“Innovation” is a word we bandy around a lot in fundraising,
always on a quest to find news ways to engage donors, and to communicate more
effectively and meaningfully with the supporters that we have.
As we start
2014, it is a word which seems to feature even more prominently in virtually
every article or blog about the future of the sector, and the services we all
provide. Its prevalence is matched only by the number of articles I see about
sugar.
What has prompted this? I am guessing some new research – I don’t read
the articles myself, everyone I know seems to have decided sugar is evil and
giving it up, and I’m worried I might follow suit if I find out why.
It’s also a word I
find myself using increasingly as a kind of generic, catch-all term for
something a little bit different, or new-ish, and I was feeling increasingly
guilty about this – a nagging feeling that I am not really being innovative when
I use the word.
How often have you, or a member of your fundraising team,
spotted a campaign or strategy, and then gone into overdrive trying to work out
how it could be adapted for your charity? Or brainstormed ways to make an
established event new and exciting, again often appropriating what has worked
for others?
I secretly wondered how many of us were actually coming up with new
ideas, compared to those of us borrowing and adapting, and estimated a ratio of
about 3 to 10,000.
This was one of the reasons I was so excited to attend the
Institute of Fundraising’s Festival of Fundraising Innovation at the end of
last year. An opportunity to explore the concept of innovation and what it
meant in practice.
And possibly steal some ideas be inspired by my
professional colleagues.
The event attempted to embed innovation into the event
itself, as well as the title, calling it a festival rather than a conference.
Some of it – the venue, the different “stages” – worked well. Other aspects,
not so much. (No biscuits? I know they are not standard festival fare, but then
there was no pear cider on offer either).
Perhaps IOF were pre-empting the 2014
sugar backlash. I even tweeted about it during the event. Yes, while others
were using the hashtag to share ideas and responses, I was moaning about
biscuits. (I have no shame).
The best part of the day for me was learning that, actually,
most people were doing the same as me – looking at existing techniques,
borrowing concepts, adapting them. Innovation isn’t necessarily about
constantly creating new ideas, it’s also being imaginative and creative with
existing ones.
The exception really is when it comes to technology – where
there really are opportunities to do new things. There were some words of
caution here though – because some possibilities are so new, the temptation is
to jump onto the bandwagon without taking more time to consider how it would
really add value to your organisation.
In the Open Space discussion facilitated
by Janine Chandler of Cancer Research UK, several participants commented that
when smart phones took off, they had
been under pressure to look at developing mobile phone apps – without much
thought to how or why.
Not only did I come away feeling reassured that I wasn’t a
fraud when it came to innovation, (reinforced by Sue Kershaw, Development
Director at SOFII when she explained that some of the most successful
fundraising campaigns ever were imaginative and creative recasts of existing
concepts).
But I, as always, found the chance to talk to other fundraisers
inspirational and invigorating, and resolved to actively seek opportunities to
do more of this in 2014.
And I’ll bring the biscuits.
Jemma Saunders
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