Let me set the scene: We are in Israel, around 3,000 years ago, and a fight is about to go down between the Philistine’s mightiest warrior, Goliath and an unknown shepherd named David. Standing at 9 feet and 6 inches tall, covered head to toe in heavy bronze plates and carrying a sword the size of his opponent, Goliath is a thing of nightmares. In comparison, David is small and slight, wears no armour and is carrying just a few pebbles and a slingshot. The Israelite bookies aren’t anticipating an upset here, and the crowd are clamouring in the heat.  For the 80% of UK charities who generate under £100,000 in revenue each year, the charity landscape is beginning to feel as dangerous as that dusty battlefield. Weakened by decreasing funds, increased demand for services, volatile public trust and growing competition, these organisations have their work cut out. More than one in four Chief Executives of smaller charities feel strongly that they are ‘struggling to survive’. Despite making up 80% of the charity sector, these organisations bring in just 3% of total income. Let’s call these guys David’s. You can see where I’m going with this… On to the competition. Who are our metaphorical David’s up against? Well, they aren’t mighty in numbers - the charity sector’s Goliath is made up of a mere 1% of a total 168,000 registered UK charities. However, just like the Philistine warrior himself, they are enormous. That 1% generates a whopping 72% of total income to the sector. As you likely know, the fight does provide the Israeli crowds with an upset. David; the crowd behind him, more agile, and armed with different tactics, fells his opponent. So how can smaller charities learn from David’s success and continue to survive in an arena of Goliaths? Get your ‘crowd’ involved More than half of small charities income comes from individual donations. This means our David’s have a strong connection with their donor-base and can communicate with a personal touch. Goliath’s can find this trust very difficult to replicate. In one poll nearly half of the respondents said they trusted small community-based charities, whereas just 29% said they trusted national charities. This directly correlates with giving. The same proportion of people who trusted smaller charities were likely to donate to them, however only 17% said they were likely to donate to national organisations. Use your agility to your advantage David is small and nimble. Goliath, weighed down by his heavy armour and his size, moves as if coated in molasses. How can this same agility serve a charity’s mission? Well, put simply, a smaller charity equals a smaller team, and therefore a flatter hierarchy. Use this to your advantage, take bold, creative decisions to your board of trustees. In a world in which technology is fuelling growth, promise and incredible opportunity, the pace of organisational change is vital. Introduce new tactics Ultimately, David won the battle because he stunned Goliath with a new method of combat: his slingshot. The new method of combat for smaller charities? Technology. Technology has levelled the playing field across all sectors, and the charity world is no different. In fact, Goliath’s are more likely to cite ‘new technology’ as one of their top challenges in comparison to David’s. New tools on social media such as the donate sticker on Instagram is making it easier than ever before for charities to reach individual supporters. Plus, free services are available from other industry Goliaths, such as Google For Non-Profits. Contactless charity donation boxes allow charities to maximise their fundraising on the ground by tapping into a whole new donor base who just don’t carry cash anymore. Through this methodology, my very own ‘David’ TAP London, has raised over £100,000 from over 35,000 Londoners. So, to all the David’s out there. Don’t lose faith. Be personal, agile and most importantly – embrace new technologies. Polly Gilbert is the Marketing Director at GoodBox, a tech-for-good company which helps charities of all sizes better connect donors with charitable causes. She is also the co-founder of TAP London, a ‘David’ raising vital funds for London’s homeless.

