I thought I would update you on the results of the prize draw we ran for a few months, and also to remind you that there's another chance to win if you leave some feedback on our website!

Our monthly prize draw started at the beginning of the year for those who subscribed for email notifications when our blog was updated. Each month a winner not only got to donate £100 to a charity of their choice but also got to enjoy a £50 Amazon voucher.

The lucky readers, in monthly order, were...

February: Natasha Hopkins nominated St Margaret's Hospice Somerset to receive £100 on her behalf.

March: Leyla Rutter asked for her £100 to go to the Newcastle Dog & Cat Shelter.

April: David Conroy of Volunteering England chose Chance UK as the organisation to benefit from his win.

May: Cassie Edmiston of The Big C Appeal split her donation between Maggie’s Centres and The MPS Society.

June: Ian Clark, of Christian Stewardship, Diocese of Chichester chose SAT-7 to receive his donation.

July: Tania Cohen of Another.Com asked for her £100 to go to Volunteer Reading Help

Thanks to all the winners for allowing us to publish their names and the charities close to their hearts - and thanks to everyone who took part!

Maria Bavio

Posted by Whitewater Team at 01:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just a quick one: Brett Meyer over at the Non Profit Technology Network blog links to a report on the adoption of web 2.0 technologies (social networking tools) by organisations involved in social change (that could mean you).

Brett suggests, based on his reading of the report, that many organisations are using the web only as a tool of information dissemination because they 'experienced a great deal of frustration in determining which tools to use and where to turn for help.'

Is that what's holding us back?

Anna Crofton

Posted by Whitewater Team at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From here at least, it's hard to believe a full year has already passed since the official launch of Whitewater's new, cutting-edge, bloggy website. The statistics package on our webhost page show that people are finding more of interest here than they ever did on the old site, but what we really need to know is not how many people visit at what time of day and how many pages they view - but what you think of what you see when you get here.

Is there anything you think we do well and would like to see more of?
Is there anything you think we do less well and would like to see less of?
Do you read our site through newsfeed/RSS software (ie NetNewsWire, FeedDemon, Bloglines, etc), when prompted by an email notification, or by checking your bookmarks regularly?

Leave your feedback in the comments (if for any reason you don't want to go public, just write the magic words 'Do not publish' at the top of your comment - your message will still be read, it just won't appear here on the site), and as a little incentive we're going to offer our usual prize: Everyone who gives feedback will be entered in a prize draw on the last working day of September (28th). The first name out of the electronic hat will win a £50 Amazon voucher, and a £100 donation to the charity of their choice. So be sure to leave a valid email address so we can contact you.

I shouldn't sign off without thanking and congratulating all my colleagues here for coming up with the content that kept this site alive. They have been almost universally patient and accommodating to their demanding and haranguing blog-mistress (that would be me). Well done Whitewater!

Anna Crofton

Posted by Whitewater Team at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

A number of factors may have contributed to the success of the pack we developed for ORBIS supporters that mailed in June. We don't know if it was one factor or a combination that made the difference - but testing in future campaigns will teach us what made this pack a winner.

This pack presented the Flying Eye Hospital (FEH) – the instantly recognisable symbol of ORBIS's work – in a new way. Brainstorming at the planning stage led us to the proposition: "You're central to the commitment behind that special moment when the FEH lands, opening up immense possibilities. Please give again."

From the use of a deadline, to an emotive and dramatic excerpt of the letter on the outer, the rules of DM were used to give a real flavour of the drama and need awaiting the donor once they opened the pack.

Inside, the letter came from a veteran FEH volunteer eye surgeon. He recounted his experiences, bringing to life the grave importance of ORBIS's work. It's a fascinating account that demonstrates the commitment and determination of the volunteers and the conditions they work in.

The lift piece is not for the faint-hearted. With unflinching images of some of the most challenging cases that volunteer surgeons face, the leaflet carries a warning on the cover, and is a powerful tool in communicating the reality of untreated eye problems.

And the results speak for themselves. Current response is beating target by 50%, total income to date is almost double the target, and ROI is 3.48 (target 2.93).

All in all a great pack and definitely setting the mark for results to beat in the future – well done to all who worked so hard on developing this winning pack.

Sarah Albuquerque

Posted by Whitewater Team at 09:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

"If I see the results, I'll definitely give again," proclaimed one donor.
"If they want to ask for more, they need to show us what they did with the last donation," explained another.
"I want an invitation to visit. To see where the money has gone," demanded the next.

At Whitewater's 24 focus groups, they spoke with one voice. British Baby Boomers want evidence that their donations are achieving results. They want to see those results for themselves.

What better way to achieve this than through video? I know of at least three non-profits that are training frontline staff in the use of video - precisely for this reason. They want to inspire their donors with what their donations have achieved. And to build their trust.

SolarAid is a charity that I'm helping set up. You can learn more through these two videos on YouTube.

SolarAid is building video into their donor programme from the outset. We're going to show donors exactly what their money achieves. We're going to get the charity out the way and get donors talking to beneficiaries, through blogs and video diaries. Donors are going to love it. They'll give more - and they'll tell their friends.

Will video testimony from the field be a bit amateur? If it is, I think this will only encourage our donors. They told us they want 'documentaries, not adverts'; 'a no-nonsense approach rather than marketing.'

Video online will have many uses for the non-profit fundraiser. None excite me more than being able to give powerful, believable feedback to donors. To give them the evidence they crave.

My favourite example of video online? Well, I wont be alone here... it has to be The Buffalo Movie. An extraordinary example of how video evidence can connect donors with beneficiaries - and yet, as far as I've seen, to be done better.

Nancy's call for contributions on how charities should use video couldn't have been more timely - an uncanny reflection of the conversations we've been having around the office. Monday's Carnival should make fascinating reading for anyone interested in how we can harness this powerful medium.

Steve Andrews

Posted by Whitewater Team at 04:20 PM | Permalink

I thought I'd introduce you, today, to one of Britain's newest charities: SolarAid.

SolarAid will be officially launched in the UK in a few weeks time. Their dream is that the world's poor will have universal access to clean, renewable power.

SolarAid aim to bring solar lanterns to a million households by 2012 as the first step to creating an extraordinary new charity, raising and spending £40million per year by that year.

I've had the privilege of advising the SolarAid team on their individual donor strategy. We're creating a charity that is focused on the world's two greatest challenges: poverty and climate change. And we're creating a charity that will give donors what they want... and will reap the rewards for it.

You heard it here first! I expect SolarAid to be one of the great charities of the 21st Century.

Steve Andrews

Posted by Whitewater Team at 01:55 PM | Permalink