are probably not the first things that spring to mind when thinking about board diversity and inclusion. But the fact is, most charity trustees come from above average income and education backgrounds.

A charity looking to tackle poverty and support low-income families is not representative of its service users if every board member is university educated and earning a wage well above that of the average UK citizen, right?

5. Ethnic ethics

Reports show ethnic minorities are severely under-represented on UK charity boards. In fact, a staggering 92% of trustees are white, compared to just 8% coming from black and Asian backgrounds.

With 14% of the population in England and Wales coming from non-white backgrounds, the lack of ethnic diversity needs to be tackled head-on if charities are to truly represent the communities they serve.

The Race Equality Foundation practices what it preaches, with a well-balanced board of trustees in terms of ethnic diversity.

Ready to diversify?

If you’re looking to expand and diversify your board, give us a call on 0203 750 3111 to find out how we can help.

Focus on World Sight Day

World Sight Day (WSD) is an International Day of Awareness held every October, to focus attention on the issue of eye health.

This year it falls on October 13th.

In recognition, we’re sharing our Co-Founder, Graham’s personal experience of living with Retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

You can find out more about Retinitis Pigmentosa here.