How we can help you
Bespoke projects
A broad area, but occasionally there are specific challenges that need external input. Sometimes there are small projects, we’ve undertaken “quick” audits or health checks on specific fundraising areas and we’ve helped pull together key documents for Trustees. On other occasions these can be bigger projects, we‘ve led strategic reviews of products, we’ve looked at team structure and we’ve looked at areas for innovation and development
AGENCY INTERMEDIARY
We’ve helped many charities find their marketing agency. We know that this is time consuming so we always start by exploring whether the current agency relationship (if there is one) can be repaired, but assuming it can’t we’ve created a number of approaches and systems to make this as simple for you as possible. Over the last few years we’ve helped CRUK, Barnardo’s Dogs Trust amongst others find a marketing agency
LEGACY FUNDRAISING
Having worked in legacy fundraising for over 20 years we have a raft of experience and were the instigators behind the first ever legacy TV ad in the UK back in 1999 with a collaboration between NSPCC, RSPB, ICRF (as they were then), Shelter & Blue Cross. Allan has been part of the Remember a Charity Executive steering group for more than 7 years and we have worked with small, big and medium sized charities both in the UK and globally helping them with their legacy fundraising
INTERIM MANAGEMENT
There are times when we get asked to assist by directing and lead a team, this has included, amongst others; Deputy Fundraising Director at NSPCC, Fundraising & Communications Director at Alzheimer’s Society
CRITICAL FRIEND
We are frequently asked to help in this way, as an independent and trusted agent of change, asking questions, being challenging and looking at the issue through a different set of perspectives
Legacy LAb
A new 6-month Legacy Fundraising Innovation Programme, designed to create opportunities in your legacy programme through the power of innovation, and collaboration with peers and coached by world class experts. A space to solve legacy fundraising challenges and to supercharge your legacy fundraising and programme. For more details click on the picture above
Behavioural Trends in Legacy giving
This joint venture between Smee & Ford and Freestyle Marketing will explore the behaviour of your supporters in relation to legacy giving using our unique database. It aims to benchmark your legacy effectiveness and give you a sense of any missed opportunities. For more details click on the picture above
legacy premier league
Bringing clarity to your legacy fundraising. Our research taking in over 15,000 responses from charity supporters looks at Consideration, Choice, Competition & Change. To find out more click on the picture above
It’s 15 years since we set up Freestyle and we believe the key is to listen and to be curious. Listening is the starting point and we begin all our projects with a conversation, because we need to understand your business issues, your business model and your strategy. Being curious is just how we are, but it means we will ask you lots of questions, perhaps be challenging about your needs and requirements. By combining these two elements we can agree a brief, agree objectives and agree your desired outcomes
OUR TEAM
Allan Freeman
Anna Freeman
What our clients say
Some thoughts and opinions....
leading change
It’s a challenging time to be a Fundraising Director; of course there’s the usual pressure to deliver income for today and tomorrow, but in addition there is also increasing media and consumer scepticism towards how charities fundraise and spend their money. This means that charities need to work hard to regain the “right to ask”. Read more about leading change[…]
Organisational Confidence
I’ve probably worked with somewhere close to 100 different organisations, from very small charities such as Game Conservancy Trust to big Corporates such as Microsoft – and everything in between! One of my consistent observations is that processes, procedures, authority and empowerment of individuals is directly related to how confident the leaders of the organisation Read more about Organisational Confidence[…]
New Ideas
Tony Benn died nearly 10 years ago, you may or may not agree with his politics but this quote is great. Although it wasn’t intended as such (it was a comment celebrating an individual, Samuel Plimsoll and what he campaigned for) it is a great piece of insight into people and how we behave with Read more about New Ideas[…]
The new mind control
A great article (essay!), if you’ve ever doubted the potential of “nudge” marketing, the power of big data and the influence and the control that ownership of this data gives then read this by Robert Epstein. https://aeon.co/essays/how-the-internet-flips-elections-and-alters-our-thoughts
Trust and charities – what we really need to understand
There’s a stream of data that clearly and unsurprisingly shows us that trust in charities has decreased and is at a low point (although the relatively recent NFP research suggests it has gone up a little recently). However paradoxically there is also data from some individual charities which shows that their supporters have very high Read more about Trust and charities – what we really need to understand[…]
Leonardo Da Vinci – would he be the best marketer in the world…ever?
Da Vinci was one of the great creative minds of the Italian Renaissance, hugely influential as an artist and sculptor but also immensely talented as an engineer, scientist and inventor – the perfect marriage of creative genius and master technician. He invented an early helicopter prototype, developed a water based alarm clock, studied human anatomy Read more about Leonardo Da Vinci – would he be the best marketer in the world…ever?[…]
The new charity middle man
Almost 5 years ago I wrote this article, I stumbled across it again the other day, it still feels relevant. Yes some things have moved on, Jessops, one of my examples has fallen by the wayside but the principles outlined still apply. Those charities with real clarity about why they exist, what they do and how Read more about The new charity middle man[…]
The strategic use of ROI
I’ve a question and a challenge – how good is your charity at optimising its ROI? It is not always something we want to ask, the numbers often don’t excite or enthral, but look beneath the surface and I think there’s a fundamental question around how charities work internally and interact with both supporters & Read more about The strategic use of ROI[…]
Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean that I’ll buy it
We have this trend particularly within our regular giving asks to say things like…. “for less than you’d pay for a daily newspaper” or “for less than the cost of a sandwich”. We need to put these in the right place, the sequencing is really important. Just because it’s “not a lot of money” isn’t Read more about Just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean that I’ll buy it[…]
Skiing and Innovation
Over the last few months I’ve read quite a few articles talking about embracing failure. How organisation’s need to coalesce around the things that don’t succeed. I don’t agree with this. Failure is not good and never will be. However it is an inevitable consequence of trying to succeed and do new things. I make Read more about Skiing and Innovation[…]