As the nfpSynergy blog has become weekly and its readership has steadily increased to over 2500 a month, it got me thinking; why do some people blog and some don’t? How about you? Are you thinking about why you do or don’t?

How about now?

I think blogging is important for any business, but it’s especially important for charities. It’s the perfect way to publicise issues, stories or opinions that your press team might not, for whatever reason, send to the mainstream media. It can often be these kinds of pieces that convert someone to your cause or inspire someone to volunteer, fundraise and make a difference.

Anyone reading the charity news this month will have seen the furore caused by Giles Pegram’s comments about women in fundraising. They were made in response to concerns raised about The Summit, a conference to discuss the future of fundraising that included just one female speaker alongside nine male counterparts.

As a result, The Summit was cancelled and he issued an immediate apology, while almost everyone else spoke in equal measure of their respect for him and disdain for his opinion. This got me thinking, as nfpSynergy’s Twitterer-in-Chief, about the dangers we face using this powerful tool. What is best practice and how can charities tread carefully in this digital minefield?

1. A Hidden Gem - Resilience report from the Clore Social Leadership Programme

Time for some negative thinking.

For me, this was the first report that really delved into the ACTUAL facts and stats of online fundraising. No fluff, just good, solid information. (on ‘Passion, persistence, and partnership: the secrets of earning more online’)'

Alexandra Bono, Individual Giving Digital Manager at Save the Children

While online donations remain some way behind online retail, the share of charitable donations arriving through online channels has risen by 85% in just 3 years. There are also clear signs that charities are taking a more sophisticated and holistic approach to their online communication.

Working with MissionFish, we have carried out a survey of what charities are doing with social media for the first time. We have trend data on how the wider world is using social media, the rise of the mobile internet and the penetration of broadband into society as a whole.

The follow-up to our 2009 report. As mobile phones have become more powerful and SMS donations have increased, we examine the potential and pitfalls charities face whilst making the most of this communications and fundraising avenue