Artificial intelligence / AI is here to stay and it’s transforming the way many sectors do business. In this episode we explore what difference AI is already making to fundraising, and what do we need to be aware of?
The very experienced digital fundraiser, Emily Casson gave a fascinating talk at Bright Spot’s summer Breakfast Club for Fundraising Leaders event, and we’re pleased to share her talk here. She spoke about why charities cannot afford to ignore AI. She demonstrated how it can help fundraisers be more effective, including in terms of saving time, generating ideas and improving analysis. For example, Emily and her colleagues have already used it to make big improvements in how they tailor individual supporter journeys, so that supporters are asked to give amounts appropriate to them.
Emily also talked about several important ethical issues charities need to consider with this rapidly changing technology.
If you want to get in touch, Emily and I would love to hear from you – we’re both on Linked In, and on X / twitter Emily is @EmilyCasson and I’m @woods_rob.

136. AI and fundraising - tips, ideas, ethics, with Emily Casson

If you’d like practical lessons and a bunch of encouraging stories from our fundraising podcast in 2023, or you’d like tips on what to listen to next, we recorded this special episode for you!
Rob is joined by Bright Spot colleague and fellow fundraising trainer Ben Swart for this round up of our podcasting year. 
They pull out key insights from some episodes they’ve found most inspiring to listen to, including: tactics for corporate fundraisers to win multiple partnerships; ideas to further your mission through partnerships; how to use the Top 20 Rule to grow income with any group of supporters or donors; how to be more bold and innovative in your fundraising… and lots more.
If you’d like to get in touch or share this episode with other charities, THANK YOU! You can find us both on Linked In and on X / twitter Ben is @benswart and Rob is @woods_rob.

145. Three Inspiring Listens, with Ben Swart and Rob Woods

Rob is again joined by Bright Spot colleague and fellow fundraising trainer Ben Swart to talk about some of the episodes that most inspired us in 2023. 
Our discussion of fundraising ideas and examples includes: how to ace your event or media appeal (ie what content makes all the difference to results); ways to beat the Curse of Knowledge – and how one charity did this to raise five times more than the average through their appeal; ideas to help you succeed in spite of very competitive trust application processes; and how to create a culture where people genuinely value failure / learning as a way to grow fundraising results. 
If you’d like to get in touch or share this episode with other charities, THANK YOU! You can find us both on Linked In and on X / twitter Ben is @benswart and Rob is @woods_rob.

146. Three More Key Listens, with Ben Swart and Rob Woods

One of the biggest sources of stress for people working in charities is conflict between teams. Many find that however committed they are, and however hard they work, the default structure and culture often hamper genuine cooperation and progress toward a common goal.
Given how difficult this problem can be, Rob was thrilled to talk to Joe Jenkins, who has given more thought and energy to solving it than anyone he has interviewed. Joe shares what happened when he worked for Friends of the Earth over a decade ago, when the leadership team did certain things to reduce silo-thinking and nurture conditions for success. 
Joe explains it was this effort, especially in terms of structure, culture and a shared vision, that enabled the charity to later create the hugely successful and award-winning Bee Campaign. 
If you’d like ideas and encouragement for how to build a co-operative, empowered and effective culture, we hope this episode will help.
Let us know what you think! And thank you for supporting our show, for instance by sharing it! We are both on Linked In, and on X / twitter we are @MrJoeJenkins and @woods_rob.

147. How to smash silos, with Joe Jenkins

Is silo working inevitable in charities? Or is it possible to create a culture where it’s the norm for the different teams to proactively help each other, so that efforts combine to make a bigger difference? 
This is the second part of Rob’s interview about integrated working with the brilliant Joe Jenkins. They build on the Team of Teams concept from Part 1, and the amazing difference it makes to both results and trust between teams. Joe shares how one charity applied these ideas in three important projects, improving results and working relationships with each iteration.
Finally he shares practical tips to help anyone ‘be the change they want to see’ in their day to day work, whether or not they currently hold a formal leadership position.
Let us know what you think! And thank you for supporting our show, for instance by sharing it! We are both on Linked In, and on X / twitter we are @MrJoeJenkins and @woods_rob.

148. How to smash silos, Part 2, with Joe Jenkins

There are plenty of factors that make fundraising difficult at the moment. Whether it’s the cost of living crisis, the pace of change, the sense of political chaos, shorter attention spans etc…it’s true that connecting with people who care about your cause can feel harder than ever.
So what can we do to defy the odds and achieve great fundraising results, in spite of the challenges? 
For clear answers and encouragement, Rob was delighted to talk to best-selling author and marketing expert, Grant Leboff. He explains why taking steps to increase genuine human connection is so powerful and offers a range of things you can do to achieve this in practice.
If you want to share this episode because you think it will help other charities – THANK YOU! - we are both on Linked In and on X / twitter Grant is @grantleboff and I am @woods_rob.

