It takes perseverance, innovative thinking, and a strong belief in your mission to be a successful fundraiser during a recession. With government cuts and the public’s fears about where their next paycheck is coming from purse strings are tighter than usual and charity incomes have dipped while pressures on services have inevitably increased.  In this edition of the podcast we take stock of the fundraising sector and look at what’s working, how to keep supporters giving and the role online plays in the mix.

With endorsements from Dame Helen Mirren, the recent television series fronted by Mary Portas and a hike in year-on-year profits it would seem charity shops are riding high.  We ask how important they are to charities and how they contribute to overall fundraising.

And it’s certain that Face-to-face fundraisers, or Chuggers as they’re more commonly termed, are never going to win any popularity contests.  But many charities use them, and they most definitely produce results. Ian MacQuillan from the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association offers his defence of the humble fundraiser...  which certainly gets the guests talking!  Enjoy.....

Societyguardian_fundraising-podcast

Programme guests

Clara Avery, Head of Supporter Insight & Development at Macmillan Cancer Support

Peter Storey, Director of Marketing at Kidney Research UK

Martin Brookes, Chief Executive of New Philanthropy Capital

Warren Alexander, Chief Executive of the Association of Charity Shops

Debbie Dixon, BHF Regional Manager for London and South East.

Programme links

• http://www.charityshops.org.uk
• http://www.bhf.org.uk/shop%20with%20bhf/our%20shops.aspx
• http://www.kidneyresearchuk.org
• http://www.macmillan.org.uk
• http://www.philanthropycapital.org/
• http://www.pfra.org.uk/

Here's what happened on BBC Radio Leicester this morning:

DI4R_Radio_Leicester

The radio coverage is all based around an impact report YHA had commissioned into Do It 4 Real Summer Camps.  You can download a copy of the study here: Download Impact report_vslow res_June_2010. You can also see our Press Release here: Download YHA_Do_It_4_Real_Summer_Camps_The_Right_Kind_of_Adrenaline

As part of this, we spoke to David and his daughter Sarah. Sarah went to camp for the first time when she was 10, and enjoyed it so much that she has gone back every year since. Here you can hear how Sarah and her father both think going to camp ha given Sarah more confidence, not to mention a fantastic holiday!

David

Sarah

David Short

Sarah Short

You can read a short version of the impact report his project is based around here: Download Impact report_vslow res_June_2010. You can also see our Press Release here: Download YHA_Do_It_4_Real_Summer_Camps_The_Right_Kind_of_Adrenaline_Embargoed_June_25_Final

Why not follow Do It 4 Real on Facebook and Twitter?

 

The pilot was a great success (you can see our audio slideshow about it here) and this year the project is running in several places around the country. At it's official launch earlier this year, we spoke to some of the families involved and found out how going on a FAB holiday changed their lives.

You can get involved with FAB by following them on Facebook or Twitter.

You can listen to some of moving pieces below by clicking directly onto their names.

Lesley-Anne, who lives in Southsea, lost her husband in 2004.  She attended FAB with her son Oliver who is 15.  Lesley-Anne is the Chair Woman of the newly formed Naval and Royal Marines Widows’ Association and the Naval families rep on the FAB Committee.

Production of this piece saw us travel to the House of Commons to speak with representatives from the three main parties. Before the interviews we asked those working in the charity sector to send us their questions to be put to the representatives. Nick Scott of the Scout Association also spoke to us.

Societyguardian_election-podcast

Compassion? Being able to related to youths? What about a good sense of humour? These are just three of the traits that those taking part in London Youth's Youth Works project think you need to become a youth worker.

sounddelivery has been working with London Youth, a member organisation with more than 400 youth clubs serving 75,000 young people across the capital.

We were brought in to create an audio evaluation CD of one of their youth worker training schemes and we interviewed 8 young people who were taking part in the Youth Works programme – a project funded by the new youth volunteering charity V. It’s aim is to train a new generation of youth workers with a specialism in community activism. Young people who access the programme volunteer full time for 6 months in one of London Youth’s Quality Marked clubs. During this time they take their Level 1 Foundation in Youth Work, organise a community project and take part in a full programme of personal development.  The young people also benefitted from the advice and support of a life coach who helped them through any problems they were facing and gave them positive steps to deal with personal issues.

We produced 12 different pieces for the CD, some of which went on to be featured on the Guardian's website. Below you can hear the "Overview" piece.

What does Ken Loach have to say about the rise of social media and its impact on social change?  Well the great filmmaker may not be up to speed with the likes of twitter or wordpress, but he can definitely see the value in sharing ideas and collaborative working.

