# Creative concepts without compromise

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/07/04/creative-concepts-without-compromise/
- Published: 2016-07-04T06:30:04+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**A focused and powerful creative concept drives fundraising growth. Every fundraiser
knows this yet most fundraisers have faced the biggest barrier to achieving it –
internal conflict. **

 

Time and time again artfully created powerful ideas are destroyed. Different departments
are left to negotiate the organisation’s ‘big fundraising message’ resulting in 
a compromised concept and therefore compromised performance.

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But how can you avoid conflict, consensus and compromise?

 

We’ve studied and worked with over 300 organisations and concluded the following:

 

 1. Other departments must be aware of what the fundraising department needs in order
    to raise money. This is required from everybody from the board to administrators.
    Everyone is responsible for making the organisation fundraisable.
 2. Everyone must know and understand that fundraising needs a focused and powerful
    creative concept. If other departments do not like this, they must at the very 
    least professionally respect it. ‘I don’t like it’ must not be allowed to compete
    with ‘I have evidence it works.’
 3. The fundraiser must invest in building relationships with colleagues across the
    organisation Lunches and coffees must become a strategic priority.
 4. Every department should have a ‘no compromise champion.’ This person is highly 
    trained and responsible for managing input to and feedback from the fundraising
    department.
 5. Select the decision makers before you start your creative process and make sure
    everyone knows who is in that group. Their job is to make a non-compromised recommendation
    to the chief executive.
 6. The final call, and refusal to compromise, must come from the chief executive. 
    So fundraisers, next time your creative concept is being compromised you know who
    to speak to… your chief executive.

 

_©** Alan Clayton**, June 2016_

 

 

 

[Alan Clayton presents ‘Inspiration and action’ ](http://www.fundraisingconvention.uk/session-programme/session-profile/inspiration-and-action)
at the Fundraising Convention 2016. 12:00 – 13:00, Monday 4th July 2016

 * **[‘Save the Cows’ video shows fundraisers the perils of compromising on their messages](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/07/04/save-cows-video-shows-fundraisers-perils-compromising-messages/)**(
   4 July 2016)
 * **[Alan Clayton on fundraising through and beyond a down-turn](https://fundraising.co.uk/2008/12/15/alan-clayton-fundraising-through-and-beyond-downturn/)**(
   15 December 2008)
 * **[Relationship Marketing appoints Alan Clayton as CEO](https://fundraising.co.uk/2011/06/28/relationship-marketing-appoints-alan-clayton-ceo/)**(
   28 June 2011)

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