149. How to succeed in a tough fundraising environment, with Grant Leboff

One greatly under-estimated tool for building relationships with potential funders, corporate partners and major donors, is LinkedIn. But what’s the most effective approach? 
Rob was delighted to talk to fundraising and LinkedIn expert Michelle Benson. After many years as a fundraiser and grant giver, Michelle has found that most fundraisers are failing to make the most of this potent tool for success in major donor / trusts / corporate partnerships fundraising. 
Michelle and Rob discuss an approach which is different to what most people usually do. Rather than you chase them, a better way is to attract your ideal funders and partners to seek you out and want to develop relationships with you! She explains exactly why it’s so effective to do things differently, as well as a few simple habits that will help you get conversations with the right partners and funders for your charity.
We’d love to know what you think! And thank you for supporting our show, for instance by sharing it with colleagues or on social media. We are both on LinkedIn (!) and on X / twitter Rob is @woods_rob.

150. High Value Fundraising using LinkedIn, with Michelle Benson

What can fundraisers do to increase our chances of securing large, multi-year donations from trusts and charitable foundations? 
Rob was delighted to talk to Caroline Danks, a wise fundraiser with 20 years’ experience of working with Trusts and Foundations. In the last two years, three different charities she’s worked with have received six-figure, multi-year grants. Caroline noticed a clear pattern across all three examples. 
Caroline and Rob discuss the four factors common to all three successes and explore ideas and tips to help you make use of them in your own fundraising with trusts and foundations.
We’d love to know what you think! And thank you for supporting our show, for instance by sharing it with colleagues or on social media. We are both on LinkedIn and on X / twitter Caroline is @LarkOwlUK and Rob is @woods_rob.

151. Game-changing grants from trusts – 4 keys, with Caroline Danks

An effective way to grow fundraising income is to add value to relationships with high value supporters. But how do find ways to do it? One approach is to start looking at your existing resources differently.
When you ask yourself what potential assets you could make use of, rather than what is difficult for your charity; and what you can give (to relationships with supporters) rather than what you can get from them… amazing things become possible. 
To help you look again at opportunities (that might be under your nose), Rob and Ben share stories of creative, determined fundraisers doing things a bit differently and creating WOW moments for their donors / supporters.
We’d love to know what you think! And thank you for supporting our show, e.g. by sharing it with colleagues or on social media. We are both on LinkedIn and on X / twitter Ben is @benswart and Rob is @woods_rob.

152. Spotting opportunities to add value, with Rob Woods and Ben Swart

When you concentrate more effort developing relationships with a relatively small number of supporters or corporate partners with high potential, it becomes much easier to grow high value income.
We’ve also found that although this idea makes sense to many people in theory, it can be hard to apply in practice. So what can you do to overcome the various barriers to more focused and effective relationship-building with partners / supporters / funders?
Using examples of successful partnerships and major gift fundraising growth from people on Bright Spot’s recent mastery programmes, in this episode Rob and Ben share techniques to help you harness the power of highly focused effort.
We’d love to know what you think! And thank you for supporting our show, e.g. by sharing it with colleagues or on social media. We are both on LinkedIn and on X / twitter Ben is @benswart and Rob is @woods_rob.

153. Using focus to grow fundraising, with Rob Woods and Ben Swart

There are many ways to deepen relationships with people who care about your good cause. At Bright Spot, one of our favourites is to create Wow Moments - something that makes them feel great or helps them connect with your charity at a deeper level compared to what most would expect.
Sometimes this involves a creative, ambitious approach that other charities wouldn’t even think of. But just as often, the ‘wow’ is experienced by your supporter because you do something thoughtful and bespoke, rather than something especially surprising. What’s great about this is that these ideas are very do-able! And what’s difficult about it is that they are also easy to not do, (or manage to do regularly). They often take a little extra effort.
To give you new ideas, and maybe a nudge of inspiration to make time for your existing good idea, Ben and Rob share various Wow Moments that have inspired them recently. They share examples of smart fundraisers taking part in Bright Spot’s recent Corporate Mastery and Major Gifts Mastery Programmes.
We’d love to know what you think! And thank you for supporting our show, for example, by sharing it with colleagues or on social media. We are both on LinkedIn and on X / twitter Ben is @benswart and Rob is @woods_rob.

154. More ways to make Wow Moments, with Rob Woods and Ben Swart

A podcast for fundraisers who want ideas, examples and inspiration to help you raise more money for your charity or non-profit.
Rob is an author and award-winning fundraising trainer. Each week he and his guests share examples of successful fundraising, as well as lots of practical tips to help you apply these techniques in your own job.

136. AI and fundraising - tips, ideas, ethics, with Emily Casson

Bright Spot

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