Shut it out or learn from it?
A topic I've been mulling for a long time is what charities, and specifically fundraisers, can learn from populism. You might hate what (right-wing) populists say, so can be forgiven for trying to shut them out. But what I've been thinking about is that there are,
What charities can learn from right-wing populism
Let's be honest, talking about right-wing populism in charity circles feels deeply uncomfortable. It should. We fundamentally oppose the division, the scapegoating, the deliberate exclusion of vulnerable people. But we can't ignore something else: it's been devastatingly effective at building movements and mobilising people.
What charities can learn from populism
Let's be honest, the very word 'populism' often makes us wince. It conjures images of division, of shouting, of over-simplification. But what if charity leaders could learn from its raw power to connect and mobilise, without compromising our values? This isn't about adopting divisive
The business case for joy
Every week in this newsletter, I share a little thing that has made me smile over the past few days. I call them joy-giving things. My joys of the week spark more comments from happy readers than anything else I share. I usually choose something I've seen so
Leadership in the grey area
Many things at the moment seem to be presented as a choice between two extremes and it's exhausting. You're either this or that. You support this camp or that one. Black or white. Right or wrong. 100% or 0%. What I've learned over the
Keeping it simple
Does anyone else think there's a lot of mystique around the word "strategy"? I've just been hired to develop a new strategy for Advance, a women's charity, and we've been agreeing that the end product should be simple and it
Bring the outside in
Yesterday, someone asked my advice about ice breakers for an away day she's running. Many people's hearts sink at the idea of an ice breaker but there does need to be some activity or conversation that brings the participants together into the room, mentally as well
Trust your people and they will reward you
A recent CIPD report has found that 80,000 employees or 3% of the workforce have left jobs in Scotland because of return to office policies. I simply don't understand why creating a vacancy and recruiting and onboarding a brand new member is staff is preferable to supporting
Keeping it local
Since I've been back in charity world, one of the pieces of work I've been commissioned to do is delivering training to campaigners on how to engage with local politicians and Metro Mayors. Many campaigns only focus on Westminster and some are limiting themselves to blanket
Friends you haven't met yet
The Prime Minister’s remarks about this country becoming an island of strangers have been rightly discredited, including by the man who made them. It’s been such a joy moving city after thirty years in London. We’re gradually getting to know more of our neighbours but since the