Giving should just be another part of life, says Saxton

We need to "intertwine living and giving" and have to make giving as exciting as all the other choices people have to make in their lives according to Joe Saxton of nfpSynergy.

Talking to delegates at the Blackbaud conference this week, Saxton said that we should consider packaging fundraising like a McDonald's Happy Meal, with everything together so that people know exactly what they're going to get and making it as easy as possible for people to give. "The £3 gift flourishes because people know what they are being asked for," he said. "Too many people don't understand why they should support you".

Fundraising messages need to be packaged in "bite-sized chunks" to attract donors' attention and we must stop using "dense, turgid messages" in our fundraising communications, he said.

He also revealed the top 10 most useful areas of research as identified by fundraisers themselves. In a survey by Adrian Sargent and nfpSynergy, top of fundraisers' lists was research on major donor fundraising, followed by identifying new demographic groups likely to be good fundraising prospects; donor loyalty; overall giving trends; corporate attitudes to giving; internet giving; new fundraising products; legacies; and research among older people about their giving.

At the bottom end of the most useful areas of research were venture philanthropy, community fundraising and public trust and confidence.

The research will be released in full later this year.

www.nfpsynergy.net

Photo: jasonippolito