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, we understand that traditional fundraising techniques might be more difficult to carry out. We encourage our members to be safe and stay well by adhering to all of the safety precautions and advice set out by the government. You should keep up to date with official government advice here. Spring is a time that the majority of charities depend on for donations through fundraising pages, due to the large number of running events. In response to the coronavirus they need your support now more than ever. As we are currently operating in a challenging and uncertain environment, and given that many fundraising events have been cancelled or postponed to ensure the safety of the fundraisers, we have outlined some fun and coronavirus-appropriate fundraising ideas below! 1. Donate your commuteFor those of us who are lucky enough to be able to work from home, we sure are saving a lot of money from our commute! Whether it be your train, tube, bus or petrol fees, this could make a huge difference to communities in difficult circumstances. Why not donate your weekly travel costs and ask your friends and family to do the same to a great cause that needs support? 2. Personal exercise challengesYou can still get outdoors to challenge yourself and your fitness levels while practicing social distancing! Set yourself a walking, running or biking target - from a 5k to a full marathon. You could even get creative with this and do a squat challenge in your garden (just make sure that you’re keeping your distance!) 3. ReadathonNow that you finally have enough spare time to read those books that have been piling up on your bedside table, why not set yourself an ambitious goal of reading 10 books in 60 days? Or whatever duration of time you think is feasible but still challenging (and no cheating, we expect reviews afterwards of which books you enjoyed the most and how you’re a changed person with new broadened horizons!) 4. Virtual pub quiz or games nightHost a virtual pub quiz or even a video games tournament with a suggested donation to participate! There are plenty of video chat websites and apps such as Skype, Zoom, Google Hangouts or Facetime. Or you could even use specific apps that allow you to video chat and play games simultaneously such as House Party to help unleash your competitive side! 5. Give up something for 30 days!We all have our vices - whether it be chocolate, fizzy drinks, coffee, alcohol, your phone or using social media. Ask for family and friends to donate to your cause by supporting you in your new healthier lifestyle! Fundraising for a good cause and cultivating better habits - what more could you ask for? (Hint: it’s harder than you think to avoid those biscuits when you’re spending so much time at home!) 6. Donate your coffeeIf like the rest of us you’re guilty of spending too much money on your morning coffee from Pret or Starbucks, you’ll be much better off financially during lockdown! Why not work out the amount that you would spend on your daily or weekly coffee and donate this to help a struggling organisation? 7. MoviethonThis one is perfect for raising funds whilst being stuck inside! With unlimited access to a plethora of films and shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime, you can set yourself a 24 hour (or even 48 hour if you’re feeling confident) challenge to get through as many movies as you can! Power through the sleep deprivation for those donations. 8. Online talent competition With a suggested entry fee to the competition and encouraging all different sorts of talent (we’re talking singing, dancing, acting, painting, stand-up comedy, hula-hooping for hours, making a routine with your dog), you’re all set for an evening of hilarity! Spread the word (virtually) and afterwards you can get everyone to send in their scores on a Google Doc! 9. Dye your hair/beard a crazy colourSet yourself a fundraising target and let your supporters know that once this target has been reached, you’ll dye your hair or beard a crazy colour! One of our favourite fundraisers previously dyed his beard multicoloured and everyone who donated got to choose a different colour that went into the mix! Find some inspo here (Don’t worry - if you’re not ready for such an extreme makeover, you could just grow it out until the end of social isolation!) 10. Send personalised thank you messagesWant a unique way to encourage donations? Ensure that every donor is thanked in a distinctive and personalised way by getting your loved ones involved in the thank you messages. Send your donors a special song written by your nephews, a piece of artwork created by your daughter or even a dance performance performed by your niece - the ways of saying thank you are endless! You can search for a charity supporting your local community through our search engine here. Already know the charity that you’d like to fundraise for? Then sign up as a fundraiser here. Happy fundraising!

