Ian Bruce

Professor Ian Bruce CBE founded the Business School's continuing interest in charities and nonprofits when he set up VOLPROF (Centre for Voluntary Sector and Not for Profit Management)in 1990/1991 and was appointed its first Director while simultaneously being Director General of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). In 2004 he joined as paid Director (CEO and led its transformation into the Centre for Charity Effectiveness in a partnership with the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants. From 2008 to 2010 he was also Secretary of the worldwide Nonprofit Academic Centres' Council based in Cleveland USA and Chair of the Centre Directors' Group of the International Society for Third Sector Research. In 2010 he stood down as Director of the Cass Centre for Charity Effectiveness and became its Life President. He continues to teach, research and undertake consultancy, curating and chairing the Charity Talks lectures which he created in 1993. He is Senior Adviser to KnowHow Nonprofit the online informal learning resource, a concept he developed in 2003/4 and which he co-founded in 2007/8. He lectures regularly overseas, at universities such as Johannesburg, Capetown, Beijing, Arizona State. Following research into nonprofit (NPO) management education in southern Afica, he co-established an NPO management and leadership diploma course for township leaders, at the University of Johannesburg.

He is Vice President of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)where for 20 years until 2003 he was Director General. He started his career with Courtaulds and Unilever as a marketing manager, and has worked in the voluntary sector as Assistant Director of Age Concern England, gaining his first chief executive role at the age of 29 at The Volunteer Centre UK (now Volunteering England). He has also had experience in local government as Assistant Chief Executive of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

He has founded 12 third sector organisations and has been, or is a trustee of many more. His particular interests are nonprofit strategy, marketing (services, fundraising and campaigning/lobbying)and market research and his book "Charity Marketing" is in its fourth edition

He was awarded the CBE in the Queens Birthday Honours in 2004; outstanding achievement awards at the National Charity Awards 2001 and 2003; a Companionship of the Chartered Management Institute in 1991 (the first charity chief executive to gain this distinction); an Honorary doctorate from the University of Birmingham in 1995; and became Patron of the National Federation of the Blind in 2008 and President of the City Centre for Charity Effectiveness Trust in 2009.

Qualifications

BSocSc (Hons) and D SocSc Hon.

Memberships of Professional Organisations

• President, City Centre for Charity Effectiveness Trust, Sep 2009 – present
• Fellow, Royal Society of Arts, Sep 1995 – present
• Companion, Chartered Management Institute, Sep 1991 – present

Award

The Crown, Queen's Birthday Honours (2004) CBE - Commander of the British Empire

Expertise

Primary Topics

• E-Marketing
• Marketing
• Marketing Management
• Strategic Management
• Voluntary Sector Management

Additional Topics

• Information Management
• Knowledge & Learning
• Management
• Management Development
• Public Sector Management

Industries/Professions

• arts
• communicationse-commerce
• marketing
• medianon-profit & voluntary sector
• public sector

Geographic Areas

• Africa - Southern
• Americas - North
• Europe

Research Topics

Why Nonprofits Are Sceptical about the Usefulness of Marketing Theory

Marketing, understood to be meeting the needs of customers, is a superficially attractive business theory for nonprofits. Why is it not more readily embraced? IB is questioning groups of middle rank nonprofit managers to find out why

Differences between for profit and nonprofit marketing

Observation of nonprofit marketing reveals some distinctive differences between it and for profit marketing such as demand outstripping supply and frequently the consuming customer being differnt from the funding customer. IB is exploring how critical these differences are.

Needs of Blind and Partially Sighted People

Market research on this numerous but under-attended group is revealing significant variables which help predict the most beneficial service interventions for ameliorating adverse social circumstances.