At the recent Social Media Exchange, Ken explained how he goes about starting a new project, how its the story that matters most, and how we can all learn from each other.

He spoke to Jude Habib and took questions from a hall of more than 150 delegates.

Download Smex_Ken_Loach_podcast

For more information about the work of sounddelivery, please click here

You can see pictures from Ken's Q&A session here and find out more about Ken Loach's current projects here 

2008 has been a great year for sounddelivery: in the last year we've trained nearly 300 people in podcasting and social media techniques. Our production portfolio includes over 50 audio features and podcasts, 10 videos and audio slideshows. 

In this special end of year podcast we want to share with you some of the best work we have done, and hopefully give you inspiration for 2009...

Download The_sounddelivery_year_2008

This podcast includes audio profiles and case studies that sounddelivery has produced for: the Family Holiday Association, The Blue Cross, the Guardian, the RNIB, the Scouts, YHA, the Museum of London and Youth Action Network.

For more information about the work of sounddelivery or to find out more about this podcast please follow the link below:

www.sounddelivery.org.uk

Download charity_comms_podcast_october_2008.mp3

If you want more information about the work of sounddelivery go to www.sounddelivery.org.uk

Download MuseumofLondon_podcast.mp3

Over the course of eight weeks the group, many of who had not set foot in the Museum before, received audio-description training and learnt more about visually impaired people through workshops with  Vocaleyes, had tours in the galleries with curators, spent time researching the objects chosen for the podcasts and then wrote and edited the scripts. The final three weeks of the project saw them bring the scripts to life by recording, producing and editing through workshops with sounddelivery.  The guys were paired up and worked as either reporter or producer to make sure they got the best quality recording.

Learning point:

These workshops created great material for the museum, but were also a fantastic way of reaching a new audience and helping inspire and motivate people.

Links:

http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/English/Collections/Prehistoric1700/PodcastsfromPast.htm

Download CharityCommunications08_podcast.mp3

In this month's podcast you'll hear from Andy Smith, the editor of BBC Radio 4's You and Yours; Sara ward, the assistant editor of Take A Break magazine; Emma Tucker, the editor of Times 2: the features section of The Times newspaper; and Vicki Cook, the head of planning at Sky News.

Links:

http://www.charitycommunications.co.uk/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/
http://www.takeabreak.co.uk/
http://www.timesonline.co.uk
http://news.sky.com/skynews/home

Download SD_Empowerment_podcast.mp3

Learning point:

The examples we've included in this month's podcast really illustrate how effective this kind of audio work can be.  Surprising,  inspiring,  heart-warming in some areas.  These are people who you really don't hear from in the mainstream media: and they're literally doing the recording themselves in their own words, without any interference from a reporter or anyone else.

Links:

http://www.inspire-east.org.uk
http://www.wcen.org.uk

Download soundedelivery_podcast01.mp3

Norma Johnston of CharityComms and Jim Raymond of Baigent share their tips on an effective communications strategy.  We also hear an audio tribute to  Patrick Laurence, the founder of the Family Holiday Association, who sadly passed away earlier this year.

Learning Point:

What's important to remember is storing your audio, as you never know when it could be useful in the future.  An interview with a case study will often have timeless qualities that can be used many times.  You'll also find that you may collect sound effects and wildtrack from different locations that have many uses.  In the Patrick Laurence feature we used the sounds of waves to give a sense of the seaside, the waves also helped us move between speakers and tie the whole piece together.

Links:

http://www.charitycomms.org.uk/

http://www.fhaonline.org.uk/

Download Africa_Podcast.mp3

Learning point: These case studies really underline the strength of using stories of 'ordinary people' to illustrate a point.  The passion and personalities really come through.  In the piece about HIV we kept the interviews as straight as possible: music and sound effects just weren't needed.  Whereas in the other pieces, using the sounds of the street and the atmosphere really brings us a flavour of life in Africa.

Links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/africabeyond/

http://www.zambia.co.zm/

If you are creating audio content from Africa we'd love to hear it. 

If you want more information about the work we do go to www.sounddelivery.org.uk

Sounddelivery was commissioned to record a series of  audio interview with trainees and Thames Reach staff as part of a web based ‘tool-kit’ to share ideas with other like-minded organisation.  Giving Real Opportunities for Work (GROW) is an innovative project run by Thames Reach a London-based homelessness charity.  It’s a one year training and development programme to enable former homeless people to get a job within the sector.  They earn their own income, become financially independent and in turn, help and support  other homeless people.   This is Trevor's Story

Download Trevor_Shaw_Podcast.mp3

Learning Point:  Be patient, some of the best radio/audio moments come to people who wait.

