# The two things about fundraising are…

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/03/06/two-things-about-fundraising-are/
- Published: 2012-03-06T19:19:50+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Last week Oliver Burkeman’s column in The Guardian magazine asked “[Is it true that for every subject, there are only two things you need to know?](http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/24/two-things-to-know-oliver-burkeman)“

He told the story of economics academic Glen Whitman who was taken by the notion
that “for every subject, there are two only two things you need to know. Everything
else is the application of these two things, or just not important”.

Eight years ago he updated his website to include contributions from many other 
people who had tried to sum up [“the Two Things” of numerous subjects](http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/thetwothings.html).
You might guess that I immediately explored this list to see if anyone had posited“
the Two Things of fundraising”. And no, they hadn’t.

## Advertisement

There were the **Two Things about Non-profits**, from ‘RainCityChick’:

1. You have to look like money to get money

2. Everything is mission-critical

There were **The Two Things about Marketing** from ‘Racehorse’:

1. Know existing customers.

2. Recruit more customers.

and the **Two Other Things about Marketing** from the same contributor:

1. Find out who is buying your product.

2. Find more buyers like them.

There was also the sage **Two Things about Creativity** from Nicholas Kronos:

1. God is in the details.

2. The devil is in the details.

But nothing about fundraising.

So, here’s your chance. What are **the Two Things about fundraising**? Add your 
suggestions in the comments below.

PS. I bet [George Smith](https://www.fundraising.co.uk/george-smith-wordsmith) would
have come up with some very clever and funny suggestions.

 * **[Social Action Fund awards grant to inspire philanthropy in young people](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/06/15/social-action-fund-awards-grant-inspire-philanthropy-young-people/)**(
   15 June 2012)
 * **[Canada declares 15 November as National Philanthropy Day](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/11/06/canada-declares-15-november-national-philanthropy-day/)**(
   6 November 2012)
 * **[Coca Cola gives away free money, provided you do something good with it](https://fundraising.co.uk/2013/03/01/coca-cola-gives-away-free-money-provided-you-do-something-good-it/)**(
   1 March 2013)