Unfortunately, charities don’t always appreciate that they need to inspire confidence in potential donors. They are often very good at specifying what they need, but lose out by not showing how efficiently and well-managed they are.

For instance, Deafblind UK has not inspired me with confidence by writing to me at an organisation – at an address which it left more than four years ago. Plenty of reference books and websites (including, of course, the organisation’s own website) have quoted the new address for all or most of those four years.

I don’t have much to go on, but, understandably,  take the view that, if they cannot get that right, how good are they at more complicated work?

On the sheet(s) of paper asking for money, charities must give the information needed by the recipient (and not just what the charity wants to say), and must inspire the recipient that they really know what they are doing and will spend the money wisely.

We all know that the default option for most cold ’asks’ is the recycling bin. Hard work is needed to secure a more positive response!

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