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Interview with Howard Lake of UK Fundraising

By Michael C. Gilbert, July 1998
 

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Howard Lake is the Director of Fundraising UK Ltd and the manager of the UK Fundraising web site [ http://www.fundraising.co.uk ]. We spent a very pleasant 90 minutes online together, in the first of what I hope will be a series of online interviews. Howard talked about his projects, shared some great advice for organizations hoping to raise money online, and championed the value of making mistakes.

Michael Gilbert: Some of this is covered on your web site, but it never hurts to include it: How did you come to be running UK Fundraising?

Howard Lake: A number of reasons. I've been a fundraiser for the last ten years. In fact, it is all I've done since leaving university. And even there I spent two years as a volunteer fundraiser for Oxfam. After leaving my second charity, Afghanaid, I took a Masters course in Information Science with a view to using electronic information skills in fundraising. While doing the research I gained access to the Net (in 1992) and began to look if other fundraisers were using it. Hence that became the focus of my research, my final year project, book, consulting company and my present activity.

UK Fundraising, the site, was originally conceived as a snapshot of my research in progress but I quickly realised the importance of providing a guide, a helping hand, to other fundraisers new to the Net, and also as a demonstration of just what was possible for fundraisers and charities.

Michael Gilbert: For the reader who has never been there: What can they expect at UK Fundraising?

Howard Lake: It is a Web site that provides information to professional charity and non-profit fundraisers in the UK In addition, many of the resources are of interest to fundraisers in other countries. I publish information on fundraising events, software, education/courses, books, magazines, examples of online fundraising, professional membership bodies, job vacancies and job hunting, companies that provide services or products to fundraisers, fundraising news, my own articles principally on my Internet fundraising research, but also links to others' research and articles. And also there's the text of my dissertation which I'm VERY gradually converting to HTML. All in all, it's designed to be a "one-stop shop" for UK fundraisers.

Michael Gilbert: Here is a question people are always asking me: How do you pay the bills?

Howard Lake: I advise and train charities in how to use the Internet to raise funds. I provide similar services to fundraising consultancies and companies. In addition I provide regular, non-Internet-related fundraising consultancy to charities. I write, and of course generate income from UK Fundraising.

Michael Gilbert: So, you've told me the genesis of UK Fundraising, but now tell me: Why the Internet? Why the focus on the use of electronic communication? Do you think it holds some special promise?

Howard Lake: Why the Internet? Yes, I believe it is of immense significance to the nonprofit sector internationally and don't just mean the wealthy North.

I first experienced e-mail while at Oxfam ten years ago, but it wasn't for another two or three more years that I saw it in use again - at another development/aid agency. Its significance lies in its very low cost and open standards. To communicate via e-mail, which I maintain is as powerful a medium, if not more so, than the Web, offers many advantages over so many other media. At last, a new, powerful and flexible medium has arrived which, unlike TV, radio and film, is within the economic reach of most nonprofits.

Michael Gilbert: I want to ask you for some free advice, on behalf of my readers: What are the most common mistakes you see people making in their online efforts?

Howard Lake: I still smile at charity Web sites that have evidently been developed and directed by one department, or in smaller charities by one individual. They look so lop-sided and do not reflect the full range of the organisation's activities.

Secondly, many sites seem to address a single homogeneous visitor. As a result, many sites do not work hard enough at reaching out and drawing in the very different audiences that are coming their way. This is simple fundraising common sense, of course, and nothing new, but it is remarkable how many nonprofits fail to transfer this approach to the Net. I don't wish to carp, but I do dislike seeing wasted opportunities.

Some more thoughts... Trying out new ideas is what the Internet is all about, of course. It is still a new medium, even for those who have used it for a good number of years, so everyone is learning by their mistakes - and I've made a good number! But I seldom see, for example, compelling nonprofit banner ads on sites. Where are the award-winning newspaper and poster ad creators who have done such good and powerful work for nonprofits over the years?

For example, at the recent Yell Internet awards in the UK, the judges didn't award the prize for best banner ad because they didn't feel those submitted were impressive enough. Come on, surely a charity can come up with a compelling banner ad that beats the for-profits. I'm aware of the debate over whether banner ads actually generate sufficient returns, and maybe they will be superceded by other models on the Net, but charities should be testing them out now and making their mistakes.