One question that we are frequently asked is how to develop a marketing strategy. To start with, we should be clear that a marketing strategy and marketing plan are different, albeit overlapping, things. Their relationship is similar to that of your vision and mission. Your strategy is about identifying your overarching goals and the tactics you will use to achieve these. Your plan is about the execution of this strategy – the actions that you will take to reach your goals. With that said, here are our top-tips for helping you develop your charity’s marketing strategy: Define Your Goals The first thing you need to consider is what you are trying to achieve with your strategy. Think carefully about how your marketing strategy supports your charity’s mission and vision. Are you looking to increase donations, raise awareness of a cause or reach new beneficiaries? Without clearly defined goals you’re not going to be able to work out which marketing channels you should and shouldn’t be using. Identify Your Key Audiences The next thing to ask yourself is who you are trying to engage with your strategy. This will depend on your chosen goals. If your goal is to bring in major donors, you should probably reconsider a strategy geared towards teenagers in socially deprived areas. Tailor Your Messaging Marketing is essentially about relationship building. As individuals, we naturally speak to different people about different subject – often (subconsciously or not) altering our vocabulary accordingly. We have our our literature friends, our football mates, and our political comrades (ok, just me). This is the way we should approach our audiences. Different demographic groups have different interests and consume and engage with content in very different ways. The messaging, tactics and channels you use to reach and ignite the passions of young people in central London will almost certainly diverge from those you use to engage older people in rural Norfolk (Hey Mum). Play To Your Strengths The last few years have seen some incredible charity campaigns using ground-breaking in-game advertising and VR campaigning.  Sadly, if your marketing department is a one-person team with a sub £1k annual budget you may not be best placed to take advantage of these technologies. Your strategy should seek to make the most out of the resources, time and skills that your organisation has at its disposal. In simple terms, you should begin by focussing on what you are already good at. If you and your team have specialist Social Media skills make this the fulcrum of your strategy. If you are a great, persuasive copy-writer – you may choose to focus more on email and content marketing. Data Counts (but not all data counts equally) There is a whole range of data that you can use to measure the success of your strategy and inform your work. For example, most social media platforms have inbuilt analytics tools that enable you to track and compare your likes , shares, opens.click through rates etc. The important thing is to identify and track the data that most relates to your goals – key performance metrics if you will.  In most cases only a couple of metrics really matter. While it may be interesting to explore why your latest newsletter was opened 7 times in Bishkek, your click-through rate on your Call-to-Action button will almost always be more important (ignore this if your goal is to increase readers in Kyrgyzstan) Learn From Other Charities Take the time to explore what other charities (similar to your own in size and cause area) are doing and don’t be afraid to replicate or adapt their ideas. We don’t all need to be great innovators all of the time. Borrowing ideas that have already been proven to have success can save a lot of time and resources.     

At Localgiving we like to highlight the inspirational challenges individual fundraisers carry out for our amazing charities and community groups. Every month I (Byron,Localgiving’s Membership Coordinator and helpline guy) will be picking out some of the very best active fundraisers on the platform. Here are some of the most inspiring causes and fundraising appeals we have seen this month: The Liberal Jewish Synagogue - 10,000 Steps commemorate Kindertransport Esta Charkham and Susannah Alexander walked a whopping 10,000 steps on the 2nd of Dec, more than deserving of a sequel Proclaimers song named after them. They achieved this feat to commemorates and celebrate the refugees who were welcomed into the UK in 1938. They have raised a massive £2,585 for  The Liberal Jewish Synagogue. Everyday throughout the year, the synagogue welcomes members and the broader community to a wide range of social, outreach, community care and educational services, activities and programmes for people of all ages. Somerset and Avon Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (SARSAS) - Little Vic Big Trek - Everest Base Camp for SARSAS This Christmas I've climbed a mountain novelty toblerone; Vic is climbing Everest! Vic’s challenge starts with 15 days in Nepal where she will have to acclimaise to the altitude. Best of luck from all of the Localgiving team! SARSAS provide free, confidential, trauma informed specialist support and counselling services to relieve the distress and rebuild the lives of survivors of rape and any kind of sexual abuse who are aged 13 and over. They specialise in working with women and girls. SARSAS raises awareness about rape and sexual abuse through informative campaigning, advocating for survivors voices to be heard and training for change.   Young People First- Skydive Challenge 2018 A big well done to every one of the 40 skydivers raising money for Young People First. Between them they have raised a sky-high £4,000! Young People First provides support to some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged young people living in Warwickshire and Coventry. The vision is to inspire young people to reach their fullest potential and support them in overcoming the personal barriers preventing them from achieving. The charity is committed to providing a long-term, holistic service which is centred on building positive relationships of trust with each young person.    