Broadcast media and other websites might also be interested in your content.  Through sounddelivery contacts this audio content was picked up by BBC London and Guardian Unlimited and used on their websites.

Links
Thames Reach   BBC London  Guardian Unlimited

Sounddelivery Facebook Group

Do let us know what you think about our podcasts or if there is something you want us to feature in the future.

Until next time

Jude, Mark and Steven - the sounddelivery team

Download Workshop_trainees_podcast.mp3

Learning point: What this podcast really shows it that with just a small amount of training and preparation you can create work to be proud of.  The trainees who put theses reports together had never used the equipment, carried out interviews, or used the editing software before  the day of their workshop.

sounddelivery works with a range of charities and community groups to help them tell their stories.  We worked with 7 young people to record their views of life on 3 different Peabody housing estates.  Their interviews were then used as part of an annual Resident's Conference which, this year, was entitled Embrace Your Space. 

Download peabody_podcast.mp3

Learning Point:  We think this is a great way of giving young people the opportunity to have their say, even if it's sometimes what people don't want to hear.  We travelled to three different estates and then trained some of the teenagers to use the audio equipment.  They picked up the technology really quickly and then went off around the estate to speak to some of the other residents to get some answers. Let us know what you think and what you are doing in your own organisation.

Programme Notes:

http://www.peabody.org.uk

If you are a graduate of our sounddelivery training do join us on Facebook and continue the conversation

Until next time...

the sounddelivery team

The evening explored the world of blogging, podcasting, viral videos, social networking and social bookmarking in the context of the third sector.  Speakers included:  Steven Buckley, the Head of Information and International Communications at Christian Aid; Kate Fox of Mersey Basin Campaign; Kat Arney from Cancer Research UK; and Clive Holtham, Professor of information Management at the Cass Business School.

Download web_2.0 event podcast.mp3

The event aimed to lift the lid on Web 2.0, and explain how charities can make the most of what's on offer. This podcast offers a shapshot of the event, with a flavour of the views and opinions of the main speakers.

Programme Notes:

Click here to read the live blog that was created on the night.
Want to stay up to date with sounddelivery training and events? Join our Facebook group for more links and top tips.

Download sounddelivery_rebecca_podcast.mp3

The aim of the workshop was to enable them to tell their stories in their own way and in their own words.   We spent time listening to audio content, trained them to use recording equipment and then sent them out to record a short 5 minute feature on something that mattered to them.   In this podcast Rebecca paints a picture of her life on the the Savona Estate.

Learning Point:  We think this is a great way of challenging stereotypes and preconceived ideas.  Rebecca recorded this feature after less than an hour of training on recording equipment and after an hour of discussing and listening to audio content.  It shows what can be done in a short space of time.  Giving people who don't usually get the opportunity to have their say does make compelling content.    Let us know what you think and what you are doing in your own organisation.

Programme Notes:

www.wcenlive.com

If you are a graduate of our sounddelivery training do join us on Facebook and continue the conversation

Until next time...

Download soundelivery_web2.0_podvert.mp3

More and more organisations are taking the plunge into the world of Web 2.0.  While it may seem everyone has gone YouTube/MySpace/Facebook crazy, the Third sector is experiencing a mild flurry of excitement.

This event aims to lift the lid on Web 2.0, and explain how charities can make the most of what's on offer.  The event will provide a true Web 2.0 experience with live blogging, a podcast and a host of surprises.

Confirmed speakers include: Steven Buckley, Head of Information and International Communications at Christian Aid; Kate Fox of Mersey Basin Campaign; Kat Arney from Cancer Research UK; and Jude Habib of sounddelivery.

Programme Notes:

Click here to book tickets
Click here to find out more

Are you a graduate of sounddelivery training? Join our Facebook group for more links and top tips. 

Download Simon_Woodroffe_UK_Patent_Office.mp3

Sounddelivery was recently commissioned by the UK Patent Office to produce a series of audio features to support their Think Kit schools project.

Think Kit is a free educational resource aimed at key stage 4 students, although it can also be used for other age groups. The resource highlights the four areas of Intellectual Property (IP) - Copyright, Designs, Patents and Trade marks - using case studies of well-known individuals and organisations. It looks at IP in real-life scenarios by relating real stories about people and their journey to success.

