PORCUPINEPRINCIPLE

TH

E

Jonathan Farnhill

Chief Executive

Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education

www.farnhill.org.uk

jonathan@farnhill.org.uk

A quick introduction

• CEO of Exeter Royal Academy for Deaf Education• Director of Funding for St Luke’s Hospice in

Plymouth 1998-2004• Regional Chair of the Institute of Fundraising SW

2002-2006• Winner of national PR award for Thanks a Million,

a fundraising campaign to raise £1,000,000 in 1,000,000 seconds

• Author of The Porcupine Principle

An escalator is never broken, but sometimes it becomes stairs.

“philanthropy seems to have become simply the refuge of people who wish to annoy their fellow creatures”

Oscar Wilde

Ten Don’ts: the freeze ‘ems

1. Do not say how you do something

2. Do not say why you do something

3. Do not say how long you have done something

4. Do not say how expensive it is to do something

5. Do not say how many staff it takes to

do something

Ten Don’ts: the poke your eye outs

6. Do not upset people

7. Do not frighten people

8. Do not traumatise people

9. Do not manipulate people

10.Do not blame people

The Porcupine Principle

The fundamental question a funder wants to know is:

What is my donation buying?

Don’t freeze them or poke them in the eye when you answer this question

The five essential truths

• Life is hard• You are not that important• Your life is not about you• You are not in control• You are going to die