Don’t forget to make people feel tingly

12 points I learned from day one of Fundraising Convention, 2016. 1. Combine energy with conviction This was the standout lesson for me from the opening plenary session dedicated to Tony Elischer. How can we, in our own fundraising work, combine Tony’s mixture of strong purpose and dynamism? 2. Each of us is a channel Richard Turner spoke about why the principles of Relationship Fundraising apply today more than ever, decades after its publication. In today’s connected world, we are all marketers, all channels, and marketing can be a conversation, he said. 3. Focus on impact, not attrition rates or retention rates I was struck by Lauren Semple’s words about reconnecting with the outcomes of our work, rather than spending all our time treating our donors as statistics and focusing on ROI and ‘churn’ for example. To this end, she also suggested banning all internal email so that we can focus on reconnecting with the people we work for – our supporters. 4. Fundraising can give people hope and control Louise McCathie spoke movingly about how establishing fundraising relationships with charity can give relatives a sense of purpose and control in difficult times. This can help them turn difficult times into something truly positive and celebratory. 5. Get your proposition right Julius Wolff Ingham generously shared how a range of the appeals he has produced for The Salvation Army were generated. At the heart of it all, he said was the imp