Comparing the impact of Marketing Theory and Appreciative Inquiry on nonprofits in the UK and South Africa

Appreciative Inquiry helps people through building on their strengths. Marketing concentrates on discovering peoples needs and wishes and meeting them. These are two very different philosophical approaches. Four case studies in the UK and four in South Africa will compare both approaches and help form an understanding of the pros and cons of each approach from the perspective of the people being "helped"

Books (10)

• Bruce, I. (2011). Charity Marketing: delivering income, services and campaigns: 4th edition. London: ICSA Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-86072-459-6.
• Bruce, I. (2010). The art of raising money - using marketing theory to stabilise and grow your income. London: NCVO Publications. ISBN 978-0-7199-1802-5.
• Bruce, I., Copeman, C. and Forrest, A. (2008). Tools for Tomorrow: A Practical Guide to Strategic Planning for Voluntary Organisations. London: NCVO Publications. ISBN 978-0-7199-1780-6.
• Bruce, I. and Baker, M. (2005). Transport and mobility for people with sight problems - the views of 1000 people with sight problems. London: RNIB. ISBN 1-85878-671-1.
• Bruce, I. (2005). Charity marketing: meeting need through customer focus. London ISBN 1-86072-296-2.
• Bruce, I., Copeman, C., Forrest, A., Lesirge, R., Palmer, P. and Patel, A. (2004). Tools for Tomorrow: a practical guide to strategic planning for voluntary organisations. NCVO Publications. ISBN 978-0-7199-1638-0.
• Bruce, I. (1998). Successful Charity Marketing - Meeting Need. ICSA Publishing.
• Bruce, I. (1994). Meeting Need - Successful Charity Marketing. Hemel Hempstead: ICSA. ISBN 978-1-872860-58-9.
• Bruce, I. and Leat, D. (1993). Management for tomorrow : an exploratory study of current practice and future prospects in developing voluntary sector managers. City University, VOLPROF. ISBN 978-0-9520563-5-5.
• Bruce, I. and Raymer, A. (1992). Managing and Staffing Britain's Largest Charities. London: VOLPROF; City University Business School. ISBN 978-0-9520563-1-7.

Chapters (3)

• Bruce, I. (2009). Philosophy, framework and management tools to ensure a needs led approach to nonprofit/voluntary organization work. In Wymer, W.E. (Ed.), Latest Thinking in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing: How to use communication effectively to connect with supporters London: Henry Stewart Talks Ltd
• Bruce, I. and Mitchell, V. (2009). Real People, Real Decisions: how it worked out at the RNIB. In Solomon, M.R., Marshall, G.W. and Stuart, E. (Eds.), Marketing: Real People, Real Decisions Pearson Education Ltd. ISBN 978-0-273-72778-1.
• Bruce, I. (1996). Marketing force: meeting true need. In Hanvey, C. and Philpot, T. (Eds.), Sweet Charity - the role and workings of voluntary organisations (pp. 189–189). London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-13800-0.

Journal Articles (7)

• Balabanis, G., Mitchell, V.W., Bruce, I. and Riefler, P. (2012). A Conceptual Stress-Coping Model of Factors Influencing Marketplace Engagement of Visually Impaired Consumers. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 46(3), pp. 485–505. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6606.2012.01234.x.
• Bruce, I. and Chew, C. (2011). Debate: The marketization of the voluntary sector. Public Money and Management, 31(3), pp. 155–157. doi:10.1080/09540962.2011.573222.
• Bruce, I., Harrow, J. and Obolenskaya, P. (2007). Blind and partially sighted people's perceptions of their inclusion by family and friends. The British Journal of Visual Impairment, 25(1), pp. 68–85. doi:10.1177/0264619607071778.
• Bruce, I. and Hadi, F. (2000). RNIB: Beyond 2000. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 18, pp. 106–110. Bruce, I.W. (1997). Not-for-profit pressure group work: A marketing analysis of whether to operate solo or in coalition. International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, 2(3), pp. 201–207. doi:10.1002/nvsm.6090020302.
• Bruce, I. (1996). EVIDENCE AND POLICY: Developing research to inform planning and practice. British Journal of Visual Impairment, 14(3), pp. 120–122. doi:10.1177/026461969601400315.
• Bruce, I. (1995). Do not-for-profits value their customers and their needs? International Marketing Review, 12(4), pp. 77–84. doi:10.1108/02651339510097757.

Course Directorship

• 1995 - 2004, MSc in Voluntary Sector Management, Director

Editorial Activities (2)

• British Journal Of Visual Impairment, Member of Editorial Board, 2006 – present.
• International Journal of Voluntary Sector and Nonprofit Marketing, Member of Editorial Board, 1998 – 2008.