“By the end of 2012 there will be more connected devices than people on Earth”: the first sentence of Heather Maitland‘s article really kicks off The latest edition of JAM is a very timely look at mobile marketing. A host of excellent articles that build up to the final one (well it’s in the middle […]
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AMA Conference 2014
It’s the first morning at the AMA conference in Bristol. At the Watershed, temperature climbing, no air con except an open window and some fans. But we are set up and waiting for the rush. […]
Derek Holder: trailblazer
A lot of good things have been said about Derek since he died in February, but I just wanted to add my little bit. I first met Derek back in 1982/3 when I was persuaded to lecture about financial evaluation on the Diploma. Just a bit of a seminar I was told, easy – although […]
Apps we like: MyScript Calculator
This is a calculator that you write on. Very clever and very easy to use and it’s free! Works on your smartphone (Android- iOS) Works on your tablet (Android- iOS) Use your handwriting to write any arithmetic formula. Write and calculate mathematical expressions in an intuitive and natural way with no keyboard Supported mathematical symbols: +, […]
Uncanny Valley – why clowns are scary
Coulrophobia – the medical term for fear of clowns – is quite common, although not always a pathological fear, you sense they are creepy. Well it turns out that there is a good reason for this. While psychologists think it stems from their transgressive behaviour (unpredictable and antisocial), neurobiology has a different take and is […]
Day 14: Keep going!
Enthusiasm and motivation are the best habits fundraisers can have. Schedule some time daily to create your enthusiasm habit; here are five things you can try: If you haven’t come across it yet, make time to read Hildy Gottlieb’s article, The Sound a Thank You Makes. Try putting her concept into practice and regularly spend some […]
Submit to HMRC online even if your donations management system doesn’t support it
How are you getting on with the new requirement to submit Gift Aid claims electronically? Our latest software, GiftAider makes submitting your claims painless. It fully integrates with your existing system and is very simple to use. It manages the whole process whether you submit 1 or 500,000 donations at a time. As well as […]
JAM today, jam tomorrow
If you are not a member of the Arts Marketing Association, you really should be. The latest issue of JAM (their magazine) focusses on customer development and includes excellent articles by Heather Maitland (looking at research tells about audience loyalty; Katy Raines on how assessing audience loyalty is essential (as she says “do the maths” […]
LiveBase is 20!
When we first developed LiveBase® back in the mists of the 1990’s it was to provide an easily managed dynamic element for web sites that were, for the large part, static and updated via FTP. LiveBase was first used to power the news and events sections of the National Trust website and it’s second use was for […]
Ready for the off: Gift Aid claiming goes digital
From the end of September Gift Aid Claims will be different. The current R68(i) form will be no more and you will have to submit using one of 3 options: Complete on-line forms with attached spreadsheet (up to 1,000 claims per submission, but as many submissions as you like); Submit from your database on-line [direct […]
British Library unveils UK Web Archive
The British Library has unveiled an archive of UK websites (full story) to prevent a black hole. The project has been running since 2004 and aims to avoid “a digital black hole in UK web history”. One of the problems they face is copyright. They hope that Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003 will be extended […]
What is a QR code?
What is a QR Code? So you may have heard that QR Codes are set to become the ‘next big thing’ but thinking to yourself, what is a QR Code!? QR or Quick Response Codes are a type of two-dimensional barcode that can be read using smartphones and dedicated QR reading devices, that link directly […]
Day 2: Ask for donations
Most Trustees would like to raise money simply by broadcasting how great their cause is, how great their need is, and then waiting for donations to roll in. However, even the best newsletters and media articles don’t raise much money. Asking people directly and passionately raises money, and there’s no shortcut to this. However, stopping […]
Have you discovered Approval Pipeline yet?

If you’re a printer or graphic designer, the challenge of getting designs and layouts approved is often tricky. One extra name on the email list can cause a meltdown. If you’re working with a printer or graphic design agency, you may have experienced the pain of what happens when different people are viewing different versions […]
The press is dead, long live the press!
“It’s not a good time to be talking about press and public relations” says Heather Maitland in the opening salvo of the latest JAM(1), but then goes on to do just that. And quite rightly too. The problem it seems is over saturation (read competition) and it has always been thus: proprietors were complaining of […]
When technology succeeds
This is a quote that we used in out original brochure, it was true then, it’s true now. “IT (information technology) is both the cause of problems and the source of solutions, but is not the magic touchstone. Its implementation is by people, its utilisation is by people, the ultimate arbiters of success or failure, […]
Fundraising Fortnight
The last few years have been particularly tough for the charity sector as it’s had to find new ways to operate and interact with the government whilst meeting the needs of those it serves. A period of economic growth followed swiftly by recession has seen income levels under pressure at exactly the time when charity […]
Magnificent Maps at The British Library
A new, free, exhibition opens on April 30th at The British Library called Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art, running until September 19th, it brings together some of the most impressive wall maps ever created – some of which have never been exhibited before. Why are maps so fascinating? I just find myself being able […]
New things that technology enables: The Virtual Choir
Click here to find out more about Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir […]
Very useful infographic explaining browser trends
Just stumbled upon this infographic today and thought I would share it. Its always interesting and highly useful to know this sort of stuff, also its worth noting you can find out this kind of information specifically for your own website if you check your google analytics. Personally I like to use Google Chrome 🙂 […]