Few would deny that Adobe still lead the way in all things graphic design. Unfortunately, Adobe products (Illustrator, indesign, Photoshop etc) are prohibitively expensive for many people, including most small, local charities. Furthermore, not all of us require the vast array of functions offered by adobe programs. Luckily, there are some fantastic free alternatives out there for those of us who want to produce professional looking designs but are a little short on time, resources and/or design skills. Here are five few of our current favourites: Canva Canva is a simple, intuitive graphic design tool. It is excellent for creating professional looking designs for all sorts of content –from presentations, to social media posts. Canva offers a straight forward drag-and drop- interface, with a huge resource library of templates and images. This makes it the perfect starting point for those without much design experience, or who are short on time.   GIMP GIMP is one of the most sophisticated free tools for visual artists. Many argue that this open-source software offers capabilities that rival those offered by Adobe software. GIMP has an abundance of tools from colour correction to cloning, enabling  you to create refined, professional designs  for any design project. However, it can take considerable time to learn and s not the most suitable tool for those wanting simple, quick designs.   Gravit Designer Gravit designer is an  ideal halfway house between Canva and Gimp.  Gravit offers far more flexibility and opportunities for customisation than Canva but without the incredible (but somewhat intimidating) array of options offered by GIMP.     Piktochart Piktochart allows you to make engaging, interactive infographics in no time.  Infographics are an incredibly powerful tool for engaging your audience and data sharing. Piktochart requires no previous design skills and has a good range of free templates and library of icons.   Pablo Pablo is perfect for those looking to create quick, instantly shareable social media content. Its beauty lies in its simplicity – visual content can be created and posted on your social media channels in just a couple of minutes.   There are plenty of other free design tools that your charity or community  group may benefit from -  please do share these with us!

It is a known fact that the UK has seen a spike in youth violence, particularly knife crime, over the last couple of years. Sadly, the news has become all too familiar: another grinning picture of a lost kid, another grieving parent’s pleas for the violence to end, another youth worker discussing the impact of local government cuts, another politician with a soundbite playing to his or her agenda. Most of us, read these ‘by-numbers’ articles, feel a pang of sadness, anger or guilt – and then move on with our lives, much as we do when we hear about a famine or war in the global south. Sometimes however the reality of the situation is driven home a little harder. Last year a 16 year old was shot-dead one road from my house in Tulse Hill in South London. On this occasion it was impossible to ignore the deafening-silence of the neighbours and friends stood behind the police tape. Then, just a matter of days ago, my friend’s son, who is 15, was threatened at knife-point and interrogated about whether he had any gang affiliation. This happened just yards from his house - in broad day-light. My friend’s voice trembled as she told me that, what made this so hard was that this had happened in the very place that both she and her son had been brought up – the place they call home. Nowhere felt safe anymore. Like thousands of young people in London and across the UK, my friend’s son is now approaching adulthood in a state of fear and faces stark questions around how to remain safe in this environment. Of course, there is not single cause or single solution. The government, police and schools undoubtedly have huge roles to play, particularly when it comes to addressing the underling socio-economic issues at play. However, in many cases it is the people living and working in the affected communities who have the best understanding of the dynamics on the ground and therefore the best solutions for tackling these issues at the local level. At Localgiving we work with grassroots organisations across the UK who work tirelessly, to tackle youth and gang violence and its multiple causes. Many of these groups have been set up by people who have first-hand experience of these issues, some by parents of victims and some by former gang members themselves. These groups are embedded in their communities and are therefore, not only acutely aware of the specific dynamics of the situation in their area, but also find it far easier to gain access to, and the trust of those they aim to help. This is a particularly important factor, given that many of the communities most adversely affected by the uptick in youth violence have also experienced a break-down in trust with police and local authorities. The type and level of support offered by these grassroots groups varies considerably. Many services are tailored to the specific needs of the young people they work with and communities they work in. Some groups provide peer-to-peer support, some provide safe spaces for healing, some help secure safe, stable housing and provide their young people with training and education opportunities. One thing they all offer however is hope. Hope that there is a way out of the current cycle of violence and evidence of the tangible difference that people can make in their own communities – even when faced with the most painful and seemingly intractable social problems. Below are some of the amazing groups on Localgiving who work to tackle youth violence and its causes.  Jags Foundation (Croyden, London) Real Action (Kensington, London) St. Matthews Project (Lambeth, London) Aik Saath - Together As One (Slough) The New Cross Gate Trust – “carrying knives costs lives” campaign (London) Safe (Oxford) Newark Youth London (Newark London) Prospex (Islington, London) Copenhagen Youth Project (Islington, London) Lambeth Action for Youth (Lambeth, London) C2C Social Action (Northampton) Fitzrovia Youth In Action (Camden, London) Fast Project (Battersea, London) Sports4Health CIC (London) The Reasons Why Foundation (London) The Jan Trust (Haringay, London)