What can fundraisers learn from Eurovision?

There are three kinds of people in May.

People who ignore Eurovision entirely.

People who casually “stick Eurovision on in the background”.

And people who have opinions on stage lighting, pyrotechnics and whether Graham Norton was being “a bit harsh actually”.

At Fireside, most of us fall into that third category. Because Eurovision isn’t really about music. It’s about moments. It’s about emotion. It’s about the group WhatsApp suddenly coming back to life after three quiet months because somebody’s husband has wandered into the room and asked, ‘Why is he singing to a giant toaster?’

So, as I often do, I wondered what fundraisers can learn from this.

This year, the UK is taking a particularly bold swing with Look Mum No Computer, otherwise known as Sam Battle.

The entry has already divided opinion online, which in Eurovision terms is usually a very good sign. Because the entries people remember are rarely the safest ones.

Nobody gathers round the kitchen at 10:47pm saying, ‘What a technically competent middle-of-the-road performance that was.’ They remember the risk. The spectacle. The act that made them feel something, even if that feeling was confusion… I’ll never forget the Polish 2014 entry with grandmas churning butter on stage, for example.

Fundraising can fall into the same trap. We smooth out the rough edges. We make the language safer. We quietly remove anything that might make someone raise an eyebrow in a boardroom.

But safe isn’t actually safe. Safe is forgettable.

That doesn’t mean your next proposal needs smoke cannons and a key change (although we’re open-minded). It does mean remembering that people respond to clarity, confidence and personality more than polish on its own. We assume what the company will want, or need, without necessarily taking the risk to show them who we are and what we need.

Which brings us neatly to assumptions.

Every year, the UK becomes convinced we know exactly what Europe will vote for. Every year, Europe humbles us.

And in fundraising, we can do exactly the same thing with companies. We assume we know what they care about, how they make decisions, or what’s influencing giving right now — often without actually asking them.

That’s exactly why we’re so excited about our “How Companies Give” research. We’re digging into what’s really shaping corporate giving in 2026, and which industries give most to which cause areas. We’d love if you could fill out our survey to tell us what you assume we’ll find.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and explain to my housemate why Europe has once again awarded twelve points to a man dressed as an appliance.