In this audio feature we interviewed Simon Woodroffe the brains behind Yo Sushi.  He was a dream interterviewee. A perfect example of someone who is engaging, passionate about an issue and knowlegeable.  He really brought to life issues surrounding IP.  It only took 15 minutes to get all the material needed to create the final podcast.  He even gave us the music to use which, as you will hear, is extremely appropriate.   

The final series of interviews we produced have been incorporated into a DVD and has been sent to over 20,000 schools around the country.

Key Learning: Whatever issue/cause/subject you are working on we believe there is always a way of getting the message across in an engaging way. Scratch the surface and the stories will find a way out.

Using high profile individuals can be a really positive experience or a nightmare so really think about why you want to use a particular person.   In the last few months we've worked with a range of celebrities for different projects.  Most recently we recorded Simon Cowell and Ant and Dec on behalf of Childline.   These were turned into ringtones which are now available to download online  http://gringtones.co.uk

Programme Notes:

• UK Patent Office Think Kit
• Gringtones
• Are you a graduate of sounddelivery audio training? Join us on Facebook for more links and top tips.

Let us know what you think!

Until next time...

Download Belgium_Audio_Diary.mp3

The mission of the FHA is to improve the quality of family life for those parents and children who experience disadvantage, by providing grants for and promoting access to holidays and other recreational activities. While the majority of these trips are in the UK, last year they sent some families to Flanders in Belgium as part of a pilot project with other European agencies.      

This was the first time Conor and Kirstie-Mae had been away to Flanders. We spent just over an hour with them teaching them to use an Edirol R09 recorder and a Bayer dynamic microphone. We talked them through ideas for the kind of diary material they might collect and also put together a CD of audio examples that they could listen to during the trip in order to get more ideas.

And then we left the rest up to them!

When you are using other people to record an audio diary you never know what the result is going to be. The material we got back was of an extremely high quality and very personal. We'd emphasised that  the girls shouldn't record more than 20 minutes a day which they stuck to, but a minor problem was that some of the material was slightly distorted in places. The final edit - listening back to material, logging and editing the clips took just over a day. 

So if you work directly with beneficiaries, remember that audio diaries can be a powerful and cost effective part of your communications mix. We've been working with the FHA to produce audio case studies that have been used for key presentations, a Big Lottery Bid, and for use on their website.

So listen in and let us know what you think!

Programme Notes:

• The Family Holiday Association
• Sounddelivery website
• Are you a graduate of sounddelivery audio training? Join us on Facebook for more links and top tips.

Until next time...

Download blue_cross_petcast.mp3

Sounddelivery worked closely with the website team to look at how we could engage listeners in new ways. We opted to record at different Blue Cross centres and used frontline staff as the key interviewees and voices for the features.  These were edited to approximately 6 minutes in length and the whole production (including scripting, recording and mixing) took approximately 3 days. 

It's clear that Blue Cross staff are passionate about their work.  Ryan, the key interview in the petcast supporting Take Your Dog to Work Day started off as a Blue Cross volunteer at the age of 13  and has now been working for the organisation for 18 years.  We think that by utilizing the stories of service users and staff, a charity's podcasts will often have a much greater impact.  If you're a member of the Sounddelivery Facebook group leave us a wall message and let us know what you think, or leave a comment here.

Programme Notes:

• Blue Cross petcasts
• Take Your Dog to Work Day microsite
• Take Your Dog to Work Day press release
• Sounddelivery website
• Are you a graduate of sounddelivery audio training? Join us on Facebook for more links and top tips.

Until next time...

Download YHA_Break4Kids_Final_July07.mp3 

For many of the children of New Road Primary School in Chatham it was their first opportunity of being away from home.  Jude spent two days with the teachers and students to record the audio; a group of 34 young people and 7 teachers and a parent governor. Jude even trained three of the young people to record audio themselves - and a couple of the clips are used here.

But two days away didn't mean the microphone was out all of the time. When working with groups, young and vulnerable people it's very important to gain the trust of all involved before beginning to record. In the end, Jude only had to record 1.5 hours of material.

The audio was edited by Mark at sounddelivery using Adobe CoolEdit, though the same programme could have been delivered using Audacity. Mark was able to pull together the programme you hear here in under three hours. Key to achieving this was a proper audio log of the gathered audio, an appropriate amount of source material and a script prepared for the edit.

Programme Links:

• Youth Hostel Association
• Breaks4Kids
• New Road School

Are you a graduate of sounddelivery audio training? Join us on Facebook for more links and top tips.

Until next time...