For example, Christian Aid in the UK did just that recently. They were offered a valuable portfolio of banner ad placements at no cost on a number of high-traffic UK Web sites. They ran an ad highlighting the need for support for their work in Sudan. Unfortunately, the sum generated fell considerably short of the value of the space donated, but you can bet they've learned some valuable lessons and are ahead of many other charities in that regard. So, I'd encourage nonprofits to make mistakes and try out different ideas.

One of the best parts of the Greenpeace International Skillshare, which I was privileged to give a presentation to two years ago, was the session where fundraisers from Greenpeace offices around the world admit the biggest mistakes they've made that year. Needless to say, it was a very valuable learning experience.

Michael Gilbert: What are some "different ideas" that you would like to see someone try but haven't yet?

Howard Lake: The first idea isn't that different really, but I don't see it happening very much. Given the number of Web-based affiliate schemes for selling books (Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Bookpages in the UK) why not add an online bookstore to your nonprofit's Web site? Every single charity either publishes one or more books, or can easily draw up a list of key texts that its supporters and would-be supporters would want to know about. These can be books about the disease that the nonprofit is researching and what self-help treatment there is for it, they could be about the country they work in, and they could be about the campaigning issues that the charity focuses on. Setting up as an affiliate is very straightforward and quick. Don't expect untold riches to pour in as a result - they won't! But you'll have demonstrated your expertise in a certain area, provided a service to existing supporters (they can buy books securely online at a significant discount) and you've created an extra public information facet to your site. I heard of one example of this just this morning. CARE has developed a bookstore at http://www.care.org/books. They even offer a staff-recommended book of the month.

Add your freephone (toll free) telephone number to every Web page. Don't get in the way of donors and enquirers. If they don't want to communicate with you via e-mail, then fine. Give them as many other options as possible. The US Red Cross is just one of the nonprofits that know they have benefited financially from publishing their freephone number on their Web site. They found that 30% of donors calling their freephone number had found it on their Web site.

Another idea is to get supporters to try out your Web site. It doesn't matter if they're experienced Web users or novices, in fact, a mixture will be useful. Every few months ask them to visit your site, even if it is just a few pages, and ask them specific questions about how easy it was to use, whether they could find particular information, and so on. Web sites need to be road-tested by users and you need to act on their comments if you are to get the best value out of your investment.

One final idea: Consider establishing an affinity scheme with a local Internet Service Provider. People still want to buy Internet access so why not take advantage of this by teaming up with a Internet Service Provider who will agree to donate $10 per new subscriber? Your nonprofit promotes this ISP, more people come on to the Net knowing about your charity (perhaps even with their browser customised to point to your nonprofit's Web site), and you earn a small but regular income even before you've started making direct appeals on the Internet.

Michael Gilbert: This is great. Tell me, Howard: Is UK Fundraising a success for you? How do you measure that success? Howard Lake: Yes, UK Fundraising is a success for me in a number of ways. First, it generates business for me - all kinds of fundraising work. It also generates business for other partner consultants and contacts who I feel are better able to help the enquirer. It is a success because it generates a modest income itself. It is a success in terms of the feedback I've got from visitors, and even fundraisers who've said they've acquired Internet access because they had heard that there was a good resource especially for them. It has ensured that after two years in business I've not yet had to seek work. Because I spend so much time researching information for the site, it has ensured that I stay current with fundraising news and other professional developments. And finally, but perhaps I should have put this first, I enjoy creating and developing it. I have a number of enhancements that should start to appear later this year so I'm not resting on my laurels, but I'm happy with the potential that the site has for furthering the fundraising profession in the UK, and its use of the Internet. I'm very fortunate in being able to get paid for doing something I enjoy and believe in.

Michael Gilbert: You have already anticipated my last question: Where do you see UK Fundraising going in the future and what would you like to be doing in a few years?

Howard Lake: UK Fundraising will be around for the foreseeable future. General plans include making it more of a community - forgive the buzzword, offering a wider range of services to fundraisers, including other contributors' work on it, and of course retaining its independence. What would I like to be doing? I'm not planning on moving out of the fundraising sector. I plan to improve what I'm doing now, really, and doing my best to keep working out how the headlong developments in the Net (and whatever media take its place or enhances it) can best be harnessed by nonprofits. I think that'll keep me busy for the foreseeable future.

Michael Gilbert: Howard, thank you for spending so much time with me. At least we are spared the costs of a toll call by the use of online chat. Is there anything else you want to say or ask?

Howard Lake: I've really enjoyed it. I must admit this is my first live chat-based interview I've done on the Net. It's really rather good and enjoyable.

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