nfpSynergy - Our latest insights

24 January 2012 - Five reasons why charities should be delighted to be compared to Tesco
There is no doubt that small charities are finding it harder and harder to survive. But that shouldn’t disguise the fact that charities have a huge amount to learn from Tesco.

15 December 2011 - Back to basics – what our day to day interactions can teach us about trust in charity brands
We look more in depth at the notion of trust in charity brands and what its key drivers are.

17 November 2011 - What the charity sector can learn from Steve Jobs
Five things the charity sector can learn from Steve Jobs


20 October 2011 - What can UK based charities learn from the debate on aid effectiveness?
The question of the effectiveness and impact of foreign aid to developing countries has inevitably arisen.

15 September 2011 - Research first, judge second
Being convinced one knows the whole story is the surest way to fail. 

18 August 2011 - Ripe fruit: Are charities still yet to untap the full potential of LGB supporters?
Are charities still yet to untap the full potential of LGB supporters?

19 July 2011 - Using our internship programme as part of our strategic development
We talk about using our internship programme as part of our strategic development

16 June 2011 - Five qual questions you always wanted to know about, but were too afraid to ask - What to expect from Qualitative research
We answer the most frequently asked questions about Qualitative research.

19 May 2011 - The generation game: Age and charity support

Different generations’ engagement with different charities and the issue of whether these effects are due to their life stage, or when they grew up.

14 April 2011 - Calling time on the Big Society?
Is the Big Society here to stay?

16 March 2011 - “That’s almost bullying, to be honest”: the nature of charity campaigning in the new Parliament
Mps and how they currently percieve charities

17 February 2011 - Is employee volunteering all it’s cracked up to be?
Discussion on the importance of workplace giving and workplace volunteering.

20 January 2011 - Green about giving
What can we learn the status of fundraising from the recent green paper on giving

15 December 2010 - More blessed to give than to receive
Christians as charity supporters- an audience not to be underestimated?

23 November 2010 - Brand Equity: what does it mean for charities and what are its key components?
Charities are increasingly taking responsibility for devoting more and more resources to the process of building strong brands.

20th October 2010 - The Use of Information in Charities
What information do we need to know how a charity is performing and how do these information needs differ from those of businesses?

15th September 2010 - Have Confidence in Qual
Research Director, Jo Graham, explains the strengths and limitations of qualitative research and how to recognise good qual research.

16th August 2010 - Online conversations - a useful research resource or 'Have your say' irrelevance?
Can the internet tell us useful things about what people think?

28th July 2010 - How does competition look different for charities?
A look at how competition differs for non-profit organisations from for-profit organisations.

15 June 2010 - What are the big challenges facing the sector
What are the big challenges facing the sector?

18 May 2010 - Do charities put service users at the heart of everything they do?
Are you representing the right people? Are you living your values?

23 April 2010 - How to make your organisation more innovative
How to make your organisation more innovative - the 10 minute primer

25 March 2010 - Nudge nudge, chink chink
How 'nudging' people to give can improve your fundraising results.

11 March 2010 - Putting a face to the numbers
How qualitative research can add impact and meaning to charity communications, by pairing real stories with numbers and statistics.

27 January 2010 - Ideas, not money, should drive the world of non-profits
Is the charity sector too focussed on money? Should charities be focused instead on the intangible goals of ideas, innovation, and human happiness?

13 January 2010 - Five New Year's resolutions for building awareness of your organisation and your cause
Five ready-made resolutions which could help you strengthen your organisation's brand and awareness in 2010.

27th November 2009 - How can the next government and the sector increase the size of the fundraising cake?
Read this editorial to find out six areas where the sector and the Government could increase income from fundraising - from raffles to rewarding major donors.


12th November 2009 - Using qualitative research to inform the development of communications materials
nfpSynergy regularly works with charities and creative agencies to help them develop and test creative ideas, whether for leaflets, TV ads, or a whole new campaign. Download this briefing for an explanation of how research can help, case studies from our own work, and a framework you can apply to guide the process.

22nd October 2009 - How do charities create awareness in an online world?
Increasing fragmentation of the media, along with the internet age, mean that awareness building is no longer a straightforward process. How can charities operate online in a way that helps their awareness levels? Read this editorial to find out.

8th October 2009 - A bigger slice, or less pie - why charities should invest to grow.
This editorial looks at why charities should hold their nerve and continue to invest in fundraising, despite the recession.

25th September 2009 - What place for the public in political campaigning for charities?
Read this editorial if you want to find out why the public should be involved in charity campaigning, what kind of people you need to be targeting, and how you can win them over to your cause.

2nd September 2009 - The dominance of overseas aid and development charities in Ireland
A look at why international aid dominates the Irish charity sector, using data from our Irish Charity Engagement Monitor. This editorial also includes some predictions of how the economic downturn will affect the sector.
18th August 2009 - What can a CEO do to help increase awareness and build brands?
Chief Executives play a vital role in creating awareness – yet all too often they are bystanders in the awareness process in charities. Read this editorial to find out how CEOs can help charities increase brand awareness.

3rd August 2009 - Integrated communications for greater charity impact
A short, practical overview of the advantages of integrating your communications. Integrated communications can help your organisation to achieve greater awareness, whatever your budget.

13th July 2009 - Five exercises and activities to help you and your organisation think about your brand
These five exercises could help revitalise your brand. Read these editorial for a practical guide to running a session on branding within your organisation.

1st July 2009 - Campaigning at Westminster
Ata time when preoccupied MPs are making the headlines for all the wrong reasons, and when charity budgets are constantly under threat, what hope do charities have of getting MPs’ attention?

9th June 2009 - Gift aid and small charities, by Joe Saxton
How the death of my mother bought home to me that we need to reform gift aid for small charities

6th May 2009 - What is a pigeon hole, and why do charities need them?
Too many charities are looking for higher awareness, when what they reallyneed is their own pigeon hole - read this editorial to find out why

April 2009 - Online Fundraising
A look at online fundraising - there's more to it than just the 'donate now' button.

17th March 2009 - How government definitions over-estimate level of volunteering (pdf)
Our March 2009 Volunteering Briefing looks at how government definitions of volunteering may beover-estimating the current number of volunteers in the UK.

3rd March 2009 - Top ten media tips for charities from journalists
Findout what journalists think charities should be doing to increase theirmedia coverage. These top tips are taken from the past five years ofour Charity Media Monitor

16th February 2009 - Avenues to new research (pdf)
Joe Saxton and Adrian Sargent look at what kind of research would be most useful to fundraisers.

January 2009 - Stairway to survival (pdf)
Joe Saxton's ten steps to surviving the current recession and coming out the other side...
the importance of workplace giving and workplace volunteering.