Episode keywords: Fundraising, Donor Needs, Response Rates, ROI, Digital Fundraising, Personalised Donor Care, Donor Engagement, Effective Strategies, Cultivating Relationships, Small Charities. Episode description: In this episode, we welcome Mark Phillips, founder of Fundraising Agency BlueFrog, who shares his decades of experience working with leading fundraising charities. This conversation is an enlightening exploration of the often-overlooked needs of donors and the significance of establishing meaningful relationships with them.   Mark discusses the four key states of need that influence people when they donate to charities and the art of cultivating robust, lasting relationships with donors. He also dives deep into efficient fundraising strategies, response rates, and ROI. Importantly, Mark enlightens us on the importance of personalised donor care and how making donors feel valued can fuel successful fundraising programmes.   This episode is filled with invaluable advice and practical tips from one of the sector's leading voices, including how small charities can start and grow their fundraising programmes.   Finally, Mark recommends some of his favorite books and authors that offer precious insights into fundraising. This episode is a goldmine of information for anyone interested in understanding and improving their fundraising efforts.   Mark Phillips Mark Phillips runs Bluefrog Fundraising, the acclaimed fundraising creative agency he founded in 1997 with the goal of it being the agency he would want to employ. Mark has a BA in development studies form the University of East Anglia, which was where he got the advice to get a job in charity marketing. He then received an MSc from Manchester University in management science. This led to a first job at ActionAid, and then seven years as head of fundraising at YMCA. Mark is one of the global fundraising profession’s most in-demand conference presenters, particularly on Bluefrog’s research into the motivations, attitudes and behaviours of mid-value donors. He also writes the Queer Ideas blog, which explores and presents new takes on many critical issues in fundraising, and curates examples of historical charity advertising and direct mail on Pinterest. You can find Mark on LinkedIn and Twitter.   * If you enjoy the podcast, please do follow us and leave a rating / review.  * The Charity Impact Podcast aims to help you increase your charity’s income and impact by sharing the experience and expertise of our guests. Whatever your role or level of experience, we think you’ll be inspired and informed by our guests who are absolutely the stars of the show! We aim to showcase a diverse range of guests, including people whose voices have been less heard as well as established leaders in our field. So, whether you are CEO, fundraiser, trustee, manager, practitioner, funder, or any other flavour of social leader, welcome to the Charity Impact Podcast! * For episode notes with links to resources and organisations mentioned in this episode, please visit https://www.kedaconsulting.co.uk/charity-impact-podcast/  For the opportunity to submit questions to future guests, sign up to our e-mails via the banner at the top of the website.   If you have any questions, feedback or enquiries regarding the podcast, you can reach us by e-mail at hello@kedaconsulting.co.uk Follow the Charity Impact Podcast: Twitter: @CharityImpactPd LinkedIn: @Charity Impact Podcast Facebook: @Charity Impact Podcast  Follow our host, Alex Blake: Twitter: @alexblake_KEDA LinkedIn: @Alex Blake