Getting more from less – Bright ideas for big impact

The soft opt-in offers charities a significant opportunity to boost fundraising and supporter engagement by allowing them to email more supporters without explicit consent – potentially unlocking millions in additional income annually. We’ll give an update on the current status soft opt-in for charities and when we can expect to see these new rules in place.

We’ve all heard the advice “keep it simple” but it can be easier said than done. The lure of advanced analytics and GenAI can seduce us into wanting to run before we can walk. But we can only achieve our lofty analytical dreams if we have a solid foundation from which to build them on. So how do we begin, and how can we make sure we start with strong foundations?

This session will ensure we have a strong grasp on the basics when it comes to analysis. We’ll cover the all-too-often overlooked aspects which are crucial to understand. You’ll leave with some practical, tangible takeaways to take back to your organisation – allowing you to build a strong, solid, analytical empire!

Organisations often struggle with how to operationalise personalised communications at scale. This can be due to governance and fragmented audience insight, or data being held across different internal departments and product owners. Our approach uses a unified framework to bring all of this information together and ensure that the right message is served to the right audience, at the right moment, in the right channel. We’ll discuss what an audience framework is and does, alongside the advantages of creating one.

With the charity sector facing a tough time, what lessons can the sector learn from companies like Meta, Twitter and Uber, who achieved breakout success against huge odds and well-resourced competition?

In this session, we’ll discuss the psychology behind why people donate to charity, and how these companies used this to fuel their growth. Join us to uncover how you can build a strategy enabling you to supercharge growth, without needing a bigger budget.

Generative AI is changing the game for charities and not-for-profits. It can help you get more done with fewer resources saving time, cutting costs, and opening up new possibilities that once felt out of reach. We’ll show you how AI can support your team in everything from writing supporter emails to creating campaign visuals or analysing data without needing a big budget or technical skills. You’ll hear real examples of how other organisations are already using these tools to make a bigger impact.

Major donors respond to leadership. They want to invest in bold missions, measurable outcomes, and trusted relationships. This demands C-suite involvement in identifying aligned prospects, articulating a compelling case for support, and personally stewarding key relationships. Beyond revenue, major donor engagement shapes reputation, extends influence, and attracts further investment. When organisations champion philanthropy, they elevate fundraising from transactional to transformational. This session explores our whitepaper on truly understanding the major donor income your organisation brings in, and how to drive growth using your data and a range of analysis and insight tools already likely to be at your team’s disposal.

CRM migrations can be challenging, but with a strategic approach they have the potential to drive significant transformation. We understand the pressures that come with a CRM migration and have seen many of our clients struggle. With the right approach – one that’s strategy-led and data-first – you can move beyond simply replacing a system and instead reimagine how your charity connects with supporters, measures impact and drives engagement. This panel session, comprised of charity clients who have recently embarked on a CRM migration, will discuss things that went well and the pitfalls to look out for.

Drop in to see our award-winning media agency, Join the Dots, and ask any questions you have about acquisition, such as…

• Which media channels still deliver first-time donors we can afford – and how should we split budget across channel? 
• What does an effective omnichannel donor journey look like in 2025?
• How do we attribute revenue when a prospect sees five ads, a postcard and a peer-to-peer link before giving?
• How often should we pilot shiny new channels?
• How big should a UK test be to get statistically solid learnings?
• How do I develop an acquisition strategy that delivers long term value?
• Costs are rising and recruitment volumes are decreasing each year, how can I make my donor recruitment channels more efficient?
• Who are my most valuable audiences and which products do they donate through? e.g. cash/legacy/raffle
• My data is a mess! How can we sort this so that I can understand results better to inform stronger recruitment strategies?
• It’s difficult to accurately track and report on all acquisition channel impact, how can I make this more effective and accurate?
• What’s a sensible donor-acquisition cost and pay-back window in financial terms?

Drop in to chat about any particular issues you’re facing when it comes to privacy, such as…

• What are the changes from the Data Use and Access Bill, and how could they impact our contact strategy as a UK charity?
• How do I use consent and preferences to increase audience size and engagement?
• Are we using AI and Analytics in a way that upholds trust and meets legal and ethical obligations?
• Have we been over-compliant? Can we mail more people that we hold data for than we currently are?
• How can we start to move towards a ‘next best ask’ supporter centric model?

Come and say hi to the Herdify team, and find out how they use the power of behavioural science to locate brand champions in real life.